Test Drive Volume 1 | Page 13

THE WORLD AROUND US 5 6 Online Gmail Channels Pinterest MTV’s Reactive Microsite 6. Polyvore Returns To Core Values 5. DailyCandy Loses Its Flavor Nobody likes junk mail, and spam is rarely worth looking at, but a more visual context of the messages we hate could change with Gmail’s revisioned spam mailbox. e new layout option looks like Pinterest ripoff, but with photos to accompany the pictures of trips we’ll never book, they’re at least a little more pleasing. - FAST COMPANY To promote a new TV show, MTV International has debuted a site that takes interactivity to a new level. Moving beyond intuitive design, the microsite responds to the light in the room that the user is in. If the the lights are off in the user’s room, the lights are off on the website. Who knows what that could bring to ecommerce once the gap is bridged. - PSFK From ecommerce to a curated life, Polyvore had established itself as an industry leader in making an excellent shoppable platform. When ads began to take away from the customer experience that they were known for though, a return to focusing on content and commerce was close at hand. Money is important, but maintaining brand values could pay more in the long run. - FAST COMPANY Aer a Comcast buyout and an NBC acquisition, the 14 year-old lifestyle site will be going dark April 4. Despite its 950,000 Twitter followers and a list of celebrity personalities leveraged to add value to the site, it seems that traffic just couldn’t be found. - FASHIONISTA // 13