The New York Times App
The New York Times App
The New York Times App
How I redesigned The New York Times App to deliver a more personalized news experience for users.
role
role
Product Designer
Product Designer
Type
Type
Type
Conceptual project
Conceptual project
Timeline
Timeline
Timeline
Mar 2024-May 2024
Mar 2024-May 2024
Tasks
Tasks
Tasks
User research, Competitive Analysis, Affinity Map, Personas, User Flow, usability testing, A/B Test
User research, Competitive Analysis, Affinity Map, Personas, User Flow, usability testing, A/B Test
Overview
Overview
The Asian subscribers of The New York Times(The NYT) app found the user experience too U.S.-centric and inadequately tailored to their interests. In this case study, I would share how I redesigned The NYT app's "For You" feature to enhance personalization.
*Disclaimer: As I wrote this case study, I discovered that The NYT has replaced For You with an updated feature called You as of June 1st, 2024. Although the issues I identified with the old For You no longer apply to the current NYT app, many aspects of my redesign align with the new You feature, demonstrating that my vision was in line with what The NYT team envisioned.
The Asian subscribers of The New York Times(The NYT) app found the user experience too U.S.-centric and inadequately tailored to their interests. In this case study, I would share how I redesigned The NYT app's "For You" feature to enhance personalization.
*Disclaimer: As I wrote this case study, I discovered that The NYT has replaced For You with an updated feature called You as of June 1st, 2024. Although the issues I identified with the old For You no longer apply to the current NYT app, many aspects of my redesign align with the new You feature, demonstrating that my vision was in line with what The NYT team envisioned.
What was wrong with The NYT’s digital services?
What was wrong with The NYT’s digital services?
I've been a loyal subscriber to The NYT for many years, but I learned that some of my friends unsubscribed from The NYT after a while, and I wanted to know why. I interviewed nine users: four were current subscribers, four had unsubscribed, and one used the free version of The NYT.
I've been a loyal subscriber to The NYT for many years, but I learned that some of my friends unsubscribed from The NYT after a while, and I wanted to know why. I interviewed nine users: four were current subscribers, four had unsubscribed, and one used the free version of The NYT.
Findings from the user interviews
Findings from the user interviews
Users unsubscribed from The NYT for various reasons.
Users unsubscribed from The NYT for various reasons.
Users were frustrated with not being able to customize their NYT user experience.
Users were frustrated with not being able to customize their NYT user experience.
Users saw The NYT as a US media outlet, and the reading experience is more tailored for American readers.
Users saw The NYT as a US media outlet, and the reading experience is more tailored for American readers.
Most users read The NYT through the app.
Most users read The NYT through the app.
Since there's no consistent pattern in why users unsubscribed from The NYT, I decided to focus on the other three findings I identified to improve the reading experience for users.
I also noticed something about the demographics of the users I interviewed:
1. Eight of the nine users I interviewed were Asians based both in Asia and abroad.
2. The other user is an American from New York.
More questions arose based on the demographics of the users I interviewed:
Was it because the user experience on The NYT was too American that the Asian subscribers didn't find the experience tailored to their interests?
To confirm whether this assumption is true, I wanted to further understand how Asian users use The NYT services, so I dug deeper into the findings from the user interviews.
Since there's no consistent pattern in why users unsubscribed from The NYT, I decided to focus on the other three findings I identified to improve the reading experience for users.
I also noticed something about the demographics of the users I interviewed:
1. Eight of the nine users I interviewed were Asians based both in Asia and abroad.
2. The other user is an American from New York.
More questions arose based on the demographics of the users I interviewed:
Was it because the user experience on The NYT was too American that the Asian subscribers didn't find the experience tailored to their interests?
To confirm whether this assumption is true, I wanted to further understand how Asian users use The NYT services, so I dug deeper into the findings from the user interviews.
How did Asian users use The NYT?
How did Asian users use The NYT?
What were Asian users looking for in The NYT?
What were Asian users looking for in The NYT?
Asian readers used The NYT apps and websites to read topics they were interested in, ranging from Bitcoin and education to international news.
Asian readers used The NYT apps and websites to read topics they were interested in, ranging from Bitcoin and education to international news.
What weren’t Asian users looking for in The NYT?
What weren’t Asian users looking for in The NYT?
They were not interested in US local news. Most of them also did not go to The NYT to read news related to Asia.
