We aimed to highlight the vibrancy of NYC’s Black community and its vast contributions to the city’s culture. Through a variety of storytelling modes, the platform lifts the tapestry of Black experiences to represent NYC’s diversity.- NYC & Company Team
Q: Tell us about your initial moodboard, wireframe, or prototype. How did things change throughout the process?
A: One of the most surprising discoveries was just how few platforms there are that aim to highlight a destination’s Black experience. For this reason, it was difficult to conduct a competitive analysis. Instead, we looked elsewhere for inspiration and went into this trying to establish a first-of-its-kind product for Black content. Once we had our vision, we went through various rounds of wireframes and used prototypes to gain internal alignment.
Q: What influenced your chosen technical approach, and how did it go beyond past methods?
A: From a technical perspective, we wanted to produce a simply constructed page that would render quickly for all users, keeping consumer focus on the content. On the back end, we used our CMS’ modular block components to allow for easy format alterations and changes to the order of promotions. We also used our listing container component to allow for tailored images and titles to be published quickly and efficiently to the page.When did you experience a breakthrough or an "a-ha" moment during this project?
The nuanced diversity within NYC’s Black community sets it apart from other destinations. Blackness isn’t monolithic anywhere, but NYC is the only city where people can always feel a sense of belonging, regardless of identity or interests. Africans, Afro-Caribbeans, Afro-Latinos and multigenerational Black Americans call NYC home, giving rise to countless subcultures and affinity groups. We leaned into this throughout our multimedia storytelling.
