Online Magazine with a Difference

Patagonia’s Tin Shed is not your typical online magazine. It’s fun; it arouses your curiosity; and it’s interactive. And the layout is unusual and attractive – a collage that combines layers of frames and photographs and drawings and videos.

The experts say you shouldn’t force viewers to click too frequently. But I didn’t mind clicking on this site because I was curious and one click led to another as I uncovered the hidden information.

I think the Tin Shed proves the value of building your communications instrument around beautiful, imaginative design, curiosity, fun, and audience participation. What do you think?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bideford, North Devon

Image
A few miles upriver from Appledore is the market town of Bideford . The town was a pleasant surprise and I didn’t have long enough to discover all its treasures. The Torridge River is still tidal in Bideford and the quays are lined with boats both old and new. In the 16th century, Bideford was Britain’s third largest port and there are still signs of its thriving past. The impressive bridge linking Bideford with East the Water (i.e. on the other side of the river) was built in 1535. There are plenty of independent stores in the streets behind the quay selling baked goods, fruit and vegetables, and books. Bideford’s market hall was built in 1884 and is referred to as the Panier Market as the farmers used to bring their produce to market in large wicker baskets. It’s a very pretty building, but it seems to sell primarily crafts rather than food. The Burton at Bideford Art Gallery & Museum was an absolute delight, and I could have spent much lo...
Read more

Sea Buckthorn: Superfruit from Northern Vigor Berries

Image
It’s winter, and I’m longing for fruit, but I’m trying to buy as many local foods as possible so pineapples and mangoes are out of the question. Not to worry! I’ve found a new favourite that combines a tart, slightly tropical flavour with a heaping serving of health-giving vitamins and anti-oxidants. And it’s grown in Saskatchewan. Sea Buckthorn Berries Sea buckthorn is a deciduous shrub that was originally grown in Europe and Asia. It doesn’t mind a cold climate or poor soil, so it’s found at the foot of the Himalaya, in Siberia – and on the Canadian Prairies. Sea buckthorn has a long and storied history. Ghengis Khan is said to have fed sea buckthorn berries to his army and the leaves to his horses to keep both healthy and strong prior to battle. Tibetan medicinal texts from as early as 600 A.D. refer to the herbal remedies made of sea buckthorn for skin and digestive disorders. The tradition continues. The Indian Department of Defence recently sponsored a conference on sea ...
Read more

A Grocery Store for Downtown Saskatoon

Image
Three cheers for Saskatoon Sous Chef – providing groceries to Saskatoon’s downtown core One of the liveliest corners in downtown Edmonton is the Sobey’s supermarket on the corner of 104th Street. It’s a convenient place to pick up lunch on a work day or to buy a few groceries on the way home from work. Unfortunately, Saskatoon no longer has a grocery store downtown and that’s a shame, particularly for the growing number of downtown residents. Saskatoon Sous Chef , conveniently located below the King George Hotel lofts and just down the street from the lofts in the old Bay building, is trying to fill the gap. In addition to their wide range of salads and appetizers, Sous Chef offers meals in a bag, soup and Indian curries. They also carry ice cream from Prairie Sun Orchard, fruit yogurts from Hounjet Family Orchard and bread from Earth Bound Bakery. Not to mention coffee, jam and various other goodies (including gooey goat cheese brownies). Saskatoon’s first grocery stores Saskatoo...
Read more

Saskatoon's Persian Store

Image
Mulberries, Pomegranate Sauce, Dried Lemons, Kashk and Doogh From the outside, it looks like an old-fashioned corner convenience store. But step inside, and you quickly realize that you’ve discovered a Middle Eastern treasure trove. The Persian Store at 223 – 25th Street West is operated by Mahyar Behnami, who has been in Saskatoon for two years. The store serves an Iranian/Persian community of approximately 500 people, but it’s an opportunity for all of us to try new things. Mrs. Behnami kindly gave me a tour of the store and explained how the different dishes and ingredients would be served in Iran. Canned Goods There is a large assortment of ready-made, canned dishes. (The stews are always served over rice that is dry, not sticky.) Ghormeh sabzi is often considered the Iranian national dish. It contains herbs, dried lemon, onion and red beans – you can add your own meat. The herbs usually include parsley, leeks/green onions, cilantro, spinach and fenugreek, and the...
Read more

The Golden Towns of Beaujolais

Image
Heading north out of Lyon, you pass through a long tunnel and exit into a lush green countryside leaving the city far behind. You then turn and head up the hill onto winding roads between a patchwork of vineyards. Many of the vines are really old with short, thick, twisted trunks and a thin stem of green leaves and buds. These are the Gamay vines of Beaujolais, interspersed with a few fields of greener, leafier Chardonnay vines. South Beaujolais, just 45 minutes northwest of Lyon, encompasses 25 medieval villages of orangey-gold stone (limestone and iron) that is surprisingly vibrant (I had been expecting something lighter, similar to the Cotswolds in England). Some of the villages still have the remains of 14th century castles. Oingt is classed as one of the most beautiful villages of France and it really is lovely. You can take a walk around the town on the former ramparts and the church is austere and beautiful. I was on a half-day tour , which combined stopping to...
Read more