In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, keeping reader attention on long-form journalism is a major challenge. De Tijd/L’Echo (Mediafin) recognized this and approached Bits of Love to find a solution.
Solution
Bits of Love absorbed the information, story, and goals of “Mastermind,” a deeply researched series with over 9 chapters, and worked in collaboration with journalist Stephanie De Smedt to adjust the content for a digital experience. Utilizing Bits of Love’s information design and interactive storytelling expertise, the team created a mobile-first concept that engaged readers through regular interruptions for interactive elements such as quizzes, puzzles, and tasks.
The characters and interviewees were highlighted, and a visual grammar was established with the in-house illustrator. Each piece of content is accessible with its dedicated URL and metadata, allowing De Tijd to publish serially and showcase individual chapters and people through a long-tail campaign. Bits of Love’s structured project management and versatile code accommodated any last-minute changes.
“Bits of Love elevated our digital series with expert content strategy, delivering a beautifully designed, engaging tool enriching our newspaper’s digital presence.”
Thomas Roelens, Head of Digital - De Tijd
Result
The result is a unique interactive long-read that holds the reader’s attention and is enjoyable to read. The collaboration raised the technical bar and shared Bits of Love’s process for immersive pieces with De Tijd. According to Stephanie De Smedt, the lead editor, “It was great to work together and get valuable feedback on how to make the original concept better and more user-friendly. A great example of a true creative ping pong.”
Conclusion
The project is a success and a testament to the power of creativity, information design, and game techniques in tackling the challenge of retaining reader attention in long-form journalism.
