4 weeks | Innovation Strategy + UX/UI Design
It's your portal to Richmond- and the world.
Overview:
Virginia's newspaper needs to attract younger audiences who are primarily online. Editors are cautious of relying on traffic from social media. We created a new mobile application that is interactive for younger, diverse users.
Background:
Newspapers worldwide are fearing extinction and looking for new business models to keep them afloat. Due to this, Virginia's main newspaper The Richmond Times Dispatch is looking for ways to save themselves. Most readers are over age 55 and they are struggling to attract a younger crowd.
Problem:
Young people care about the news, but sometimes consuming it can feel like a chore.
The Ask:
The editors of the newspaper asked us if we could develop new ways to secure new and diverse readers for the future of the paper. We were allowed to create anything we wanted except depending on traffic from social media platforms.
What we did:
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Researched trends in news and media landscape
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Surveyed young Richmonders on their media preferences
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Studied other news applications to learn what we could do better
The Idea: The RTD News App
A mobile app that maintains the integrity of the Richmond Times Dispatch reporting while being customized to the users preferences. It's your portal to not only Richmond, but the world.
Strategy
Richmond Times Dispatch is your personal portal to the city
1. Onboarding:
We developed a personalized set-up process where the app learns the topics you are most interested in.
Set up process:
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Register
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Select your area
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Choose your interests
3. Interactive Stories
We envisioned the news cycle similar to Snapchat stories. They are a flow of interactive stories that are more visually appealing and easier to digest.
2. Personalized Feed
Based on your preferences in step one and the news stories you view overtime, the RTD app curates your feed. It is interactive and you can scroll through it easily as you would social media.
You can simply click on each story to scroll down and read the full story.
4. Monetization
Interactive stories create a new opportunity for increased ad revenue streams through sponsored content.
5. Full Articles
We envisioned the news cycle similar to stories seen on social media (Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook). They are a flow of interactive stories that are more visually appealing and easier to digest.
