“What a way to make me want to experience more of Maine. Beautifully crafted content and experience. Way more of an experience than a book or brochure could ever be.” —juror Mark Renshaw
“Surprising compositions with intuitive interactivity, typographic nuance and thoughtfully selected photography—this web project shows true finesse by its designer.” —juror Gabe Kean
Overview: It has been 150 years since American writer and naturalist Henry David Thoreau released his seminal piece, The Maine Woods. To commemorate the occasion, a group of historians, literati and adventurers retraced Thoreau’s 1857 trek through the same untouched lands of Maine. The fourth issue of the Maine Thing Quarterly captures the enthralling and wild beauty of Maine and takes us to a part of the country that is just as it was 150 years ago. The story is told through a long-form written narrative paired with stunning photography, motion and documentary video.
•BVK completed the project with two primary developers and a full production team.
•The website features custom-coded HTML and JavaScript.
•Average time spent on the site exceeds five minutes, and it has a share rate of 50 percent.
Comments by Kevin Kriehn:
Was the project part of a larger promotional campaign? “This is part of an ongoing series for the Maine Thing Quarterly, a digital publication for the Maine Office of Tourism. Each issue of the Maine Thing Quarterly is a deep and introspective dive into niche topics iconic to Maine that represent the one-of-a-kind experiences and slightly offbeat characters that define the state.”
Are there any special navigational features? “Vertical scroll-based transitions and parallax elements guide the user through the story while AJAX loads next chapters, making for a smoother transition between chapters.”
What was the most challenging aspect of the project? “Coordinating the logistics and production involved with retracing the footsteps of Thoreau and his Penobscot guides and quickly editing and writing long-form narrative to coincide with the historic event.”
