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NBC News Mobile
2021
Role: Product Management / UX Designer
Overview
Led the project as a PM intern and helped design the FIRST NBC News mobile app 'Search' feature to improve how users of NBC News find and navigate content.
Note: Due to NDA, I cannot show all work.
Tools
Project Timeline:
Week 1: Ideation & research
Week 2: Wireframing
Weeks 3-4: Brainstorm
Weeks 4-5: User testing, gather peer feedback & ideate wireframes
Weeks 4-6: Complete high-fidelity prototype/ future integration / presentation
Intuitive Navigation
Implementation of new features and improved navigation through content.
New 'Search' Feature
Contemporary and sleek design with efficient 'search' feature to help visitors quickly find content
Accessible
Implementation of accessible and inclusive design features like screen readers and dark/light modes to broaden demographic
Retention
By improving the overall UX and UI design of the mobile app, users will be more inclined to want to return and hopefully subscribe
01 Define
The NBC News Digital Product Team was in the midst of the redesign process of their NBC News mobile app. Because of this, I had to learn as much as I could as quickly as possible about what the app did, who its users were, and what the current goals were. When I started, the NBC News App was incomplete, outdated, and not intuitive.
★ Audience: 66% Male primarily age 35+ with 75% Non-Hispanic
★ Activity: 1.5 Million Monthly Active users consuming 91M page views & 9.8M Video starts monthly avg
★ Engagement: Highly engaged audience generating continued loyalty with 16 visits per user monthly
Our Stakeholders
Enterprise Customers
Commercial Customers
02 Research
To get a better understanding of the problem space, We looked at data relating to the different types of digital consumers that consume news content. This helped the team get more context on some of the physical navigational and emotional challenges these different groups face when using their NBC News App.
74% of people are iOS platform users
26% of people are Android operating system users
40% of people are INTL users primarily on Android devices
NBC News generates a highly engaged audience generating continued loyalty with 36 visits per user monthly
We found that many users regardless of platform type have individualized differences and preferences when it comes to their digital experiences. As a result, sharing personal strategies may not be as effective if there is not a mutual understanding that differences do exist. With this approach we were able to create a new app feature(s) that addresses several user pain points.
Archetypes
We found six different types of community user archetypes—three archetypes (connected trendsetters, social justice warriors, and worldly intellects) whose characteristics were closely tied to making an impact on issues that mattered to them.
The other three archetypes were stubborn conservatives, independent pragmatists, and casual followers which individually had different interests but overall consumes news content for its unbiasedness and factual information.
Create Clarity
Make the native experience easier to
understand and more refined for new and existing users
Also streamline
onboarding process to save customer
time
Ensure Consistency
It is critical to maintain designs that are consistent with the rest of the NBC News applications that both new and existing users might encounter and use
Personalization
Adding specific features that aid different types of users are important to providing a personalized yet seamless experience for all
03 Competitive Analysis
I conducted a competitive analysis to gather the following insights:
Discover possibilities
This enables us to exploit the frailties of rival companies and build a distinctive value proposition.
Formulate counter-tactics
You can formulate tactics to mitigate the influence of your competitors, creating a path to consistent prosperity.
Stay ahead
Performing a competitive analysis allows you to be visionary, rather than reactive, preventing the reaction to a competitor's new product launch as a trigger for adjusting your strategy.
Avert expensive design choices
Conducting a competitive scrutiny can assist in circumventing arbitrary design decisions that could result in financial and resource waste.
I chose to utilize the most standard way to gather feedback (app reviews from consumers) for the following reasons:
Prominence: High ratings and positive feedback can improve an application's ranking in app store searches, enhancing its visibility to potential users.
User Recruitment: Potential users frequently base their download decisions on the reviews and ratings of an app.
App Store Approval: The review process is critical for an app's approval in the app store. Reviewers scrutinize elements like offensive content and performance issues.
Marketing: While app ratings can be included in marketing collateral, user reviews can only be utilized with the respective reviewer's consent.
04 Brainstorm
By brainstorming, we can identify innovative concepts, refine ideas, and address potential challenges early in the design process, ultimately leading to more effective, user-centered designs. It also helps prevent stagnation and ensures that you're considering various perspectives and approaches.
05 Ideate
By ideating, It’s essential for ensuring that you’re not just settling on the first idea but exploring a variety of options to create the most impactful, user-centered designs.
06 Prototype/Test
Prototypes also allow for quick iterations, enabling designers to experiment and make improvements without committing to a fully developed product. By prototyping, you ensure that the final design is both functional and user-friendly, reducing the risk of costly mistakes down the line.
