Rayon

Rayon.in.ua is a network of news sites and special projects throughout Ukraine. Each of these regional sites is run by independent editorial teams, as all projects have their own lives and require daily attention. To make this complex system work, we created a sophisticated, high-load online platform for Rayon.in.ua 🤍

The main feature of the project is hyperlocality, because Rayon.in.ua is not just one website, but an entire ecosystem of small media outlets. So it was important to take this into account when developing the design. This is how we came up with the idea of adding individuality to thematic areas through color: business is green, history is sepia, culture is purple, and medicine is blue.

Everything is united by a single design system, principles, and logic, but at the same time, each area is unique thanks to the builders we created. Now editors can mix blocks on the main page to create their own design.

Data migration was one of the most challenging stages of the Rayon update. We transferred hundreds of thousands of publications created over ten years of the project's operation to the new platform. Of course, we preserved the structure, authorship, categorization, and SEO logic. It was essential for us not to simply "transfer" the archive, but to preserve its own ecosystem for readers.

The architecture of the Rayon is very efficient, scalable, and focused not only on editorial/client convenience, but also on SEO. The site is clearly divided by region/topic, but is also easy to manage, edit, and adapt to any admin needs. In addition, the extended CMS functionality allows you to create custom and general solutions for the entire platform (such as banners, in particular).

⚙️The editorial support functionality is a logical extension of the media platform architecture: well-thought-out, flexible, and scalable. For the convenience of users, we have used two support methods: system donations to the editorial office and freemium. Freemium allows readers to purchase a specific article, which is a point-to-point interaction that enhances quality content.  Friends of the Rayon is a multi-level editorial support system that ensures stable operation, the development of regional editorial offices, and the independence of the platform as a whole. Both tools are organically integrated into the CMS, easy to administer, and scalable across the entire network.