Daedalus Journal
Daedalus Journal
Daedalus Journal
Daedalus Journal
Client
American Academy
of Arts & Sciences
Client
American Academy of Arts & Sciences
Live site
amacad.org/daedalus
Daedalus is a journal by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, offering in-depth ideas and research on cultural, social, and scientific topics.
Daedalus is a journal by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, offering in-depth ideas and research on cultural, social, and scientific topics.
Daedalus is a journal by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, offering in-depth ideas and research on cultural, social, and scientific topics.
Overview
Overview
Overview
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious honorary society and research institution, sought to modernize the digital presence of its flagship journal, Daedalus. Building on my experience assisting with the redesign of the American Academy’s main website, I led the design of the Daedalus website to create a user-friendly, visually engaging, and content-rich platform that reflects the journal’s intellectual rigor and interdisciplinary focus.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious honorary society and research institution, sought to modernize the digital presence of its flagship journal, Daedalus. Building on my experience assisting with the redesign of the American Academy’s main website, I led the design of the Daedalus website to create a user-friendly, visually engaging, and content-rich platform that reflects the journal’s intellectual rigor and interdisciplinary focus.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a prestigious honorary society and research institution, sought to modernize the digital presence of its flagship journal, Daedalus. Building on my experience assisting with the redesign of the American Academy’s main website, I led the design of the Daedalus website to create a user-friendly, visually engaging, and content-rich platform that reflects the journal’s intellectual rigor and interdisciplinary focus.
Designed at Moth Design in collaboration with the exceptional talents of Stephanie Bogle (Design), Tammy Dayton (Art Direction), and Erin Zwaska (Art Direction).
Designed at Moth Design in collaboration with the exceptional talents of Stephanie Bogle (Design), Tammy Dayton (Art Direction), and Erin Zwaska (Art Direction).
Designed at Moth Design in collaboration with the exceptional talents of Stephanie Bogle (Design), Tammy Dayton (Art Direction), and Erin Zwaska (Art Direction).
Services
Services
Services
• Web Design
• Web Design
• UI Design
• UI Design
• Editorial Design
• Editorial Design
Challenge
Challenge
Challenge
Daedalus required a design that would:
Establish a Strong Identity: As a standalone publication, the site needed to align with the American Academy’s brand while carving out its own unique identity.
Showcase Scholarly Content: The journal publishes dense, interdisciplinary content, so the design had to make complex ideas approachable without sacrificing depth.
Ensure Accessibility: The site needed to meet WCAG 2.1 standards to accommodate a diverse audience, including academics, researchers, and the general public.
Optimize for Mobile: With a significant portion of users accessing content on mobile devices, the site had to deliver a seamless experience across all screen sizes.
Daedalus required a design that would:
Establish a Strong Identity: As a standalone publication, the site needed to align with the American Academy’s brand while carving out its own unique identity.
Showcase Scholarly Content: The journal publishes dense, interdisciplinary content, so the design had to make complex ideas approachable without sacrificing depth.
Ensure Accessibility: The site needed to meet WCAG 2.1 standards to accommodate a diverse audience, including academics, researchers, and the general public.
Optimize for Mobile: With a significant portion of users accessing content on mobile devices, the site had to deliver a seamless experience across all screen sizes.
Daedalus required a design that would:
Establish a Strong Identity: As a standalone publication, the site needed to align with the American Academy’s brand while carving out its own unique identity.
Showcase Scholarly Content: The journal publishes dense, interdisciplinary content, so the design had to make complex ideas approachable without sacrificing depth.
Ensure Accessibility: The site needed to meet WCAG 2.1 standards to accommodate a diverse audience, including academics, researchers, and the general public.
Optimize for Mobile: With a significant portion of users accessing content on mobile devices, the site had to deliver a seamless experience across all screen sizes.
Key Audiences
Key Audiences
Key Audiences
We identified and prioritized the following key audiences:
Academics & Researchers:
Primary users who rely on Daedalus for in-depth scholarly articles and research.