They were not interested in US local news. Most of them also did not go to The NYT to read news related to Asia.
What did Asian users mean by "the user experience not being customized enough"?
What did Asian users mean by "the user experience not being customized enough"?
They'd liked to receive more news tailored to their interests. As mentioned earlier, the topics of interest varied significantly, with some being as niche as Bitcoin.
They'd liked to receive more news tailored to their interests. As mentioned earlier, the topics of interest varied significantly, with some being as niche as Bitcoin.
What if we provided the readers with a more personalized user experience? Would it enhance global subscribers' satisfaction with The NYT app?
*Notes: Looking back, there's something I wish I had done differently at this point. I'll address this further at the end of the case study.
What if we provided the readers with a more personalized user experience? Would it enhance global subscribers' satisfaction with The NYT app?
*Notes: Looking back, there's something I wish I had done differently at this point. I'll address this further at the end of the case study.
Why should The NYT focus on user experience for audiences beyond the US?
Why should The NYT focus on user experience for audiences beyond the US?
The NYT has been planning for international digital expansion.
The NYT has been planning for international digital expansion.
Since 2016, The NYT has embarked on an ambitious initiative to grow its international digital audience and boost revenue from outside the United States.
“Because our digital report is still designed and produced mainly for a U.S. audience, we have not come close to realizing our potential to attract readers outside our home market,” the executive team of The NYT expressed in a memo to employees.
The company aims to reach 15 million subscribers by the end of 2027, and as of the end of 2023, it had 10.36 million subscribers.
Since 2016, The NYT has embarked on an ambitious initiative to grow its international digital audience and boost revenue from outside the United States.
“Because our digital report is still designed and produced mainly for a U.S. audience, we have not come close to realizing our potential to attract readers outside our home market,” the executive team of The NYT expressed in a memo to employees.
The company aims to reach 15 million subscribers by the end of 2027, and as of the end of 2023, it had 10.36 million subscribers.
The different methods The NYT has tried to better serve international readers.
The different methods The NYT has tried to better serve international readers.
The NYT enhanced its online platform to better serve international readers by consolidating all digital content under one site, with editions available in English, Chinese, and Spanish.
The redesign allowed for a more personalized experience tailored to the reader's location. Additionally, the morning briefing on the website became time-zone sensitive, ensuring that readers in Europe and Asia received relevant information at appropriate times.
The NYT enhanced its online platform to better serve international readers by consolidating all digital content under one site, with editions available in English, Chinese, and Spanish.
The redesign allowed for a more personalized experience tailored to the reader's location. Additionally, the morning briefing on the website became time-zone sensitive, ensuring that readers in Europe and Asia received relevant information at appropriate times.
How could we assist our user group?
How could we assist our user group?
Based on the interviews, I developed a persona that reflects the goals of my users.
Based on the interviews, I developed a persona that reflects the goals of my users.
how did we solve these issues?
how did we solve these issues?
How did other media outlets tackle similar problems?
How did other media outlets tackle similar problems?
When media outlets introduced personalized news experiences, they typically established a dedicated section for this service. The news feed in this section could be curated by AI or manually selected by users.
When media outlets introduced personalized news experiences, they typically established a dedicated section for this service. The news feed in this section could be curated by AI or manually selected by users.
Principles I kept in mind when designing for news personalization
Principles I kept in mind when designing for news personalization
The risk of reinforcing the echo-chamber effect.
The risk of reinforcing the echo-chamber effect.
When news outlets personalize content, there's a risk of creating echo chambers where users mainly see news that matches their current beliefs. This can keep users from seeing different perspectives and encountering information that might challenge their views.
When news outlets personalize content, there's a risk of creating echo chambers where users mainly see news that matches their current beliefs. This can keep users from seeing different perspectives and encountering information that might challenge their views.
The risk of what interests the public overruns the public interest.
The risk of what interests the public overruns the public interest.
When news outlets personalize content, there's a risk that popular topics might overshadow truly important news. It's crucial to balance what people want to see with what they need to know to ensure everyone stays well-informed.
When news outlets personalize content, there's a risk that popular topics might overshadow truly important news. It's crucial to balance what people want to see with what they need to know to ensure everyone stays well-informed.
Takeaways:
We should always have a homepage where the news is curated by professional editors.
We should separate the customized experience from the one curated by professional editors.
