Finding the Balance

Working as the web and graphics teammate requires two different types of thinking…as if producing was not stressful enough.  In the morning you have to think in terms of the web.  When putting up stories you have to think about what the web viewer would want to read and what extra elements you could add to make the story more web friendly.  As the news day progresses switching over to graphics can pose a challenge.

This week I felt I got wrapped up in making sure everything was good on the site and lost track of time.  Timing the day and knowing when to start filling out graphics forms is key.  I made sure to stay updated on all the stories – even when working on the web side of things – so I was familiar with stories for graphics.  

Remembering small details is also important for the website.  I created a checklist this week so I did not forget certain elements I did the last time I worked on the website.  This helped me immensely as it is easy to get overwhelmed.  When I was filling out graphics sheets I made sure to be specific about what I wanted in the graphic.  This made is easier for myself as well as the graphics artists.  It also assured the graphic and the cutline complimented each other rather than being redundant.  This was my second time around as the web and graphics teammate and I feel more confident about my role.