Redesigning the OLDEST COLLEGE BARCODED MAGAZINE

Redesigning the OLDEST COLLEGE BARCODED MAGAZINE

Welcome to the new Harvard International Review. In the summer of 2019, a group of old and new editors-in-chief decided to rebuild the HIR’s digital home from the ground up. A lot has changed since the magazine first came online in 1999. Almost half of the Review’s readers now access the site from devices that didn’t exist back then. The web is not a second-class citizen, but rather a primary way that readers interact with the magazine. Despite all this change, the HIR site hasn’t evolved much since it first launched.

We set out to create a thoughtfully designed experience that meets the needs of the modern reader. The site should be so much more than just a digital imitation of the print magazine. Our goal was to take full advantage of the power of the web. The new HIR gives you a more engaging, visually immersive look at our content. And for the first time, it’s easy to read and navigate the site no matter what size screen you’re on.

The homepage uses a card-based design, which makes the site more flexible and dynamic than ever. Editors have far more control over the layout and prominence of each individual story. The content now has room to breathe, and, as a result, is easier to make sense of.

The improvements to the site extend beyond the homepage. We’ve refined the typography on the article pages and removed distractions from the sidebar so that you can focus on the content. Articles have been redesigned to highlight their compelling visual content and the new homepage design makes room for larger, more expressive photography. Nervation has been simplified—gone are the long dropdown menus and confusing labels. We think you’ll find the new easier to use and more fun to explore.

The site is a living product that will continue to evolve over the coming weeks, months, and years. We realize this is a big change, but the time has come to re-build HIR for our mobile-first age. Enjoy the update, and please send your feedback to eics@hir.harvard.edu.


Hyeon-Jae Seo // Kirkland '20
Brianni Jeemin Lee // Quincy '20
Garrett Walker // Quincy '21
Haig Cholakian // Adams '21