Project Description

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GOAL: Create a digital experience for university students that will keep them engaged and excited about the news by customizing and catering the news to their needs and time restrictions.

This assignment was my first UX/Ui project in college. The hypothetical job assignment had a clear goal: engage a specific audience with a new product for the New York Times.

Where did I start? First, I learned everything I could about my audience (college students).

  1. Research
  2. Interview Questions
  3. Observations
  4. Audience Analysis Summary

From this information, I developed four different personas for people who would use this app.

  1. Personas

After looking at all the personas, I came up with the app MyNYT.

  1. App Ideation
  2. Summary Statement

The next steps were to design the flow and look for my app.

  1. Flow Chart/Mapping
  2. Asset List
  3. Wireframe
  4. Storyboard

Finally, I checked back in with my personas and drew a journey map for two of them.

  1. Customer Journey Mapping

Done! Check out the steps in more detail below. At the end of the page is a PDF version of part of my assignment.

Research

0%
of college students have some form of cell phone.

Age

The age ranges from 18-24 years old. Most students using digital news are Millenials.

Gender

UNC Chapel Hill is 60% female and 40% male (from admissions.unc.edu).

Education

Most students are completing their undergraduate degree or completing other degrees/in graduate school.

Ethnicity

UNC admissions: 71% Caucasian, 14% Asian/Asian American, 11% Black, and 13% as another race.

Phone Type

I observed that a large majority use an iPhone while the next popular is an Android compatible device.

Housing

Students live on-campus and at off-campus apartments/ housing. Many college students have roommates.

Job Status

Typically considered a full-time student, but some students have part-time jobs in addition to their studies.

News Base

Based on interviews, most students in this demographic use social media as their source for information.

Transportation

Students primarily walk from class to class, but a bus or a bike are commonly used on campus.

Important Observations

  • College students engage most with pictures and videos on social media.
  • Students want to stay informed on the things that they felt were important to their friends and immediate social circles.

Personas

Meredith Hoffman

Get it Done Girl

Age: 19

From: Fayetteville, NC

Education: History Major/Archeology Minor

Relationship Status: Single

Housing: Campus dorm (random roommate)

Transportation: Walking

Meredith is sure of what she wants, and she doesn’t need much help to get it done. She’d much rather retreat back to her dorm room for a long night of studying rather than wasting her time going out to dinner or hanging with friends. Regardless, she finds it important to be aware of what is going on in the world both globally and nationally. She fills her idle time watching documentaries and listening to podcasts. She recognizes the importance of her phone and computer in making this information accessible as she can block out the noise in the dining hall or on a crowded bus with this information. She doesn’t stress much, and has plenty of free time, but chooses to use that time alone rather than out with others.

“The fewer distractions the better. I can get more done on my own anyway.”

David Watts

Big Dreamer Boy

Age: 22

From: Chicago, IL

Education: Information Science Major

Relationship Status: Single

Housing: Off Campus

Transportation: Bus

David has big plans, but a long way to go. He wants to live up to his parent’s expectations and constantly feels the pressure to do so. However, his mind wanders and he finds it hard to focus. He worries about our world and wants to make it a better place. He is saddened by all the horrible news he sees on his social media. You’ll never find David walking to class without his headphones in. He loves music and the chance to talk about it with others. Also, David wants to constantly talk with others about whats new in the world. He finds himself watching movies and reading books rather than looking at what all his friends are doing via social media. He thinks change starts with this generation, and he can’t wait to see his big dreams come true one day.

“It’s hard to sleep sometimes because my mind is so restless. It is constantly filled with ideas.”

Richard Greene

Life of the Party

Age: 20

From: Columbia, SC

Education: Business Major

Relationship Status: Dating

Housing: Fraternity House

Transportation: Walking

Richard can’t help but have a good time. He plans his class schedule around popular social times and makes sure to never have an 8 am class. However, he still excels in his business classes and makes time to be the president of a scholars society club. He tends to use technology most when he is studying. The frequent work break includes surfing the web for funning “memes” and looking at funny stories shared on Facebook. He likes to feel in control of his life and happiness and hates to spend a night by himself. He is very close with his family and finds it important to stay connected. He uses walks from class to text and call people. The last thing he wants to do is waste time, so he finds it best to only do what he believes will make him happy later on.

“We are only here for four years, and then we move on to the real world. So let’s enjoy it.”

Kelsey Louvier

Trendy Girl

Age: 20

From: Charlotte, NC

Education: Broadcast Journalism Major

Relationship Status: Single

Housing: Apartment with 5 girls

Transportation: Car

Kelsey is up with the trends. Whether it is the latest hair fad, newest diet trick, or most recent makeup release, Kelsey already knows about it and is looking for ways to incorporate it into her life. She uses technology to see what everyone else is up to and to learn about the up and coming. She doesn’t fall behind in school, but that doesn’t stop her from checking a few of her favorite sites during some of the “boring” classes. She finds it important to walk with her phone in hand in case she gets any alerts. In addition, Kelsey finds it easy to share these traits with her best friends who also love the latest and greatest. Kelsey loves to show it off too. Her Instagram feed is filled with pictures of her latest meal or outfit.

“I love to constantly improve myself and feel good. Mental and physical health are important to me.”

Constructing the App

Interactive Prototypes

Swipe left on the stories to save them:
Explore the ‘location’ filter:

Customer Journeys

Click to view David’s journey:
Click to view Lauren’s journey:
MyNYT PDF