MediaStorm

Case Study: CatchLight Impact Report

CatchLight’s Impact Report details the results of the organization’s mission to cover local communities and create social change.

The site offers a way for readers to explore some of the best stories produced by CatchLight photographers , and it provides a look ahead to future initiatives.

The first step was to solidify the site’s mission and to begin to visualize the site structure.

We used the MediaStorm Platform to build the site using multiple interactive experiences.

Learn more about the MediaStorm Platform:


The Goals

CatchLight produces a print version of their impact report each year.

MediaStorm was commissioned to create a destination site to showcase this material, and to serve as an archive for past reports.

The goal was to include all the information included in the print version and allow users to navigate it in an interactive way that provided additional depth to the material.

The site would serve as a standing destination for CatchLight’s impact reporting.


The Challenge

While the print version of the report provided a roadmap, the team needed to determine the best way for online users to navigate through it.

Multiple projects were to be showcased by individual fellows, each with profile information, as well as a series of videos that were captured at events during the year.

A letter from the CEO needed to be displayed in full, and biographical information about the organization’s Board of Directors needed to be included.

Much of CatchLight’s work includes partnerships with local news outlets, and these needed to be listed, along with the organizations who support CatchLight.

Finally, two bodies of work needed to be presented to showcase the best work produced by CatchLight’s fellows during the year.


The Implementation

Website Release

We built a Website release in the MediaStorm platform to serve as the foundation for the report.

By using a Website release, we were able to rely on the Platform’s custom navigation feature, allowing us to build a horizontal navigation bar with links to the report’s most important areas.

The links allow for a dropdown menu, which provides a convenient way for users to find projects by individual photographers.

In addition, the Website release is self-contained and can be embedded on other sites.

By clicking the Share icon at the bottom of the player release, users can copy code that can be pasted into any site.


Landing Page

We decided to build the landing page using as a Page Title in order to prominently display the CEO’s note, and to serve as a scrolling foundation for the other interactive elements.


Project Showcase

We then built a grid cover that served as a visual entry point for work by the CatchLight photographers

Each of the grid items link to a dedicated page that includes a slideshow and information about the project, as well as an image of the fellow and a link to their bio information.

The photographer’s profile images each link to a full contributor profile of them, that also includes their work, which creates a loop in which all of a creator's work is tied to their profile, and vice versa.

At the bottom of each of the pages we built a horizontally-scrolling filmstrip cover that allows users to visually navigate to other projects in the mini site.


Video Showcase

CatchLight produced several videos during events held throughout the year.

We built a playlist title and added it to the homepage to allow users to browse the videos by group, or watch them sequentially as they auto play.


Top Pictures

CatchLight produced two year end wrap ups – The Year In Pictures 2024, and California in Pictures 2024.

Because these were larger edits that incorporated work from multiple photographers, we wanted to package them together, separate from the projects that showcased individual photographers.

We created a two-item grid cover in order to provide visual prominence to these slideshows.


Partner Newsroom locator

An important part of CatchLight’s mission is to partner with local news organizations around the country.

We wanted to showcase the list of newsrooms they built partnerships with throughout the year.

We used a map title to allow users to navigate the list in an interactive way, with each map point providing more detailed information about the organization.


Board of Directors

In each annual impact report, CatchLight lists their board members whose work led to its accomplishments during the year.

In order to give these lists visual impact, we used an Image Grid block to display profile images for each person.

Each profile image links to that person’s detailed information provided in their contributor bio.

The Platform’s contributor title allows for links to that person's work projects and their social media account, along with a detailed bio.


Supporters

CatchLight uses its annual impact report to thank the individuals and organizations who supported them during the year. 

In a dedicated section, we used standard text and graphics to thank their donors by name under the amount of funds they contributed.

We used the Image Grid feature to provide visual emphasis on CatchLight’s institutional supporters.

Each item contained the organization’s logo, with a link to their website.


Call for Support

An important part of showing yearly successes is being able to ask for financial support for the next year.

We created a dedicated section for this purpose at the bottom of the report page with information about how people can support CatchLight and links for how they could contact the organization.

The block contains a Donate Now link that goes to a page where people can offer support directly.


Impact Report Archive

Along with providing information about CatchLight’s current impact data, the site also serves as an archive of past annual impact reports.

In order to offer past additions in a visual way, we built a filmstrip cover with vertical poster frames for each previous year’s report.

Each poster frame and corresponding link allows users to download those reports in full. When new reports are added, the filmstrip will allow users to scroll through the list from the left and right.


About the Client

CatchLight is a visual-first media organization that leverages the power of visual storytelling to inform, connect, and transform communities.

CatchLight has been packaging their work using the MediaStorm Platform for several years, and our companies have collaborated on multiple projects in the past.

CatchLight continues to use the Platform to produce interactive experiences for their website, such as the interactive players for Documenting Dual Eligibility.  

Dual Eligibility is an award winning documentary project about two disabled women navigating the heath care system produced by CatchLight, Isadora Kosofsky and MediaStorm, and made possible by Arnold Ventures.


Join

Join the growing community of conscientious creators ready to take back control of their storytelling.

For more information on how you can create powerful experiences that captivate audiences, contact brian@mediastorm.com.

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