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Introducing… The Local’s new design

You may have noticed that a few things have changed around here.

Introducing... The Local's new design

Introducing what?

Our new design! We’ve changed the look of our site!

Have you?

Yes, we have. And it’s taken six months of extremely hard work so don’t pretend you didn’t notice.

Oh. Thought something looked different.

Actually, everything is different. We’ve completely rebuilt our sites to be ‘mobile first’ and 100% responsive.

Yeah, whatever – how is this better for me?

Well, there are two specific improvements that you will hopefully appreciate. The first is that our new design allows us to present a lot more of our content to our readers, a lot more clearly. And secondly, every page downloads faster. MUCH faster. So if you’re reading The Local on your phone, you will notice a big difference. Words like ‘blistering’, lightning’, ‘breakneck’ and ‘pronto’ spring to mind.

We also happen to think that the new look is very pleasing on the eye.

It’s OK.

Nice of you to say.

What about the ads?

What about them?

There are ADS on your site!

Yes, there are indeed ads on our sites. This is partly how we pay our way. And they should load much more smoothly now. As you may have noticed in the last five years, we also have sponsored articles on our sites (they pay the other half of our salaries). These are more clearly identified now and are put in a more relevant context. If you're interested in finding out about advertising on The Local, read more here.

Where do I complain?

Hopefully complaining is the last thing you’ll be doing, but we’d love to hear what you think. If you would like to comment or, indeed, if you spot something that isn’t working properly, feel free to let us know on FacebookTwitter or by mailing [email protected].

Right, I’ll get typing then.

And we’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Paywall free

THE LOCAL

What The Local’s new design means for you

You may have noticed that The Local looks quite different today. Here’s how our new design makes it easier to get around the site.

What The Local’s new design means for you

After several years with the same design we decided last year that it was high time to give the site a makeover. For one thing we wanted it to look nicer, but most importantly the new design is aimed at making it quicker and easier for you to find what you need without hassle.

You will notice, for example, that the site has a new menu bar that will direct you to the most popular categories. The example below is taken from our France edition but you will find variations on the same menu items on all our country sites. 

You won’t be surprised to learn that we are hoping to retire the Covid-19 category as soon as possible. 

On the desktop version of the site, if you hover your mouse over a category title you will find some of the most important related topics. 

If you click on one of the main categories in the menu bar you will find links to what are currently the most popular related topics. 

On the homepage, each article’s main topic will be displayed above the headline so you can quickly click or tap your way to more articles on that subject. 

You will also find more topics at the bottom of every page that will take you to related articles. 

One significant change is the introduction of a feature that will automatically load up a new article for you once you have got to bottom of the page.

Similarly, articles (like this one) that are not affected by the paywall will show an unlocked padlock. 

If you want to search for a particular topic the search tool is prominently displayed at the top left of the desktop and mobile sites. On desktop it’s just under the dropdown menu you can use to switch editions. 

As a members of The Local you will be able to quickly access your account details and update your newsletter preferences using the buttons in the top right. 

If you are not yet a member you can cast your eyes to the top of the site to see offers that are such good value you will wonder what you’re waiting for. Now really is as good a time as any to join. 

READ ALSO: How The Local’s members are helping us get better

We have also worked hard on significantly speeding up the site, which we hope will make your visits to The Local more enjoyable. 

You are sure to notice plenty of other changes as you get familiar with the new design. But one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to producing independent journalism that leans heavily on dialogue with our readers. 

With this in mind, we would love to hear from you if you have any feedback on the new design or suggestions for improvements. You can drop us a line at [email protected] or, if you are a member, you will as always be able to let us know what you think in the comments below the article. 

Thanks for reading, and we hope you like the new look! 

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