Ebony is one of the most respected African-American publication to date, but they have had issues staying relevant on the digital end. Those days are now over with a brand new Web site they relaunched yesterday.

The new redesign for Ebony.com is fresh and vibrant. Compared to the old, boring and hard to to navigate Ebony.com that has been up for years. New additions to the site include Ebony-branded topics like Blacklisted and Discuss, and features news from around the Web like many other sites are doing.

Overall the new site is more welcoming and appeals to different age groups. It has a very youthful edge, but still stays true to the original content they have delivered over the years with a new twist.

What do you think about the new Ebony.com ?

Fashionfair.com, the global cosmetics brand for women of color launched a redesign.  The website now offers an array of new features including new site tabs: What’s New, Makeup, Skincare, Brushes and Accessories.

What’s New features Behind the Collection, The Look Book, Fashion Fair Pro Team and Introducing Sam Fine.

Behind the Collection offers Fashion Fair fans video footage of guest celebrity makeup artist Derek Rutledge as he crafts the makeup looks for the Chocolate Seduction collection.

The Look Book and Fashion Fair Pro Team sections introduces “Step by Step” on-line makeup lessons from the pros on how to get the look, highlighting classic and new products while Sam Fine, new Creative Makeup Director, is introduced to Fashion Fair enthusiasts.

The Makeup, Skincare, Brushes and Accessories sections continue to serve and function as their e-commerce pages.

Check out the new site at www.fashionfair.com

Loop21.com  continues to offer insight, resources and opinions on African American issues. Their content serves to advance the debate towards Black economic progress by focusing on finance, politics and culture. Check out the new site: www.loop21.com

Have you ever thought about how design and technology work together? Well, Natalia Allen has created a company that incorporates the two. After graduating from Parsons School of Design where she studied fashion design and social science, her goal was to create desirable products that were improved aesthetically and functionally by new technology. That goal later became, Design Futurist.

Design Futurist is a New York based design firm that creates sustainable and high-tech clothing, textiles and accessories for its clients. Their clients are multi-national fashion and product companies that work to improve existing lines or introduce radical new lines. Design Futurist has also served as a design adviser to brands such as British Telecom, P&G and Macy’s.

Clothing today is typically made the same way and from the same materials as it was years ago. But Design Futurist views technology as a tool to design and manufacture clothing and textiles better. Although, technology is not the only factor in making design better than before, Allen has made a point of understanding how technology can help make the products she designs better for people, the environment and business alike.

“Sustainability is at the core of innovative products and services at Design Futurist, says Allen. I use technology to accomplish sustainability goals I outline when designing a product.”

Many people think that sustainable products are inherently non-technological. Allen says this is in part true, but they fail to appreciate that great technological achievements can help create products that are more sustainable. Understanding that green and tech are two separate concepts that also work wonderfully together is fundamental to the design thinking at Design Futurist.

Design Futurist is a very unique company and has helped create successful products for companies that believe in going green and using eco-friendly materials.  In using both tech and green ideals, Design Futurist has been able to set themselves apart and make a new name for innovation.  Allen plans to continue helping companies interested in creating sustainable products conceptualize and implement their goals.

For more on Design Futurist visit the website at www.designfuturist.com

Essence.com has become a daily read in the fashionable, African-American woman’s life, providing content around an array of different topics that cater to their audience. To date Essence.com has 100,000 users and 21 million try-ons for Makeover Magic, its online, interactive beauty platform that allows women to upload their pictures and try different beauty styles directly from Essence.com.

Keeping in mind the fast paced digital world, Essence.com has been working towards a new site for a year and is relaunching today.  The new website showcases numerous new features that will make the reader experience even better than before.

Top of the list are social media upgrades. There are now tools for sharing on each of the articles as well as on the homepage. Going a step further, Essence.com readers are now able to become part of the conversation with a new feature called “Can’t Stop Talking” that allows readers to engage in discussion directly on the site.

Further enhancing the social media experience, Essence.com also launched the “Fierce, Fun and Fabulous Giveaway,” where users are able to win prizes from brands such as Diesel, Coach, and Avon by retweeting Essence.com’s Twitter posts.

According to Emil Wilbekin managing editor of Essence.com, other new features include a blog series with author Demetria L. Lucas, guest editing by Grammy Award winner Kelly Rowland, and two guest contributors, life coach Lisa Nichols and TV producer and author, Susan Fales-Hill.

