Note: This article was last updated on June 10, 2024 and may contain outdated information.
We’ve launched a new platform for Little White Lies, the film magazine The Guardian called “the best-designed on the shelf.” Published by TCOLondon since 2005, LWL needed a digital presence that matched the ambition and craft of their print publication.
The magazine’s design changes with each issue, inspired by the featured film. Custom typography, bespoke chapter headings, editorial icons tailored to the content. This approach makes each issue distinctive, but it presented an interesting challenge: how do you build a digital platform that can accommodate that level of variability without becoming unwieldy to manage?
We built the site on Craft CMS with a flexible content architecture that allows highly customised design elements to change per issue. The system supports Little White Lies’ unique three-part review system, rating films on “Anticipation,” “Enjoyment,” and “In Retrospect.” It’s a more nuanced approach than a simple star rating, reflecting how our relationship with films evolves over time.
We also integrated their “Truth & Movies” podcast and built a subscription system connecting print and digital offerings. The platform needed to serve an international audience while maintaining the independent spirit that’s defined the magazine since launch.
The result extends Little White Lies’ distinctive editorial voice and design excellence to the web without diluting what makes the print magazine special.