We should always have a homepage where the news is curated by professional editors.
We should separate the customized experience from the one curated by professional editors.
Where should the news personalization feature be implemented through The NYT digital services?
Where should the news personalization feature be implemented through The NYT digital services?
Based on user research, most users accessed The NYT through the app. Customization is vital in news apps because users engage with smartphones briefly and with less focus compared to computers. Thus, news apps need to offer extensive customization to ensure efficient and effective use. Given this, I decided to introduce the new personalization feature in The NYT app.
But where exactly should this feature be implemented in The NYT app?
Let's review the previous design of The NYT app and the user goals.
Based on user research, most users accessed The NYT through the app. Customization is vital in news apps because users engage with smartphones briefly and with less focus compared to computers. Thus, news apps need to offer extensive customization to ensure efficient and effective use. Given this, I decided to introduce the new personalization feature in The NYT app.
But where exactly should this feature be implemented in The NYT app?
Let's review the previous design of The NYT app and the user goals.
I could have presented news tailored to users' interests either through AI-curated content or by letting users manually search and select their preferred topics. However, since some interests, like Bitcoin, were niche and might have been difficult for AI to grasp quickly, I preferred letting users manually choose their topics.
Based on the principle I mentioned earlier, The NYT app, which already had a personalization section called "For You," seemed like the ideal place to implement the news personalization feature I was designing.
I could have presented news tailored to users' interests either through AI-curated content or by letting users manually search and select their preferred topics. However, since some interests, like Bitcoin, were niche and might have been difficult for AI to grasp quickly, I preferred letting users manually choose their topics.
Based on the principle I mentioned earlier, The NYT app, which already had a personalization section called "For You," seemed like the ideal place to implement the news personalization feature I was designing.
Deciding what to keep and remove from the "For You" section
Deciding what to keep and remove from the "For You" section
The content presented in the old “For You” section was AI-curated and divided into various topics and related articles. It was supposed to suggest topics catering to users' interests, but it seemed like it wasn’t doing its job.
The content presented in the old “For You” section was AI-curated and divided into various topics and related articles. It was supposed to suggest topics catering to users' interests, but it seemed like it wasn’t doing its job.
"My For You section feels like a mess. When I open my For You, what do I see? The Evening Short List? I have no idea what that is. Then what's next? Personal Profiles which I'm totally uninterested in. For me, while I acknowledge that the NYT writes soft news well, I am more inclined to read their hard news."
— Aileen, a Taiwanese based in Hong Kong
"My For You section feels like a mess. When I open my For You, what do I see? The Evening Short List? I have no idea what that is. Then what's next? Personal Profiles which I'm totally uninterested in. For me, while I acknowledge that the NYT writes soft news well, I am more inclined to read their hard news."
— Aileen, a Taiwanese based in Hong Kong
The users felt that the algorithm wasn't suggesting the news they were interested in and that they had no control over it, which really frustrated them.
If I kept some of the AI-curated content in the old “For You,” users might be confused to see both AI-curated content and topics they added manually coexisting in the same section.
In the end, I decided to have the old “For You” overhauled and to replace all of the AI-curated content with topics manually added by users.
The users felt that the algorithm wasn't suggesting the news they were interested in and that they had no control over it, which really frustrated them.
If I kept some of the AI-curated content in the old “For You,” users might be confused to see both AI-curated content and topics they added manually coexisting in the same section.
In the end, I decided to have the old “For You” overhauled and to replace all of the AI-curated content with topics manually added by users.
Refreshing “For You”
Refreshing “For You”
Redesigned the task flow of “For You”
Redesigned the task flow of “For You”
Based on the user interviews, I decided to design a new task flow that allows users to manually search and select their preferred topics to curate the news presented in their "For You."
I designed two similar flows, though their appearances were slightly different.
Based on the user interviews, I decided to design a new task flow that allows users to manually search and select their preferred topics to curate the news presented in their "For You."
I designed two similar flows, though their appearances were slightly different.
The differences between Flow A and B
The differences between Flow A and B
In Flow A, after the users set up their "For You," if they clicked "Edit," they would be taken to an Edit Mode page.
In Flow B, after the users set up their "For You," they could directly do the editing, including "Add more topics" and "Rearrange the order of the topics" on the same page. Moreover, once the users added a customized topic that was not in the preset list, the following page would show the customized topic they added in the list.