As an extension to the redesign, Essence.com will have a major presence this year at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans with the Essense.com Live Stage. With interactive beauty platforms such as Makeover Magic and Hot Hair Tools, the stage will bring the website to life with festival attendees.

While they can’t confirm live streaming from the festival, Essence.com will be utilizing the new site to allow the people who can’t make it to the event feel like they were there.  Visitors can stay updated on Twitter where Essence.com will be tweeting throughout the festival as well as posting pictures and video. In addition, the entire festival including performances and fashion will be filmed and posted on the site for readers to view all the activities from the event.

Users can also expect to see an exciting content sharing partnership with People.com where Essence will pitch stories, have them highlighted on People’s site and then link back to Essence.com.  Both Essence and People are 100 percent owned by Time Warner Inc.

“We are looking to partner with other sites that make sense to Essence including Interactive One, The Loop 21 and Vibe, as well as general markets such as People, InStyle and MSN who look to Essence as an intelligent voice for African-American women,” says Wilbekin.

Ever since AOL purchased  The Huffington Post and basically made Arianna the new editor of…well…everything, she hasn’t wasted anytime. In the few weeks since the merger, AOL’s Black Voices site has already released a beta version. Not one to be outdone, competitor website BET.com has also launched its beta version this week.

I took some time out to compare both the new and old versions of each site, because while their pre-beta versions were fairly similar, their beta versions are substantially different.

A a before and after screenshot of AOL Black Voices below:

The first that I noticed about the new site is the dramatic increase in white space. I could tell that the designer was going for a cleaner look with less ads and more content. There is also an increase in the visibility of their writers. The old site only used linked bylines. The new site displays a headshot along with the articles in the “Voices and Opinion” section and allows users to “follow” them (that’s what the little red plus button is for). In terms of content, everything is almost identical except for the elimination of the “Money” section and “Blogs” section of the site.

Despite the clean look, I found this beta version extremely underwhelming aesthetically. The old site looked like it was designed specifically for BV. The beta site, on the other hand, looks a little “template-y” and I have a feeling that this move was done to make the site look more like more urban gossip websites. From the painfully ordinary looking homepage slideshow (the old one was WAY better) to the horrific grey background, the entire thing just seems like a ploy to fit in. Overall, they should have kept originally slideshow, ads and background and just added the headshots on the homepage.

Unlike Black Voices, which only made a few minor tweaks, BET.com made a significant departure from their original look. A before and after screenshot below:

The new BET.com website is a huge scaleback from its older version. While the old site allows for dominant feature stories, the beta site places equal visual weight on its shows, celebrities, music and news.  Most sections from the old site were eliminated and it looks as though they are shifting their focus away from music gossip and back to information about their programming along with a few pictures.

Although I applaud BET’s decision to seperate itself from trillions of gossip blogs, I am not a fan at all of the new look. There is no visual hierarchy to the site. And having three different slideshows running asynchronously on the page is a bit much. I was also extremely surprised that the center of the page below the logo is an ad, rather than content. The beta version isn’t terrible, but right now it doesn’t have any visual focus which may turn off a lot of readers.

Overall, both sites tried their best, but both beta versions need a substantial amount of work if they plan to keep their audiences.

To call Bay Area resident Anthony Grant a Web designer is a misnomer that totally understates his purpose. If anything Grant is a multimedia artist who is an established authority on brand identity. And it all begins with his simple design philosophy, “Necessity first.”

His past and current client roster is as diverse as his talents: Imeem, Virgin America, Mobi TV, Mitsubishi, Nike and more. Grant’s artistic brand identity work can be and has been seen in everything from print collateral to Internet advertising to the technology and business sectors. When he’s not working on a Web project, Anthony Grant is a new media entrepreneur who publishes DopeMag.com, an alternative arts webzine that focuses on music, art, tech, dope (cool) people and places.

Let’s further establish Anthony as credible by his tech toys. He is Apple/Mac all day, everyday. His favorite gadgets are a solar powered flashlight on a key chain, iPhone, and his Serato, a digital mixing device used with his laptop (he’s a deejay).

Anthony and I talked extensively about his design journey, what it’s like to work for startups and how he’s managed to find the color in Silicon Valley by doing one thing: pursuing his interests.  The sum total of that conversation has produced a non-traditional profile that features his professional opinion of several sites owned by established black media brands.

