Overview

UpBeat News is an app I designed as the final project for BrainStation’s UX course. UpBeat News gives users control over what they see and read using their interests as a starting point for curating their news feed and allowing them to tailor the notifications for the app via date and even time.

This in turn creates a feed for the user that is tailored and progressive, allowing them a say in which sources and articles they wish to see more of or dislike via a voting system on each piece of content, and receive content as they see fit.

Note: The primary focus for this project was to design the screens for scheduling notifications from the main feed; the designs for curating the main feed came secondary.

The Purpose

The purpose for the app is to give readers on mobile devices a source for unbiased and progressive news curated to the user’s interests, providing various article sources for a balanced feed.

Most importantly, UpBeat gives the user complete control over what content they receive (via an up-down voting system for each source of interest), how and if they wish to be notified, and at what times they wish to receive those notifications.

The Problem

News sources often deliver news that is redundant, negative and unpleasant to hear and watch, often taking a negative toll on people’s mental health.

News apps don’t give the user enough control for customizing the content they want to see or when they want to see it.

The Solution

How Might We...

Change the type of news the user receives on a news app which is tailored to what the user wishes to engage in by giving them control over content and time(s) of day they wish to receive that content via the app and notifications.

Goals

  • To reduce frustrations and anxiety triggers when reading or watching the news.

  • Introduce grading system by users to curate news feed.

  • Ability to control when user receives notifications via a date > time setting allowing users to access/engage in content at desired time of day.

  • Ability to choose variation of news sources to customize news feed during onboarding and anytime thereafter (i.e. CBC, BBC, CNN, The Times, etc.).

User Research > Personas

Research

  • Three users were interviewed ranging from age 25 – 34, with respective occupations in IT, Bio Chemistry, and Neuroscience.

  • Each user varied in regard to how often they watched the news or used news apps (rarely, often, and daily).

User Insights

  • Users want more control over what they see on feeds and when they are notified.

  • There is not enough news variety.

  • Users associated news with negative imagery and colours.

  • Users had an easier time recalling recent negative news stories; harder time recalling positive news.

  • All users felt that news has negative impact on their mental health, admitted to being better off without it.

Persona 1

Persona 2

Ideation > Prototype

The initial idea was that the user would have their chosen content topics on the main feed (at the top of screen) and then customize notifications from the menu.

The main focus was to give users control over content on the main feed and the notifications they receive from the app. This focal point continued to develop all the more throughout the rest of the design process.

Information Architecture

User Flow

Lo-Fi Wireframes

Main Feed + Manage Notifications Flow

The most significant screen in this user flow was "Schedule Notifications" because I needed to ensure that the user would have more options to control their notifications rather than just turning notifications on/off on app.

I borrowed the idea from Samsung Galaxy's "Do Not Disturb" mode. Once I had the design stable for this screen, I was able to focus on other elements of the app that would create a tailored experience for the user, such as the main feed design.

Hi-Fi Wireframes

Main Feed + Menu + Manage Notifications Flow

Curating Main Feed Flow

Content Voting on Main Feed + Content Options (hover)

Usability Testing

Five users tested prototype; they had to navigate from the main feed screen to find notification settings and schedule notifications.

User Feedback

  • Tap and hold function to schedule time of day on the Schedule Notification screen needed feedback to show that the function was completed.

  • Content and buttons on Notifications screens were not big enough; some users had a hard time tapping and reading them.

Challenges & Obstacles

Prioritizing Designs

The most challenging part of the design process was prioritizing the menu and notification controls and deciding on a simple but effective layout. Bypassing the main feed screen design at first helped me to hone in on user insights and needs.

Main Feed Curation > Design

Another major challenge was deciding how the user could curate their main feed right after onboarding. I wanted this option for the user to be immediate so they can jump right into their feed without having to customize after. The user should have a strong sense of control from the start.

Deciding on the design and functionality of the main feed and was also challenging. Minimizing screen content on the main feed was key for a cleaner design while decreasing visible actions for users. I garnered inspiration from Pinterest: the user can hover over an image and actions pop up for the user to choose from (i.e. Share, Favourite, Like).

Conclusion

Key Takeaways

While the the focus was creating user control and a tailored experience on the app, I need to dive deeper into what that means for a variety of users, in which case I will continue working on the app in its entirety, and conduct more user research, user testing, and receive more feedback. This will allow me to add significant features that will benefit users without complicating the app, while maintaining the goal of creating a unique and tailored experience.

I will continue honing my UX/UI design skills and developing designs that enhance the user experience.