Shorthand lets you create visually engaging and aesthetically pleasing stories. Journalists and writers all around are using Shorthand to create media immersive stories while being shielded from the technical complexities. The user friendly and self-explanatory platform has opened up new avenues in the paradigms of journalism and digital content.
Every writer absolutely needs Shorthand because:
- It ends the reliance on developer support to make stories appealing.
- Writers can breathe life into their unique concepts.
- Stunning multimedia can boost online engagement.
- Shorthand stories are responsive across all modern digital devices.
- It’s about time to step up the online content game; blobs of text with an image or two is just not enough!
Media
Educational
Corporate
“Shorthand has allowed Telegraph journalists to turn around multimedia stories & projects without any reliance on developers, & have been integrated across the newsroom for coverage ranging from interactive graphics, photo stories & long-reads.”
“Shorthand has made a considerable difference to how we are able to present our features and the levels of engagement show that.”
“We wanted to experiment and test new ways of storytelling. We can rely on the platform to do that in a cost effective manner and not pull on too many resources internally.”
FAQs
How do I get started?
Signing up with Shorthand.com is absolutely free! Set up your account and start creating powerful stories right away! You can create an unlimited number of stories and preview them. You don’t need to pay anything until you’re ready to publish your first story.
Do I need to provide my credit card information for signing up?
No! We will not ask for your credit card information until you have made up your mind about subscribing to our services. After signing up, you can create stories and preview them for free until you decide to start publishing your stories.
How much time does it take to learn using Shorthand?
Shorthand is designed with the aim of empowering writers and journalists so that they can create visually appealing and aesthetically pleasing stories without relying on web developers. That is why, it is extremely user friendly. The system is pretty self-explanatory and anyone can learn using Shorthand within an hour.
Do I need to be a Graphics Designer to create good Shorthand stories?
No! You do not need to be a Graphics Designer. You just need a good eye! If you have good quality Multimedia and great content, you can easily create stunning pieces.
Do I need to know how to code?
No! Shorthand has been designed such that people can create engaging and interactive stories without any coding experience.
However, if you are familiar with CSS, HTML or JavaScript, you can make use of the developer tools available and can customize your stories.
How are the stories published?
That’s up to you.
Here at Shorthand we believe in an open and diverse web. Our aim is to help you a create unique and compelling reading experience for your audience on your website. With that in mind, we offer several publishing options.
1. The first option offers a very flexible solution. You can download a zipped folder containing the HTML, CSS, JavaScript and media assets. You can host this zipped folder on your own servers and at a URL of your choice.
2. In the second option, you can export the story via our API. This option is often used by clients who have integrated Shorthand with their existing CMS.
3. In the third option, you can make use of our servers to host your stories under a domain or subdomain of your own choice.
4. In the fourth option, we offer an embed code enabling you to launch the story from a page in your CMS.
Is it Responsive across mobile devices?
Here at Shorthand, we are completely aware that a huge number of users make use of mobile devices while browsing the internet. Hence, we take care and make sure that the stories have fully responsive design.
While creating a story, the user can view and adjust how the design elements will appear across various digital platforms.
What kind of media elements can I use while creating a Shorthand story?
Along with the textual content, you can use many kinds of media elements. For example, you can upload and use images of your own choice. You can also upload videos and fit them tactfully into your stories. Furthermore, you can also embed YouTube videos and music from Soundcloud by adding the video URL and Soundcloud track URL respectively.
Is Shorthand only suitable for journalists?
Shorthand is suitable for anyone and everyone who desires to create visually engaging and beautiful stories. While many journalists from Top media groups have used Shorthand effectively, it is also used extensively by Marketers, Bloggers and Academic and Research Organizations.