The Austinist is "a website about Austin." It is basically a blog that includes a cast of contributors covering everything from upcoming concerts to restaurant reviews to Austin area news. They have columnists who are very funny and have their finger on the creative pulse of Austin. I visit this site very regularly to read about shows that are coming up, as well as reviews of events that I missed.
The Austinist is part of a network of -ist websites. Many other cities have corresponding websites, that can be browsed at the very very top of the site, such as the Seattlest and the Torontoist, to name a few.
Intended Audience:
- those interested in staying up to date with the film, art, and music going on in Austin (or coming through Austin)
- those who like to read snarky and sometimes overly clever reporting on "hip" events and people in town
- Austinites who love Austin a little too much (I include myself in this category)
I think the content is extremely useful for living an Austin-y lifestyle. It is helpful when planning a night out or for finding a way to get a good dose of Culture around town. Also, if you have lived here for a while, you start to get the inside jokes and references that the columnists make.
Consistency of Design:
Since we are dealing with a blog-type site, the design remains consistent. You may have trouble finding a particular article unless you know just what day it was posted. The archive is not overly user-friendly. They do provide a search box though.
Ease of Navigation:
If you visit regularly, navigation is not a problem. If you are looking for something that was posted a few days or weeks ago, this can be tricky. For instance, I have a favorite columnist who posts on Tuesdays. If I don't get around to checking the site til Thursday, it would be cumbersome to click backwards through the posts to find his column. I can, however, jump to the Staff page where I can find his page with just his archive links.
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