“Top 10 Best News Website Designs and What Makes Them Stand Out”

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Staying informed about what’s happening worldwide has become easier than ever, especially with digital news. As a person in my 20s, I never really got into print newspapers. Instead, I’m used to digital devices’ quick and personalized access. 86% of adults in the U.S. say they often or sometimes get their news from digital devices like phones or computers.

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I chatted with Kaitlin Milliken, a senior program manager at HubSpot, who has experience working at a digital news publication. She shared her thoughts on what makes a news site successful. According to her, most new news organizations focus on digital platforms, and even traditional publications now depend on digital subscriptions to connect with their audience.

To stand out, news sites need to display their content in a way that’s easy to read and navigate. This includes using clear typography for all devices, having detailed menus that show all categories and subcategories, and keeping the layout clean with plenty of white space.

So, what makes top sites like The New York Times and Fast Company different? I’ll explain below. I’ll highlight some of the best modern and minimalist news websites that use creative templates to reflect their brand and deliver important content to readers.

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Best News Website Design

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1. Beautiful News

Beautiful News is a news site that shares one video story every day. The stories focus on positive human actions, the beauty of our world, and the impact people and organizations are making.

What makes Beautiful News stand out is its unique design. It uses a black background, white text, and neon pink accents. This color scheme does two things: it gives the site a modern look that sets it apart from traditional newspaper websites and uses high contrast to make the content easier to read.

In her experience designing a news website, Milliken explained that her team chose a dark color scheme with high contrast to make the site more accessible. Beautiful News uses a similar high-contrast color scheme, which pairs colors very differently to make them stand out.

For example, using light colors like white or bright colors like neon pink on a dark background, such as black, creates high contrast. This helps make the text easier to read for people with color blindness, visual impairments, or older individuals.

Beautiful News also uses a dark mode design, which is popular among device users. Dark mode can also benefit some people, reducing blue light exposure and glare when viewing a screen in a dark room.

What I like: Since Beautiful News focuses on videos, it’s important for them to highlight their videos and visuals. The black background helps the colorful videos and bright text stand out, making the site more accessible.

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2. The New Yorker

The New Yorker is known for combining news with cultural and political commentary, fiction, and fresh “Ideas.” It’s a thoughtful publication focusing on in-depth journalism, great literature, and strong opinions.

What sets The New Yorker apart is its unique artwork and humor. Its website showcases these elements with colorful cartoons in different styles and a layout that breaks up articles, making them feel more enjoyable and easy to read.

I also like how the website mixes different types of content on its homepage, which gives it a fun, unique vibe. Despite this, The New Yorker keeps its distinct style with its choice of fonts and branding.

What I like: The New Yorker showcases its unique and creative elements on its website with high-quality photos and artwork that capture readers’ attention. At the same time, the simple design feels elegant, ensuring the focus stays on the most important thing: the storytelling.

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3. The Art Newspaper

The Art Newspaper covers international news and events in the visual arts world. With over 50 correspondents in over 30 countries, it offers a diverse global perspective on the arts.

The website features a simple black-and-white design with maroon accents for categories and links when hovered over. This color scheme works well with the minimalist layout, using plenty of whitespace to separate sections and articles.

This approach matches Milliken’s experience, where her team ensured enough white space to keep the design from feeling cluttered.

As a dedicated arts publication, The Art Newspaper’s layout is designed like a gallery wall. The white space between sections is similar to the space between artwork, allowing each article thumbnail to stand out.

On the website’s mobile version, each “portrait” is spotlighted, offering a fresh and unique artistic experience.

What I like: Like a true visual arts publication, The Art Newspaper knows how to tell a story through its website’s design. It doesn’t overcomplicate things; instead, it uses plenty of white space and stunning images to improve readability and create a museum-like experience on your device.

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4. Badische Neueste Nachrichten

Badische Neueste Nachrichten (BNN) is a regional newspaper in Karlsruhe, Germany. It is known for its minimalist design, which reflects a traditional newspaper style. This is particularly useful for a regional paper, as it caters to older, loyal readers familiar with the print version.