In Flow A, after the users set up their "For You," if they clicked "Edit," they would be taken to an Edit Mode page.
In Flow B, after the users set up their "For You," they could directly do the editing, including "Add more topics" and "Rearrange the order of the topics" on the same page. Moreover, once the users added a customized topic that was not in the preset list, the following page would show the customized topic they added in the list.
How did I design the final page where users could read news related to specific topics?
How did I design the final page where users could read news related to specific topics?
In the existing NYT app, there is a site-wide search bar where users can type in keywords to find news articles.
Although the site-wide search bar wasn't included in my redesign, I designed the final page to resemble its result page. This decision was based on user interviews, which indicated that users often resorted to the site-wide search bar when they couldn't find specific topics or articles on the homepage.
My intention was that with the new design, users could access all the news tailored to their interests directly in the "For You" section, eliminating the need to use the site-wide search bar.
In the existing NYT app, there is a site-wide search bar where users can type in keywords to find news articles.
Although the site-wide search bar wasn't included in my redesign, I designed the final page to resemble its result page. This decision was based on user interviews, which indicated that users often resorted to the site-wide search bar when they couldn't find specific topics or articles on the homepage.
My intention was that with the new design, users could access all the news tailored to their interests directly in the "For You" section, eliminating the need to use the site-wide search bar.
What did users think of the new “For You”?
What did users think of the new “For You”?
I conducted usability testing with seven users of The NYT app, including four Asians based in Asia and abroad, two Americans based in the US, and one Italian based in the Netherlands.
While all of the users completed the two flows successfully, I had some additional findings from the usability testing.
I conducted usability testing with seven users of The NYT app, including four Asians based in Asia and abroad, two Americans based in the US, and one Italian based in the Netherlands.
While all of the users completed the two flows successfully, I had some additional findings from the usability testing.
Usability test results
Usability test results
Flow A won: Less risk of unintended changes
Flow A won: Less risk of unintended changes
I conducted usability testing with seven users of The NYT app, including four Asians based in Asia and abroad, two Americans based in the US, and one Italian based in the Netherlands.
While all of the users completed the two flows successfully, I had some additional findings from the usability testing.
I conducted usability testing with seven users of The NYT app, including four Asians based in Asia and abroad, two Americans based in the US, and one Italian based in the Netherlands.
While all of the users completed the two flows successfully, I had some additional findings from the usability testing.
A minor issue in Flow A
A minor issue in Flow A
One user experienced friction in Flow A. After searching for Bitcoin, he was redirected to the editing mode page, which indicated that he had finished adding the topics he wanted to follow, despite not having completed this task.
Conversely, in Flow B, after the user completed a search, he was taken back to the preset topic list, which he found to be more intuitive.
One user experienced friction in Flow A. After searching for Bitcoin, he was redirected to the editing mode page, which indicated that he had finished adding the topics he wanted to follow, despite not having completed this task.
Conversely, in Flow B, after the user completed a search, he was taken back to the preset topic list, which he found to be more intuitive.
Users assumed the results shown in the site-wide search bar and the final page in “For You” were different.
Users assumed the results shown in the site-wide search bar and the final page in “For You” were different.
Five out of seven users couldn't connect the results from the site-wide search bar to the final page in "For You."
I assumed this was because users accessed these pages through different paths, so they didn't make the connection, even though I designed both pages to look the same.
Two users explained that they would use the site-wide search bar and the "For You" page differently. They visited "For You" to get an overview of topics they followed, but used the search bar to find specific articles.
After understanding more about how users might use these two features, it gave me some ideas for the iteration.
Five out of seven users couldn't connect the results from the site-wide search bar to the final page in "For You."
I assumed this was because users accessed these pages through different paths, so they didn't make the connection, even though I designed both pages to look the same.
Two users explained that they would use the site-wide search bar and the "For You" page differently. They visited "For You" to get an overview of topics they followed, but used the search bar to find specific articles.
After understanding more about how users might use these two features, it gave me some ideas for the iteration.
Feedback from the users
Feedback from the users
The poor user experience of The NYT's old For You section was a global issue.
The poor user experience of The NYT's old For You section was a global issue.
For the usability testing, I interviewed seven users located across Asia, the US, and Europe.