Without further ado, we challenge you to take the mystery tour. If you can guess all the sites Anthony’s talking about correctly, please let us know in the comment section. Guess ALL correctly (matched to Anthony’s description) and you’ll win a free website assessment from a Black Web 2.0 staff member. Good luck!

Brand Property #1

“It’s very clean. It’s not as vibrant as I would expect it to be. I don’t see it pulling too much from the old flavor…but I do like the way it is now. Right now, it’s stands up very well with any other respected publication. It’s important for black media to stand toe to toe with everyone else yet serve our interests. It’s clean, understandable and digestible.”

Brand Property #2

“Love what they’re doing with their logo. Real simple. The homepage takeover … you’re bombarded with (advertiser).  I almost don’t see the content on the page. So far it looks very well thought out and organized; hip and energetic yet done very simply. I like the three-column layout. It’s akin to the new 2.0 blog-style setup. It can stand up to something like a Papermag.com. Again, I like how clean it is. The takeover (ad) is a tough compromise. The advertising and the dollar kind of holds the site and content hostage. The advertiser pays decent money to take a huge stake of the visual real estate on this site. With Web 2.0 we’re getting trained to note the hot spots for advertisers. The advertising is compromising the content. Look at its placement. They need to make a delineation from the ad content and their content.”

Brand Property #3

[The site took over 30 seconds to load on Safari, Firefox and Chrome browsers.] “It’s representative of (the print publication brand). I expect it to be bold. Taking a long time to load. It’s probably because of that bottom toolbar. I just don’t like them. It’s just another way for people to get distracted and pulled away from your site. It’s the takeover (ad) that’s probably the culprit and making it take a long time to load. Most of the time your background image is to occupy a certain file size, etc. That’s the problem here.

Brand Property #4

“This is very different from what I saw last. They’re taking a widgetized approach to the layout. [Discussion followed about widgets as a form of "bells and whistles" versus true site development based on necessity.] Very corporate looking. Almost kind of anonymous and androgynous to me. There’s nothing black about it. I don’t feel like I’m being spoken to on this site.  It’s actually quite disappointing. Should be standing up to their peers. Right now, it’s looks like they’re going with the widgetized look…makes it easier for them push through content on back end. I feel like this could be done a little bit better. I might have to give them a call. I don’t feel anything, no interest, not even curious about it. I don’t feel wanted here, quite honestly. Visually, I feel like I’m being pushed away. There’s no design here. There’s basically a bunch of blocks that are being fed information.”

Over the last few weeks, we’ve posted video on the site showcasing discussions with different people on how the NAACP can maintain its relevancy with the next generation. From President Benjamin Jealous to Color of Change Founder James Rucker it was agreed that new media must be implemented into their organization’s branding strategy. To that end, the NAACP has gone back to the drawing board and revised their new media strategy, starting with a site redesign.

If you’ve ever been to the current version of the NAACP website, you’ll find that while chock full of information, it’s often hard to find, hidden within page upon page. Another drawback was the lack of multimedia. After gaining momentum with its historical timeline website, the NAACP has improved upon this and much more. The redesign has been underway since January and is set to launch this Monday just in time for the National Convention in July. Black Web 2.0 got a sneak peak at the NAACP’s new digital face.

Upon arriving to the homepage, the user is greeted with the familiar blue and yellow color scheme that are the organizations colors. There is a large alert that rotates between pictures. Clicking on a photo takes you to a designated part of the site. The overall appearance is cleaner and less crowded that the old site. The pictures are large and vibrant encouraging users to take a closer look. As a membership-driven organization, it is vital that the ability to join or donate to the NAACP is as accessible as possible. To that end, there are three buttons on the right hand side of the large alert nestled in the Get Involved Block inviting visitors to join, donate, or find a local branch on the organization. The Get Involved Block is displayed prominently on all subsquent pages so the information is always a mouse click away.

Scrolling down on the homepage leads to six blocks that list the most current news for each department. Each block has enough space to live which doesn’t make the eye do unnecessary work. According to Curtis Johnson, Communication Associate for the NAACP, switching out articles, press releases, and blog posts on the back end of the site is very easy. A few clicks of a button and it’s done. Speaking of the back end, the site is running of an OS created by Blue State Digital.