Needs: Easy access to thematic issues, advanced search functionality, and citation tools.
Students & Educators:
Use the journal for learning and teaching purposes.
Needs: Clear summaries of articles, downloadable PDFs, and resources for classroom use.
Policy Makers & Thought Leaders:
Engage with Daedalus for insights on pressing global issues.
Needs: Highlighted key takeaways, multimedia content, and shareable resources.
General Public:
Interested in accessible, thought-provoking content on a wide range of topics.
Needs: Simplified language, visually engaging design, and mobile-friendly browsing.
We identified and prioritized the following key audiences:
Academics & Researchers:
Primary users who rely on Daedalus for in-depth scholarly articles and research.
Needs: Easy access to thematic issues, advanced search functionality, and citation tools.
Students & Educators:
Use the journal for learning and teaching purposes.
Needs: Clear summaries of articles, downloadable PDFs, and resources for classroom use.
Policy Makers & Thought Leaders:
Engage with Daedalus for insights on pressing global issues.
Needs: Highlighted key takeaways, multimedia content, and shareable resources.
General Public:
Interested in accessible, thought-provoking content on a wide range of topics.
Needs: Simplified language, visually engaging design, and mobile-friendly browsing.
We identified and prioritized the following key audiences:
Academics & Researchers:
Primary users who rely on Daedalus for in-depth scholarly articles and research.
Needs: Easy access to thematic issues, advanced search functionality, and citation tools.
Students & Educators:
Use the journal for learning and teaching purposes.
Needs: Clear summaries of articles, downloadable PDFs, and resources for classroom use.
Policy Makers & Thought Leaders:
Engage with Daedalus for insights on pressing global issues.
Needs: Highlighted key takeaways, multimedia content, and shareable resources.
General Public:
Interested in accessible, thought-provoking content on a wide range of topics.
Needs: Simplified language, visually engaging design, and mobile-friendly browsing.
Design Approach &
Key Features
Design Approach
& Key Features
Design
Approach
& Key Features
User-Centered Design: The site was built with a content-first approach to highlight essays, thematic issues, and archives. The clean, minimalist, editorial layout prioritized readability and user engagement.
Intuitive Navigation: A streamlined menu structure and robust search function allowed users to easily find content, whether exploring the latest issues or searching by author or topic.
Accessibility and Responsiveness: The design adhered to WCAG 2.1 AA standards, incorporating features such as high-contrast text, screen reader compatibility, and responsive layouts for optimal performance across devices.
Engaging Homepage: The homepage featured dynamic elements like featured essays, popular issues, and multimedia content to engage visitors.
User-Centered Design: The site was built with a content-first approach to highlight essays, thematic issues, and archives. The clean, minimalist, editorial layout prioritized readability and user engagement.
Intuitive Navigation: A streamlined menu structure and robust search function allowed users to easily find content, whether exploring the latest issues or searching by author or topic.
Accessibility and Responsiveness: The design adhered to WCAG 2.1 AA standards, incorporating features such as high-contrast text, screen reader compatibility, and responsive layouts for optimal performance across devices.
Engaging Homepage: The homepage featured dynamic elements like featured essays, popular issues, and multimedia content to engage visitors.
User-Centered Design: The site was built with a content-first approach to highlight essays, thematic issues, and archives. The clean, minimalist, editorial layout prioritized readability and user engagement.
Intuitive Navigation: A streamlined menu structure and robust search function allowed users to easily find content, whether exploring the latest issues or searching by author or topic.
Accessibility and Responsiveness: The design adhered to WCAG 2.1 AA standards, incorporating features such as high-contrast text, screen reader compatibility, and responsive layouts for optimal performance across devices.
Engaging Homepage: The homepage featured dynamic elements like featured essays, popular issues, and multimedia content to engage visitors.