Among them, three had never used “For You”; two from Taiwan had tried the feature but found it unhelpful; two occasionally used “For You”—one from Taiwan and the other from the US. Both mentioned that the old 'For You' could be further improved.
For the usability testing, I interviewed seven users located across Asia, the US, and Europe.
Among them, three had never used “For You”; two from Taiwan had tried the feature but found it unhelpful; two occasionally used “For You”—one from Taiwan and the other from the US. Both mentioned that the old 'For You' could be further improved.
The redesigned For You has significantly boosted user satisfaction with personalized news experience on The NYT app.
The redesigned For You has significantly boosted user satisfaction with personalized news experience on The NYT app.
On a scale from one to ten, with ten being the highest, the users' satisfaction rate with the personalized news experience on the old NYT app was 5.5. One user even rated it zero, calling it “not helpful.”
After my redesign, the average satisfaction rate significantly increased to 9.6, with five out of seven users giving it a perfect ten.
*Notes: While collecting feedback, I recognized the potential for bias as participants were my friends who knew they were evaluating my redesign. To address this, they might have given the redesigned version higher ratings during our direct interactions.
On a scale from one to ten, with ten being the highest, the users' satisfaction rate with the personalized news experience on the old NYT app was 5.5. One user even rated it zero, calling it “not helpful.”
After my redesign, the average satisfaction rate significantly increased to 9.6, with five out of seven users giving it a perfect ten.
*Notes: While collecting feedback, I recognized the potential for bias as participants were my friends who knew they were evaluating my redesign. To address this, they might have given the redesigned version higher ratings during our direct interactions.
What did the users say about the new For You?
What did the users say about the new For You?
Final prototype
Final prototype
How I revised the design based on the usability test results?
How I revised the design based on the usability test results?
Maintained Flow A, but addressed the minor issue using the solution from Flow B.
Maintained Flow A, but addressed the minor issue using the solution from Flow B.
Reconsidered the design of the final “For You” page.
Reconsidered the design of the final “For You” page.
Considering that users might use the site-wide search bar and the “For You” page differently, I concluded that the final “For You” page didn't need to look similar.
However, I designed both to share the same algorithm for content generation, which would be the simplest solution for developers as well.
Considering that users might use the site-wide search bar and the “For You” page differently, I concluded that the final “For You” page didn't need to look similar.
However, I designed both to share the same algorithm for content generation, which would be the simplest solution for developers as well.
To be continued
To be continued
What do I wish I had done differently?
What do I wish I had done differently?
After raising the question, “Is it because the user experience on The NYT is too American that the Asian subscribers don't find the experience tailored to their interests?” I should have interviewed users from various cultural backgrounds.
Initially, I was uncertain whether the lack of a customized user experience was specifically an Asian issue or a broader global concern. During subsequent usability tests, I noticed this problem, recruited users with more diverse cultural backgrounds, and discovered that it’s indeed a global issue.
After raising the question, “Is it because the user experience on The NYT is too American that the Asian subscribers don't find the experience tailored to their interests?” I should have interviewed users from various cultural backgrounds.
Initially, I was uncertain whether the lack of a customized user experience was specifically an Asian issue or a broader global concern. During subsequent usability tests, I noticed this problem, recruited users with more diverse cultural backgrounds, and discovered that it’s indeed a global issue.
Comparing the new “You” with my redesigned “For You”
Comparing the new “You” with my redesigned “For You”
How does my redesign of the “For You” feature align with the new “You” feature?
How does my redesign of the “For You” feature align with the new “You” feature?
The new “You” feature also prioritizes topics manually added by users over the AI-curated news feed.
Users can add topics of their interest and rearrange the order of these topics. This shows that my redesign aligns with the direction The NYT team had in mind.
The new “You” feature also prioritizes topics manually added by users over the AI-curated news feed.
Users can add topics of their interest and rearrange the order of these topics. This shows that my redesign aligns with the direction The NYT team had in mind.
What are the main differences between my redesigned "For You" and the new "You"
What are the main differences between my redesigned "For You" and the new "You"
Users won't be able to follow niche topics they're interested in with the new “You” feature. While my design better addresses user pain points, I'm also aware that The NYT might have other business goals to consider, which could explain why they designed “You” this way.
Users won't be able to follow niche topics they're interested in with the new “You” feature. While my design better addresses user pain points, I'm also aware that The NYT might have other business goals to consider, which could explain why they designed “You” this way.
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