Some products are fairly straightforward to execute. Others, like the one I’m going to talk about today, take you on a roller coaster of emotions. I remember first talking internally about the Wider Image app nearly two years ago, and the fact that it has launched just recently tells you that nothing about it was particularly easy.
The Wider Image is a signature, iPad-only product that has been led from the start by Jassim Ahmad, who is our Global Head of Multimedia and Interactive Innovation – and one of the nicest and most passionate people you’ll ever meet when it comes to our telling our stories through the power of photography. Unlike any other news application or pictures application, The Wider Image is designed to take you further into a topic than just your usual quick read of story. There are interactive graphics about the location of the images, information on the photographers, and a richness in telling you more than you will likely learn otherwise. The app lends itself extremely well to just browse, explore, and learn. There is no set way to experience the app; what I think you’ll find is that the images will draw you in, and you’ll find yourself rapidly becoming immersed in the content and experience. Jassim has displayed a level of tenacity, passion, and sheer drive to bring this app to life and to ensure that we continue to supply the product with visually appealing content and in-depth storytelling.
My team and I have collaborated with Jassim nearly from the start on this project. Marine Leroux has worked with Jassim on the user interaction portion of the product and has helped deliver a terrific experience. Mark Farrow and Ron Kozoman put together the back end solution which feeds the Wider Image with content. Many people have been involved in the beta testing of this product prior to launch, and I’d like to thank everyone who made this happen. How good is this product? Apple featured it as the Editor’s Choice application on the iTunes store the week it launched!
I think this product again highlights the commitment that I see us making across the board to experience. We have the best information assets in the world; if we can harness those assets and deliver them in a powerful and compelling user experience, we will win the hearts and minds of our customers around the world. I hope you get a chance to download The Wider Image!
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