Design & UX Contest: Modern German‑style News Website (WELT.de‑inspired) Goal: Create the best homepage + article page + category page design for a new, objective news website. The style should be inspired by WELT.de’s clarity, hierarchy, and density but must not copy their design, assets, code, or trademarks. We want a fresh, legally distinct look that users will instantly understand. 1) What to design (contest scope) Design three key templates, responsive for desktop and mobile: Homepage – lead story area, prominent “Latest” feed, category blocks, sticky header. Single Article – headline, subhead, hero image/video, byline/time, body with pull‑quotes, related links, “Trusted Checks” badges (ChatGPT & Grok) below the headline that open a fact‑check panel (modal/drawer). Category/Listing – section header, article cards with image, title, time, and NEW/“LIVE” chips. Optional bonus (improves your chances): Search results page; author page; newsletter sign‑up modal. 2) Inspiration & boundaries Inspiration: WELT.de’s information density, visual hierarchy, balanced whitespace, and newsroom feel. Must be different: Color palette, iconography, exact grid, logo lockups, and component shapes must be your own. Do not copy any WELT assets or code. Branding: Use placeholder brand name and logo. We’ll swap later. 3) Dark/Light modes Provide both Light and Dark themes with a visible toggle. Dark mode should be comfortable for evening reading (reduced contrast on large black surfaces, accessible text contrast). 4) Key UX elements to include Top bar / Header: compact, with logo, sections (Politics, Economy, World, Tech, Culture), search, and hamburger for mobile. Breaking / LIVE: a small ticker or ribbon for breaking headlines. “NEW” chip: a subtle, consistent label on fresh items. Article cards: clear image ratio, kicker (category), title, timestamp, optional short summary. Trusted Checks badges: two round badges (ChatGPT & Grok). Clicking opens a side drawer (desktop) or full‑screen modal (mobile) showing: verdict, key claims, sources, confidence, timestamp, and short reasoning. Footer: legal pages (Imprint/Impressum, Privacy, Terms), newsletter, social links. 5) Accessibility & performance (design level) Minimum WCAG 2.1 AA color contrast. Tap targets ≥ 44px on mobile, focus states for keyboard users. Limit custom fonts (1 family, 2 weights) or propose a system‑font stack. Image aspect ratios defined for CLS stability. 6) Deliverables (what to submit) Primary: Figma (preferred) or Adobe XD/Sketch file with: Desktop (≥1280px) and Mobile (375–430px) frames for all three templates. Named layers, auto‑layout/grid usage, reusable components. A mini design system page: colors, type scale, spacing, buttons, chips, badges, cards, modals, and form inputs. Prototype: Clickable prototype showing the badge → fact‑check panel interaction and dark‑mode toggle. Preview images: 3–6 PNG/JPG screens for quick comparison in the contest gallery. Coding is not required for the contest, but clean component thinking is essential. 7) Technical guardrails (for later development) We will implement in WordPress with a lightweight custom theme (no heavy page builders). Your grid and components should translate cleanly to HTML/CSS. Breakpoints to consider: 360–414 mobile; 744–834 small tablet; 1024–1280 desktop; ≥1440 wide. Avoid visual gimmicks that require heavy JS. 8) Legal & originality Your submission must be original. Do not reuse copyrighted logos, icons, or code. Do not trace/copy WELT layouts. We require full commercial rights to the winning design upon payment. 9) Evaluation criteria (how we’ll pick a winner fast) Clarity & hierarchy: News feels organized and scannable. Trust UX: The ChatGPT/Grok fact‑check badges and panel are intuitive and elegant. Mobile first: Great small‑screen reading experience. Dark mode quality: Readable and refined (not just inverted colors). Originality + legality: Inspired by WELT but clearly distinct. Handoff quality: Clean Figma with components and styles. We will shortlist quickly and choose within hours of finding a standout entry. 10) Copy you can reuse (placeholder texts) Brand: ObjectiveNews (placeholder) Slogan: Neutral reporting. Serious standards. Transparent sourcing. Fact‑check banner: Double‑Check: ChatGPT & Grok under every article. 11) Color & type guidance (flexible) Start from a cool‑neutral palette (e.g., slate/steel/ink) with a distinct accent (not WELT blue). Provide both Light and Dark tokens. Typography: humanist sans or news‑grade serif for headlines; legible sans for body. Include a clear type scale (e.g., H1–H6, body, kicker, caption). 12) Required micro‑interactions Hover/focus states for links and buttons. Header shrink on scroll (desktop), sticky category tabs (mobile). NEW chip fade after X hours (visual spec only; we’ll implement logic). Fact‑check panel open/close transitions; accessible keyboard trap inside modal. 13) Contest timeline Launch: Immediately upon posting. First review window: We will start giving feedback within a few hours. Winner selection: As soon as a design meets the criteria (potentially same day). 14) After the contest (separate contract) Implement responsive HTML/CSS (and later WordPress theme) based on the winning design. Build the fact‑check badges + panel as a small WP plugin. 15) How to submit Share the Figma link with view access and ensure all fonts are available (or use Figma’s Google Fonts). Upload 3–6 PNG/JPG previews: Desktop Home, Mobile Home, Desktop Article, Mobile Article, plus one Category view. Brief note on design rationale (max 10 lines): grid, type, color choices, and how trust is conveyed. One‑paragraph job post (for Freelancer.com) We’re running a fast design contest for a modern news site inspired by WELT.de (German news portal). Deliver desktop + mobile designs for: Homepage, Article, and Category pages, including Light/Dark mode, a small Breaking/LIVE ticker, NEW chips, and a unique “Trusted Checks” UX (two badges—ChatGPT & Grok—opening a fact‑check panel with verdict, sources, and confidence). Must be original and legally distinct from WELT (no copied assets or code). Submit in Figma with a mini design system and a clickable prototype for the badges and dark‑mode toggle. We’ll review entries within hours and select a winner quickly. The winner may be hired to implement the design in WordPress (separate contract).