What makes this website unique is its use of icons. One, a yellow badge, marks articles for paying subscribers. This alerts non-subscribers that they can’t access the article while giving paying subscribers special access, which they appreciate.

The other icon is an open book on the left side of an article. It highlights the estimated reading time for each piece, making it easy for readers to know how long it will take to finish.

I enjoy reading this publication on mobile, as the layout works well with a vertical scroll format.

What I like: BNN uses icons to show each article’s reading time clearly and indicate which ones are exclusive to subscribers. In an otherwise traditional news website layout, this shows that they pay attention to the needs and preferences of their loyal readers.

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5. The New York Times

The New York Times (NYT) is my favorite news source and the only one I pay for! While I may be biased since I live in New York City, I find it one of the most thorough, reliable, and exceptional publications.

Beyond its award-winning content, NYT is also one of the longest-running newspapers in America, founded in 1851 as the New York Daily Times. Given its prestige and history, it’s no surprise that when NYT went digital, it focused on recreating the newspaper’s look and feel on its website.

Milliken agrees, saying, “I’ve noticed that legacy papers ensure fonts, color schemes, and logos are consistent from print to digital.” This gives publications like the NYT a unique opportunity to connect traditional and digital media.

When I scroll through the website, it feels like I’m flipping through a print newspaper. The font isn’t the same as in print, but it’s similar, giving it a classic feel while being easier to read on screens.

Like most news websites, the NYT homepage has the main navigation menu below the header and above the content. However, a vertical menu will appear if you click the hamburger menu in the top left corner.

A drop-down menu will appear when you hover over a navigation link, like Food. This makes it easier for visitors to choose between specific sections or explore freely.

What I like: The New York Times is a publication that aims to be taken seriously, and its website design shows this. The layout honors traditional newspaper styles while adding features to make the digital experience easier, such as clearer fonts and horizontal and vertical navigation menus to help visitors find their preferred sections.

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6. Good Good Good

I first discovered Good Good Good during the pandemic, and it became a source of hope during a challenging time. Like Beautiful News, this publication shares positive news and resources that inspire hope and encourage good deeds.

You’re immediately greeted by pinkish-red, orange, and yellow gradient colors when you visit the website. Different colors can affect our emotions, with pink symbolizing softness, orange representing warmth and enthusiasm, and yellow evoking joy and optimism. These colors work well together, reflecting the positive nature of the news they share.

I appreciate how Good Good Good blends the best features of a traditional newspaper website and a modern design. It organizes sections in an easy-to-navigate way and uses contemporary fonts.

The color scheme goes even further by using dark blue text to add a touch of seriousness to the otherwise light theme. I noticed that dark blue is used for headlines, call-to-action buttons, and suggestions encouraging readers to take action.

What I like: Good Good Good is a perfect example of understanding your brand and designing your site to match. Focused on sharing positive news and progress, the site doesn’t follow a traditional news layout. Instead, it uses fun, engaging colors and a creative design to stand out from the usual black-and-white websites.

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7. Fast Company

Fast Company is a magazine focused on innovation in business, technology, design, culture, and leadership. It honors organizations and individuals with awards like “Most Innovative Companies” and “Most Creative People in Business,” so it’s no surprise that its website is also creative and innovative.

Compared to traditional news sites like the NYT, Fast Company has a more modern design. It features multiple fonts and colors, bold images with illustrations, and graphic design elements. For example, its hero section includes an animated slider that cycles through four articles, with a semi-transparent dark navigation menu on top.

I like how Fast Company separates its premium content with a light purple background. This makes the articles stand out while still matching the sleek, modern look of the homepage.

What I like: Fast Company focuses on technology, design, and groundbreaking ideas, and its bold, eye-catching layout reflects that futuristic vibe. I appreciate how the site showcases four articles in an animated slider at the top, instantly capturing the reader’s attention and adding dynamic movement to the homepage.

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8. Los Angeles Times

The Los Angeles Times (LAT) is a top source for breaking news, entertainment, science, sports, and more. As the largest daily metropolitan newspaper in the U.S., it attracts over 40 million monthly visitors.

