Pitchfork Reviews Explorer
An interactive that turned readers' habit of clicking from one review to the next into a way to discover new music.
Role: Project Lead
Design: Lily Boyce
Client: Pitchfork
Recognition: Longlisted, Information is Beautiful Awards
The problem
Pitchfork readers often finish a review, click a link to another review, then another, falling down a rabbit hole of related music. We wanted to lean into that behavior and build a tool that encourages it, helping readers discover albums they wouldn't have found on their own.
My role
I led the project end to end. I led a designer and a developer, met with Pitchfork stakeholders to shape the requirements, and reviewed both the designs and the code before launch.
Key decision: a beeswarm chart
We chose a beeswarm chart because it immediately communicates rank and scale and invites exploration. Readers pick an artist and see that artist's albums alongside albums by similar artists, then can arrange them by rating to find the most acclaimed records or by date to discover new music. Every dot leads to a review, which keeps the rabbit hole going.
The outcome
The Reviews Explorer was longlisted for the Information is Beautiful Awards.
How it works
Step 1 - Search for an artist
Step 2 - See albums reviewed by that artist and similar artists
…in a super cool beeswarm plot, of course! Users can also sort the plot by date to discover new music or by rating for the most well-reviewed albums.