Rest of World explored experimental visual storytelling styles through several of our features and special projects this year. The designs were undertaken not only to provide exciting and immersive experiences around our journalism, but also as a testing ground for concepts we hope to incorporate across a broader range of our editorial projects into the future. When we tried to tell the story of Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s business empire, we had a dilemma. His holdings are so vast, the products traced back to his companies so numerous, it couldn’t be encompassed in a normal story. With that in mind, we created the Ambaniverse: seven intricate world-building infographics — zooming from a smartphone screen to an apartment to a neighborhood to a nation to the globe. A remarkable feat of visual journalism, these scenes provide a focal point and put into a realistic visual context the ways in which Mukesh Ambani’s business empire impacts the lives of millions on a daily basis. Nearly 100 products and services that Ambani’s businesses offer are woven through each environment. We worked hard to ensure that the experience was not limited on small mobile screens. The majority of readers are on smartphones, but the majority of development work happens on desktops; it’s not uncommon for special projects to be built for the desktop first, giving the best experience to a minority of the audience. We developed Ambaniverse with the mobile experience — and the vast population that consumes journalism this way — foremost in our minds, ensuring that smartphone users are able to appreciate the detailed illustrations.