With its wide reach and reputation, the website is designed for its readers. As I browse LAT’s homepage, I’m impressed by how it displays many news stories while keeping the layout clean, fresh, and organized.

The website organizes its sections using typography, white space, images, and bold divider lines. For example, the California section is split into categories like California Politics, Crime & Courts, Most Read, Breaking News, and L.A. Influential, making it easy to navigate.

What I like: The Los Angeles Times focuses on serving a large audience and being a key local news source. Its website design highlights important stories through a clear visual hierarchy and divider lines, creating a clean and organized layout with well-defined sections.

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9. Blavity News

Blavity News offers news, insights, and commentary that resonate with Black millennials and Gen Z. It focuses on topics often overlooked by mainstream media, providing a platform for diverse voices, cultural conversations, and authentic representation of the Black community.

The website’s hero section grabs attention with full-width images of Black celebrities and athletes. It also uses large headlines, vibrant colors, and images alongside every headline to make the content more engaging and visually appealing.

Blavity News effectively blends a traditional, professional news layout with a vibrant and modern design in specific sections, perfectly catering to its audience of Black millennials and Gen Z.

What I like: Blavity News aims to be a trusted platform while fostering an inclusive and empowering environment for its readers. This is reflected in its thoughtful design choices. Staying true to its brand, the site creatively experiments with styles that match its diverse content, whether it’s breaking news, celebrity updates, or educational resources.

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10. TIME

TIME covers breaking news and deeply analyzes politics, science, health, entertainment, and more. As the first weekly news magazine, it revolutionized news delivery by simplifying major global events into concise, easy-to-read summaries for busy readers.

TIME is instantly recognizable for its black, white, and red color scheme. Its print magazine covers are iconic, often featuring portraits framed by a bold red border. The website mirrors this classic design by incorporating touches of red throughout its text, maintaining its signature style.

Staying true to its roots of catering to busy readers, TIME has created a website that is clear and easy to navigate. This approach extends seamlessly to its mobile version, a convenient news source for on-the-go individuals. The mobile site is thoughtfully designed, offering the same accessibility and user-friendly experience as the desktop version.

What I like: TIME’s mission is to serve busy readers by designing a simple and easy-to-use website. This commitment is also reflected in its mobile version, which is perfect for readers on the move. The mobile site is well-crafted, providing the same easy access and smooth navigation as the desktop version.

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A New News Era

News is always evolving, and your website’s design should be flexible enough to grow and adapt to it.

As Milliken wisely advises, “Iteration is everything. When designing a news site from scratch, you’ll change from version to version. Even after launching, constant updates will be necessary. I always encourage an open mind—being too attached to a specific design choice can make it harder to adapt, even if changes could benefit your users and site.”

While creative websites like portfolios and brand pages often receive more attention to design details, news websites can sometimes overlook this aspect. However, thoughtful design is essential for building trust and keeping readers engaged. I choose news sources not only based on the quality of their journalism but also on factors like readability, user-friendliness, and overall satisfaction.

A well-designed news site seamlessly bridges the gap between print and digital, showing your brand’s ability to adapt. If you’re feeling stuck while designing your website, explore examples of homepage layouts for inspiration. Remember, the homepage is the first impression and can determine whether readers continue exploring your site.

Finally, always make your brand identity stand out through colors, fonts, layouts, call-to-action buttons, and logos. You can create a functional and memorable website with the right design choices.

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Conclusion

the top 10 best news website designs prove that a great online presence is more than just delivering content—it’s about how it is presented. These websites, from bold typography and color schemes to user-friendly layouts and innovative features, demonstrate how design can enhance the reader’s experience.

Key takeaways from these examples include prioritizing clarity, creating visual hierarchies, and ensuring seamless navigation. Additionally, staying true to your brand identity through consistent design elements like colors, fonts, and imagery helps build trust and recognition among your audience.

Whether designing a new website from scratch or looking to improve an existing one, these sites provide plenty of inspiration. Remember, the right design draws readers in and keeps them engaged, making your website a go-to source for reliable information. With thoughtful and adaptive design choices, you can create a new platform that stands out in today’s fast-paced digital world.

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FAQs

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