Strukl
NYT Scroll
Please note this is independent graduate work from 2017. The research, execution, and presentation were all done in an academic setting with industry mentors.
The Brief
Journalism has evolved... Design a product, app, or campaign that encourages millennials to interact with The New York Times.
The Solution
NYT Scroll brings sophistication to your social feed. It curates eras of quality New York Times content to help you look at whatever you want—whenever you want to. As you interact with the app, your content will become more personalized, so keep scrolling to discover what's next.
The NYT is for everyone.
The New York Times is more than just news. They have always explored in-depth a wide variety of interesting subjects. NYT Scroll will help you get exactly what you want out of their troves of quality content.
Want to compare the looks of the 1996 and 2016 MET Galas? Need to keep track of the game and the local restaurant scene? Or read the comics right after the latest economic op-ed? Then NYT Scroll is for you.
How it works.
Swipe left or press "x" on a content card for a new article to populate at the top
Tap the bookmark to save an article for later
Tap the lock to pin an article at the top of your feed for the next time you scroll
Tap nothing and keep scrolling down to get new content
Research and Design Considerations
A more comprehensive case study available upon request.
Key Research Findings
Insight #1:
Facebook is one of the biggest threats to legacy journalism brands. People do not open up the newspaper first thing in the morning—they open up social media.
Opportunity
Utilize the user behaviors familiarized by social media, such as scrolling, to change the experience of journalism.
Insight #2:
People admit to "spending too much time" on social media and feel like they are "consuming junk."
Opportunity
The NYT has spent decades creating sophisticated content that is still relevant today. There is an opportunity to create a curated, accessible way to explore these articles, videos, podcasts, and photos.
Insight #3:
People feel overwhelmed by the news and sometimes need a break.
Opportunity
Currently, the only way to access most NYT content is by clicking through the current, high stakes news stories. The NYT could engage a whole new user base with a customized curation feature.
Design Objectives
1. Create a feature that enhances the current NYT app experience through customization
2. Utilize the large amount of quality, archived, non-time sensitive content from the NYT archive.
Interactions and Customization
The ways a user interacts with the app will determine what content is curated. Considerations for curation will include:
section
topic
specific subjects
author
length of article
photos
video
user's with similar preferences
user trends
time of day
These simple interactions will help rank and suggest content:
select
scroll past
lock
archive
dismiss
Initial Iterations
First design iterations involved either ranking or picking specific topics based on reader preference and then suggesting articles from there.
However, this still forces curation to adhere strictly to the topic section the content lives within.
Also, I felt there were ways to push more interactive and evolutionary curation.