An Elevated
Academic Web
Experience
An Elevated
Academic Web
Experience
An Elevated
Academic Web
Experience
In designing the Dædalus microsite for the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, I implemented a clean, modern layout with a strong emphasis on typography and white space to facilitate deep, focused reading of its scholarly content.
This design was based by the aesthetic and functionality of the American Academy's main website, ensuring a consistent visual and navigational experience that highlights the Academy's dedication to intellectual discussion and makes complex ideas approachable, maintaining the integrity of academic discourse.
In designing the Dædalus microsite for the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, I implemented a clean, modern layout with a strong emphasis on typography and white space to facilitate deep, focused reading of its scholarly content.
This design was based by the aesthetic and functionality of the American Academy's main website, ensuring a consistent visual and navigational experience that highlights the Academy's dedication to intellectual discussion and makes complex ideas approachable, maintaining the integrity of academic discourse.
In designing the Dædalus microsite for the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, I implemented a clean, modern layout with a strong emphasis on typography and white space to facilitate deep, focused reading of its scholarly content.
This design was based by the aesthetic and functionality of the American Academy's main website, ensuring a consistent visual and navigational experience that highlights the Academy's dedication to intellectual discussion and makes complex ideas approachable, maintaining the integrity of academic discourse.
Outcomes
Outcomes
Outcomes
• Significant Increase in Readership: Following its transition to an open access model in January 2021, Daedalus experienced a substantial surge in readership, attracting more online readers on the American Academy’s website in 2021 than in the prior four years combined. (Source)
• Growth in Essay Downloads: Downloads of Daedalus essays from the MIT Press website grew exponentially, rising from 133,000 in 2020 to over 450,000 in 2021. This highlights the increased accessibility and interest in the journal’s content. (Source)
• Enhanced Accessibility: The design supported the open access initiative, allowing a wider audience to engage with Daedalus content and contributing to the journal’s role in fostering impactful academic discourse.
• Significant Increase in Readership: Following its transition to an open access model in January 2021, Daedalus experienced a substantial surge in readership, attracting more online readers on the American Academy’s website in 2021 than in the prior four years combined. (Source)
• Growth in Essay Downloads: Downloads of Daedalus essays from the MIT Press website grew exponentially, rising from 133,000 in 2020 to over 450,000 in 2021. This highlights the increased accessibility and interest in the journal’s content. (Source)
• Enhanced Accessibility: The design supported the open access initiative, allowing a wider audience to engage with Daedalus content and contributing to the journal’s role in fostering impactful academic discourse.
• Significant Increase in Readership: Following its transition to an open access model in January 2021, Daedalus experienced a substantial surge in readership, attracting more online readers on the American Academy’s website in 2021 than in the prior four years combined. (Source)
• Growth in Essay Downloads: Downloads of Daedalus essays from the MIT Press website grew exponentially, rising from 133,000 in 2020 to over 450,000 in 2021. This highlights the increased accessibility and interest in the journal’s content. (Source)
• Enhanced Accessibility: The design supported the open access initiative, allowing a wider audience to engage with Daedalus content and contributing to the journal’s role in fostering impactful academic discourse.
Key takeaways
Key takeaways
Key takeaways
This project taught me the importance of balancing aesthetics with functionality, creating scalable designs that align with an existing brand, and structuring complex information to make it approachable and engaging. Through collaboration with stakeholders and developers, I enhanced my communication and problem-solving skills, ensuring the final design delivered measurable outcomes such as increased readership and accessibility.
This project taught me the importance of balancing aesthetics with functionality, creating scalable designs that align with an existing brand, and structuring complex information to make it approachable and engaging. Through collaboration with stakeholders and developers, I enhanced my communication and problem-solving skills, ensuring the final design delivered measurable outcomes such as increased readership and accessibility.
This project taught me the importance of balancing aesthetics with functionality, creating scalable designs that align with an existing brand, and structuring complex information to make it approachable and engaging. Through collaboration with stakeholders and developers, I enhanced my communication and problem-solving skills, ensuring the final design delivered measurable outcomes such as increased readership and accessibility.
