Selected work · 01
National Geographic Indonesia
National Geographic Indonesia shared one template with every other Grid Network publication. I redesigned it from scratch so it could finally read like the brand.
- Role
- Sole Product Designer & Researcher
- Timeline
- 5 months
- Status
- Live at nationalgeographic.grid.id
The Problem
The template was working against the content.
National Geographic Indonesia ran on the same Grid Network template as every other publication under that umbrella. Generic layouts, generic typography, generic hierarchy. For a brand built on long-form journalism and photography, it read like a placeholder.
The trigger
The anniversary set the deadline. Editorial's frustration with the design predated it by years. They wanted a site that reflected the brand's depth, not one that only borrowed its name.
The constraint
Global National Geographic guidelines were strict. Every departure from the template had to be argued for, inside a brand system that doesn't leave much room to argue.
The Decisions That Shaped It
Three tradeoffs. All deliberate.
Brand fidelity vs. local flavor
Global National Geographic guidelines are strict. I held the line on color, typography, and photo treatment, then used that credibility to push on layout density and content rhythm. The brand left little room, so I was careful about which arguments to spend it on.
Editorial needs vs. reader experience
Editorial wanted density above the fold. Readers needed room to read. I ran layout iterations with the editors directly, treating their feedback as constraints rather than a checklist. Photography and the lede lead. The promotional surfaces are there, but they don't compete with the content for attention.
Reading flow vs. business reality
I wanted to remove article pagination. Long-form reads better as a single scroll. But analytics, SEO, and ad performance depended on it, so removing it wasn't an option. I kept it and redesigned the break points instead: clear continuation cues, breaks placed at natural pauses rather than arbitrary word counts.
What Shipped
Shipped on deadline. Nothing cut.
Scope
Homepage, article reading layout, section landing pages, and navigation system. All rebuilt from the Grid Network template up, within National Geographic's global brand system.
Outcome
The site reads as National Geographic now, not as a Grid Network property that happens to carry the name. It shipped in full, on the anniversary deadline.
What I'd do differently
I'd invest more in layout and reading-pattern research before going to high fidelity. The decisions held, but I made some on instinct. I'd rather have made them on evidence.
