Projects







  project info




briefme.



Duration: 12 weeks 
Role: UX/UI Design, Branding 
Tools: Figma
Location: Toronto, Canada 
Project: Case Study 



introduction




briefme. is a news aggregator app that offers an extensive and customizable array of the world's most trusted news sources, bringing the world to user’s fingertips. With a seamless blend of text, audio, and video formats, users can dive into the news that matters most to them, all in one place.

This project was created as my capstone for the 12-week full time User Experience Design Bootcamp course at BrainStation.


















Problem Space


The rise of unreliable news sources poses a pressing issue in the digital age, especially in relation to millennials' news consumption habits. 

The core design goal of this app is to prioritize user experience, making it easy, convenient, and trustworthy.  

It aims to ensure that users feel confident in the app's reliability, find it simple to customize their news feed, and confidently share news from trusted sources.












PERSONALIZE

The feed that feeds USER’S interests.

As USERS use briefme., it learns THEIR interests
and recommends relevant stories, while also
allowing THEM to customize THEIR news channels, preferred formats, and topicS










AUDIO

Read, Watch or Listen.

It fine-tunes its recommendations based on
uSER’S interests while offering the choice to read, watch, or listen to news. Whether THEY prefer audio or video, getTING daily dose of news THEIR way







       


OPINION

News & Opinions for a Wider Perspective.

While delivering the latest reality-based news, this app doesn't stop there. It also serves up engaging opinion pieces that not only inform but entertain, offering diverse perspectives and sparking lively conversations








Process






Initial Thoughts + Motives


Following the Design Thinking Methodology, this process enabled me to 
develop my skills in UX Research, Wireframing, Prototyping, 
User Testing and UI Design.

Research

In the age of information overload, finding reliable news sources has become a daunting task, especially, among millennials who rely on digital media for news due to its accessibility, real-time updates and diverse sources. 


  • 60% of millenials struggle to discern reliable news sources, leading to unintentional sharing of false information

  • 15% of millenials trust traditional media outlets (newspaper, news channels, etc) as their primary news source

  • 80% of millenials admitted to sharing news articles without reading thoroughly, thus sharing false news. 



HMW Statement

How might we help millenials to effeciently find and consume 
reliable news sources, in order to feel confident in the news they share?

User Interviews  

To gain even better insights on the problem space, I conducted interviews with 5 millennials about their experiences with news consumption.


  • Information overload in news consumption negatively impacts millennials, leading to feelings of overwhelm and difficulty in accessing accurate and relevant information

  • Millennial news consumers struggle with the time-consuming task of sifting through multiple websites and sources to verify credibility

  • The challenge of navigating reliability and credibility in news consumption is even more pronounced, as users face a digital landscape filled with misinformation



Branding

“briefme." for a news app because it effectively conveys the app's core purpose: delivering concise and summarized news updates. 

Combination of "brief" with "me," suggests personalized and to-the-point news tailored for the user.

User Testing

I conducted two rounds of usability testing with 5 users each. In each round, users navigated through the prototype, providing feedback on any areas of confusion and areas for improvement. 


  • The task flow was easy to navigate, but users felt there was not enough information provided on the home screen regarding customizing their newsfeed. 

  • Some of my screens felt cluttered with too much information and not enough white space. This, at times left users feeling a little overwhelmed.




Wireframes



UI Library 






Key Learnings  



The design process is never finished - be prepared to constantly iterate and know that this will take our designs to the next level.

Don't get attached to ideas and be flexible with pivots - they will happen and it's important that we embrace them to ensure we are constantly responding to the challenge at hand.

Remove your own bias and listen to users - This is crucial in creating successful designs. It is only by putting user needs at the center of our design process, we can truly understand the problems we are trying to solve and create successful solutions that meet their needs.







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