10 free feature article templates
With these templates, you can produce beautiful, visually immersive feature articles in minutes.
by Matt McGregor
by Matt McGregor
Feature articles are becoming an increasingly visual form, especially on the web. With articles like these from news outlets like the BBC and Stuff, we can see why: the impact on the reader can be extraordinary.
The problem for most writers, though, is that they are stuck with a generic CMS like Wordpress or Drupal. Without custom code, these CMSs typically create content that wouldn’t look out of place on the web of 2013.
To help you out, we’ve put together 10 free editable feature article templates. To use them for yourself, simply click on your chosen template, add your content, and publish to the world.
What to include in your immersive feature article
Immersive feature articles are different to articles published to a generic CMS. They are more visually engaging, more carefully designed, and more flexible in terms of what you can include.
To make the most of the form, here’s some tips on what you should include.
Clear structure
The best feature articles have a clear hierarchy, with creative use of H2s and H3s to keep the reader moving through the story. This has the added benefit of being machine-readable to Google (and whatever other machines might be looking to read your work).
You can set these headings while drafting content in Google Docs or Microsoft Word and paste them in, or set them directly in your publishing tool or CMS. Another option is to use Text over Media sections, which provides the reader with an additional visual break.
Images and illustrations
Modern content platforms allow you to use images and illustrations in multiple different ways. Shorthand allows users to add scrollmation effects, media galleries, text over media, Scrollpoints, grids, reveals, and more.
But to make the most of these features, you’ll need to have some assets ready to go. If you’re stuck, you can use Shorthand’s Unsplash integration, create assets using tools like Canva, or find free stock images from elsewhere on the web.
Data visualisations
Some of the most powerful feature stories on the web are data stories. These stories use interactive charts and graphs to drive their narrative. And with the rise of apps like Flourish, it’s easier than ever to include interactive data in your article. These assets can also be repurposed for social media content, such as infographics.
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to tell a cracking data story, check out these data storytelling examples.
Maps
If your feature article tells the story of a place, then you should consider adding an interactive map. These have traditionally been difficult to build, requiring both geospatial and development expertise.
But with tools like Shorthand, that is changing. Features like Reveal allow you to create a dynamic map with nothing more than static images. And with scrollytelling, you can take readers on a journey with a detailed, annotated map.
Accessibility
You need to make sure your feature article is accessible to all of your audience. While some elements of accessibility should be provided by your content creation tool, others you will have to do yourself.
At the most basic level, make sure you add alt text to images, ensure your fonts are readable, make graphics clear, and describe your links (no more ‘click here’).
Your brand
Immersive feature articles are more flexible than regular web content, but that’s no reason to abandon your brand. Your feature article should use your brand colours, fonts, and style, even if it is more dynamic and interactive than content you would typically publish.
Go digital-first
Your audience is online, so plan your digital content as its own reading experience, independent of any print content you might be making.
Unless you’re doing a project for your English class or school newspaper, you shouldn’t use a ‘newspaper template’ or ‘newspaper article template’ that attempts to replicate the look and feel of print. Like the all-too-ubiquitous flipbooks, these are terrible to read on a digital device.
Now, let’s dive into our 10 free feature article templates!
Data storytelling template
Data stories are hugely compelling — but they are also notoriously difficult to do well. This data storytelling template uses charts, numbers, and photography to tell a data-driven story, without letting the data overwhelm the narrative.
Features:
- Interactive data visualisations are produced with static images using Shorthand’s Reveal section.
- Great use of full-bleed photography to situate the narrative.
- Accent colours differentiate sections throughout the story.
News media feature story
If you want to use images to complement your text, then this news article template is for you. Making use of Shorthand’s Scrollmation section, this template suits features that benefit from plenty of visual aids.
Features:
- Scrollmation sections allow you to show a range of complementary images as the reader moves through the piece.
- Full-screen headers offer a stunning interlude between sections of text.
- You can use the ‘further reading’ section to suggest additional content for your audience to engage with.
Science communication template
The greatest challenge in science communication is keeping the attention of the reader. This science communication magazine article template solves this problem by artfully spacing out text, diagrams, and section breaks.
This means that the reader is never overwhelmed with too much information in a single viewport. It also means that your beautiful scientific media assets have the space to shine.
Features:
- Use font colours and size to make your copy more engaging.
- Galleries to show off images, such as photography, illustrations, and diagrams.
- Plenty of negative space ensures that readers aren’t overwhelmed.
Brand story template
This minimalist brand story template is perfect for businesses and publications that have a strong brand, but don’t want to distract their reader with too many bells and whistles. The photographs are clear and distinct, the colours are compelling, and the copy is given plenty of room to breathe.
Features:
- The template features Scrollmation sections to show relevant photographs in context.
- Distinctive background colours differentiate the sections of the story.
- The rounded edges of the oval photographs give the template a bespoke, premium feel.
NFP campaign template
This engaging not-for-profit campaign template uses video, 3D images, and Scrollmation to win the attention of its audience. This template is great for folks that don’t have too many assets, but still want to create a visually compelling story.
Features:
- The template uses 3D Images to place header copy behind the ‘layers’ of a static image.
- Header navigation helps readers progress through the article.
- Shorthand tables are used to present relevant data, without needing to paste in an image or connect a third-party app.
Feature article in a glossy magazine style
This feature article template has a clean, bespoke design that feels distinct from most content on the web. It uses colour, 3D effects, and scrollytelling techniques to create a beautifully engaging story.
Features:
- This template uses Shorthand’s 3D Images, which gives your static images the illusion of depth.
- It uses Scrollpoints, giving readers the ability to pan and zoom into a detailed image as they scroll.
- Using a variety of background colours, the story feels distinctive and compelling to read.
Historical feature story or retrospective
If you’re writing a story about an historical event, then you’ll likely have access to a range of photographs. In this feature article template, the photographs are central to the story and are given prominence throughout.
Features:
- In-story navigation pinned to the header of the article.
- Compelling use of accent colours makes the copy more compelling to look at.
- The template uses full-bleed black-and-white photos as a break between sections.
Photo essay feature article
If photos are central to your feature article, then try this template. Using Background Scrollmation sections, this template gives you plenty of opportunities to show off your photography.
For even better results, consider using Shorthand’s Image Filters to create consistent and cohesive look across the images in your story.
Features:
- Images fade as the reader scrolls, an effect you can toggle in Shorthand’s Section Options.
- The template uses Background Scrollmation, with full-bleed images sitting behind the primary column of text.
- The template’s background colours and archival images share a common palette, producing a powerful contrast with the template’s modern photography.
Visual storytelling feature
If you have a graphic designer on board, then use this feature story template to create a truly compelling visual story. The template uses illustrations, image galleries, and Reveal sections to sustain the reader’s attention to the end.
Features:
- This template makes use of Reveal sections to show photographs transforming into illustrations as the reader scrolls.
- Colourful icons help break up long sections of text.
- Section titles are clean and distinct, with plenty of negative space giving the reader regular visual breaks from the copy.
Longform journalism template
This template is perfect for longform stories that use original photography, but don’t have many other assets to include. With a clean, simple aesthetic, the template would also suit features for online publications, such as digital magazines.
Features:
- Distinctive section headers offer visual breaks for longform writing.
- Embedded GIFs and videos add movement to the story.
- Photographs are given prominence, with several opportunities to show off original media.
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