WEBSITE OF THE WEEK: LOST AT E MINOR
Posted by Paul Ryan, Editor, Anthill Magazine
Something a bit different this week.
At Anthill, we’re keen advocates of great design as a gateway to untapped creativity. We place immense emphasis on the design of our finished product (something Australian business magazines traditionally have not prioritised) and it’s something we take time to appreciate in the work of others.
So it was with great pleasure that I stumbled on the delightfully quixotic Lost At E Minor. Produced by editorial teams in Sydney and New York, Lost At E Minor works the popular culture beat, but there’s no hint of Paris Hilton or Brangelina. Instead, it keeps an ear to the ground for the latest global trends in design, music, photography, illustration, fashion, travel, art, architecture, film and products - pretty much any manifestation of cultural creativity that suits the authors’ tastes.
This, far more than its sumptuous design, is what makes Lost At E Minor such a compelling site. It has unabashedly embraced user-generated content, yet retains the kind of editorial quality control and personality that defines all successful brands. The reasons why people return to a popular website or blog are the same as why they choose to become friends with some people over others. You might head over to Digg to check out what is currently amusing the masses. (Do they realise that Ron Paul is no longer a US Presidential candidate? Who cares, there’s a new iPhone!) But time online, as offline, is most satisfying when spent in neighbourhoods inhabited by people whose tastes intersect your own.
Thoughtful, subtle, original and witty, this is how I like my popular culture served up - with a twist that affirms daily that there is so much more out there than the lowest common denominators we’re force-fed. Lost At E Minor is a gleaming example of how the internet is improving media.
If some days you feel like you’re treading water at your desk, the waterline lapping at your eyeballs, try dedicating 15 minutes to getting your creative juices flowing over at Lost At E Minor.
Lost At E Minor and Australian sports opinion site The Roar are published by Conversant Media, which I was delighted to discover is based in dinky-die Bondi Beach.
Tags: art, community, design, music, photography
July 9th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I started blogging roughly a year and a half ago, and they were one of my favourite sites. The evolution of their site has been down right amazing. Always good to pop in and see whats cooking around the world, design/fashion wise.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Thanks for the wonderful review Paul, and for the kind words Don. We’re lucky with Lost At E Minor to have a team of very talented volunteer contributors who are passionate about the creative, cultural things that inspire them and excited about bringing their discoveries to the attention of our readers. They’re the backbone of the content and I’m always pleased to hear when others pick up on what they’re covering. Andy Howard and Andrew Whitehead created the look of the site. And yes, it’s all run out of sunny Bondi! Thanks again, Zolton
July 10th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Zolton, congratulations on a great site.
As I said above, I think the most intersting sites are those that strike the perfect balance between trusting user-generated content and pursuing the creative leadership that draws the best out of users.
I think you are right there in the sweet spot.