Clicking on one of the tabs in the nav bar located above the rotating large alert, takes you deeper into the site. In the Advocacy tab, users can access news, information about the director of the department, as well as ongoing programs. The resources section is a little bland right now, featuring a list of links, but I was told that we can expect a richer experience as the site rolls out.

As far as interactivity and multimedia there could be more, the parts I saw left me wanting more in a good way. The historical timeline still exists and is a fun piece of edutainment. Another cool feature I was able to preview was an interactive map that displayed NAACP events when my mouse scrolled over the orange markers located on the map. For example, somewhere in Jersey this Saturday a local NAACP branch will be throwing a pancake breakfast. One feature that I’m really interested to see is an upcoming app that will allow NAACP to report police misconduct in their areas. I’m not sure if this will load into the map I saw or be integrated into another upcoming feature, but it’s an interesting premise.

Overall, the site redesign is a huge improvement over the old site. Be sure to check it out when it goes live this Monday.

You’ve may have heard of a paint party, but a phone design party? That’s a new one. Nokia is having a digital party and inviting all its friends. Well aware that smartphones need to not only perform all the high end functions like running apps, handling email and web browser duties, they also have to look good. The phone provider is inviting its community to help them design their next smartphone.

Tagged as the “Design by Community” smartphone project, Nokia is inviting its costumers to weigh in on what features will be included on the new mobile phone. According to Gizmag, the project will take place over the course of seven weeks. During that time, the Nokia community will weigh in on what’s hot and what’s not in terms of cell phone design.  Are you a slider aficionado? Maybe you’re more of a candy bar person. Do you prefer a touchscreen or a full-blown QWERTY keypad?

Each feature will be displayed and voted on via the Nokia Conversations blog. Last week, the community voted on Display and User Interface. Last week, users had the chance to vote on screen size and whether or not to include that QWERTY keypad. In addition, voters also had the opportunity to weigh in on the phone’s dimension. (I personally love a slim phone, but I like it to have a little weight to it). Over the remaining weeks phone buffs will be deciding on size and shape, materials, operating systems, connectivity, camera, and enhancements. Voter will get to see the fruits of their labor when Nokia displays the design concept sketches, and design renders.

Voting is a piece of cake. Just move the sliders up or down to choose your fantasy phone’s perfect proportions. Don’t get too carried away or your phone design might be deemed “Too Far Out There” in which case, it probably won’t make it to production. The same goes for playing it too safe and staying in the “Not Ambitious Enough” mark.

The next feature to be voted on will be the material segment which starts today. The category is pretty self-explanatory. Wannabe phone designers will choose what materials the new phone should be comprised of.

If you haven’t visited tvoneonline.com recently, it is time for you to revisit the site as it has a new look. The focus is now on News, Videos, Shows and the networks current schedule. When we first look at the shows that TV One the network has the rights to, there is a substantial list. The shows range from the popular Jeffersons, Sanford & Son and A Different World to other shows which are not as popular such as $ingletary $ays,  Full Plate, and Wet Paint. On the Tvoneonline.com website, the maximum time length for a clip from one of their shows is one to two minutes maximum. There is a missed opportunity here where they could broadcast entire episodes of certain shows (especially the TV One original programming) and gain longer user engagement time on their site and possibly even increased visitors.

The video portion of the website has twenty classic videos from shows of the past (The Richard Pryor Show, The Flip Wilson Show are two examples) and present (Lincoln Heights). These videos are no longer than two minutes but do offer some classic bits from some noteworthy African American Shows. A nice touch is the fact that you are allowed to embed any of these clips on your own website or blog, on most sites with video content this type of functionality is a given.  The News section of the website is pretty straightforward with news that is directly related to African American culture. Most of the news is slanted towards celebrities and gossip.

My favorite part of the site is the section that is centered around “Turn up the Heat” with G. Garvin. There are over 75 recipes for a variety of different types of food that were featured in each episode. These recipes range from Baby Back Ribs to Alaskan Halibut to Rice Pudding. This is a good example of using the content owned by TV One on their website to maximize user engagement. For aspiring chefs or just people who are looking for a new way to prepare a meal, this is a gold mine of culinary resources.

The new look by TvOneonline.com is a good start. In the future there should be a focus on making more video content available including more substantial clips of videos. The Washington Watch segment with Roland Martin would be the perfect segment to include the entire show on the TVOneonline.com website. Take a look around the newly redesigned TVOneonline website and share your thoughts.