Objective

I conducted user surveys and interviews with the goal of getting an in-depth understanding of users pain points and their current relationship with news consumption. Insights include:

• 61% participants stated they do not consistently stay up to date with news
  
  Users expressed a reluctance to engage with news content due to its perceived somber, overwhelming, violent, and negative nature.

• 50% participants stated they consume news on social media

  
  Twitter emerged as one of the most frequently cited social media platforms for news consumption, with users also noting the utilization of YouTube and podcasts for video and audio content consumption.

• 32% participants have go-to news publications.
  
  The majority of users expressed a lack of allegiance to specific publications but expressed a desire to discover trustworthy news sources. Notable among those followed were reputable outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

I developed two personas from the research insights I gained.

PERSONA A:

Personality type: Active, Liberal, Analytical

Generational cohort: Millenial

Goals:

• The ability to personalized their news feed and follow topics they are interested in

• A fresh way to consume news that doesn’t feel outdated

• A place to condense the different publications they read in a one convenient location
  
  

PERSONA B:

Personality type: Passive, Liberal, Creative

Generational cohort: Gen Z

Goals:

• To consume news more frequently and stay informed

• An easy way to discover news publications who’s content they are interested in

• To consume news that fit the mental model of apps they already are using

Commonalities:

• The news feels depressing and overwhelming

• Untrustworthy propoganda is filtered into news outlets

• Constantly feels bombarded with news they are not emotionally prepared to see

• As a new user, I wan to sign up for an account and pick personalization options.

• As a new user, I want to choose my most trusted news publications.

• As a new users, I want to decide what topics I’m most interested in and have the ability to opt-out later.

• As a new user, I want to set up a profile where all my reading habits can be saved.

• As a new user, I want to discover new publications that I can follow.

• As a returning user, I want to see what other users have been reading.

• As a returning user, I want to comment on and share articles I have read.

I conducted usability testing with six participants to collection qualitative data on the look and feel of the app.

Users quoted:

“The app felt informative, familiar and easy to navigate.”

”Maybe having a search bar would help me shuffle through the articles on the feed, especially if I’m seeking something specific.”

“Is there a way to see what other people you’re engaging with in the comments are reading about? That may be a good way to find new publications or things you want to read.”

I was thrilled to discover that users find exploring other profiles a valuable discovery tactic. I am eager to continue testing and find even better ways to foster user-to-user engagement. Other things I learned from this project were:

• Design principles are crucial when managing large volumes of content, such as in news platforms. I frequently examined the UI to ensure adherence to these principles, emphasizing clarity and minimalism.

• Users feel empowered when provided with multiple options. This is particularly beneficial for personalization, as individual needs and preferences can vary significantly.