Google News

Google News is a news aggregator app designed to provide users with a personalized news. Overtime, users have been complaining about their experience with the app regarding the new upgrades, news content, and the UI changes. I designed a UX strategy that fosters user engagement by introducing new features and optimizing navigation, thus increasing the overall usability of the app.

INTRODUCTION

MY ROLE

THE TEAM

TIMELINE

Research, analysis, UI design, user-testing.

Just me

Jan 2023 — May 2023

My objective was to enhance user retention in the app, ensuring an enjoyable experience for diverse user demographics.

OVERVIEW OF THE REDESIGNED EXPERIENCE

The absence of efficient mechanisms undermines the app's ability to provide diverse perspectives, credibility evaluation, user engagement, and content personalization. How might we give users more control, streamline tasks, enhance search, and improve accessibility?

PROBLEM STATEMENT

research

Gathering qualitative data through Google Play and usability testing.

I analyzed 56 most-voted customer reviews on Play Store (totaling over 3,000 upvotes) from August 2022 to February 2023.

I conducted usability testing and user interviews with five individuals who use the app at least five times a week. These interviews aimed to dive deeper into user preferences, behavior , and pain points, providing valuable qualitative data to inform redesign process.

competitive analysis

I selected three popular news applications and conduced competitive analysis.

The applications selected were Microsoft Start, Flipboard, and Smart News. Positive reviews highlighted the apps' user-friendly interfaces and robust personalization capabilities. However, a consistent pattern emerged across all reviews, pointing out shared issues.
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A surprising insight was that the functionalities that were supposed to be the goals of the app, were considered as cons of the app as it was not functioning up to its name.

Prominent issues emerged around customization limitations, inadequate search, intrusive advertisements, in-app navigation, biased content curation, and the inability to easily share articles.

For this case study, I focused on enhancing the UI/UX of the "For you" page and streamlined navigation to address the mentioned concerns.

OVERVIEW OF THE OLD EXPERIENCE

🕹️ Limited user control

🔍 Ineffective search functionality

🗣️Community engagement gap

🤔 Complex task execution

▶️ Accessibility challenges

🧭 Navigation complexity

Users have little control over content relevance and preferences, often encountering articles and topics that do not align with their preferences, leading to disengagement.

Common actions like saving and sharing stories require multiple steps, resulting in a cumbersome user experience and reduced efficiency.

BREAKDOWN OF THE PROBLEM

The search functionality lacks refinement, with no options to sort results or filter by date, impacting user ability to find relevant content efficiently.

Users are unable to actively participate in discussions or express their opinions on articles, resulting in a lack of community interaction.

Lack of accessibility features for users with visual impairments or those preferring hands-free consumption, limiting inclusivity and usability.

Users encounter challenges to locate saved articles within the app, as they are often buried deep within the navigation structure, requiring extensive scrolling or multiple clicks to access.

PROCESS

Conceptual drafting; mapping out design directions.

After gathering and organizing the insights, I started sketching paper wireframes. This laid a foundation for the final designs.

SOLUTION

Final Outcome: Highlights

Each highlight captures an aspect of the new Google News experience. It calls out which problem its solving and what the solution is.

Search icon lacks visibility for users.

problem

The search icon reveals a search bar with a blank screen which is not ideal as it places the burden of initiating a search entirely on the user without providing any guidance or assistance. It requires users to know exactly what they are searching for, which may not always be the case.

solution

The search bar is placed on the "For you" page. Upon clicking, It offers text and search by voice options. it offers suggestions like popular news keywords, personalized keywords, and search history. feature which improves usability by guiding the users, resulting in a more intuitive and engaging experience.

Sharing stories limited to external platforms only.

problem

App allows users to share stories only through external apps and platforms, lacking direct integration with contacts within the Google News ecosystem. Users are forced to switch between different apps or platforms, disrupting their workflow and diminishing the experience.

solution

Direct sharing with contacts within Google News streamlines the process, allowing users to share without leaving the app. The received stories will be tagged in the "For you" feed. These stories are stored in the hamburger menu in "Shared with you", providing users with quick access to the received content.

read story

Text-to-speech feature is not available.

problem

The absence of text-to-speech feature poses accessibility challenges, particularly for visually impaired users, limiting their access to news content and hindering hands-free consumption for all users.

solution

The "Read" feature allows users to listen to news stories audibly, enabling them to access and engage with content effortlessly. It can be accessed by clicking on the headphones icon located at the top right corner of the story page.

LIKE AND COMMENT

Community engagement is absent.

problem

Users lack the means to express their opinions, engage with content. This limitation impedes user interaction and prevents the establishment of a loyal user base, ultimately leading to decreased engagement with the app.

solution

A dedicated like and comment section present on the bottom app bar helps user interact with content, and participate in discussions, facilitating a sense of connection and community within the platform. Providing notification alerts for replies or new comments encourages users to revisit stories.

saved stories

Difficulty in accessing saved stories.

problem

Users struggle to find their saved stories as they are hidden below the fold in the "Following" tab. Users have to navigate through the entire app to locate where their stories are saved, causing frustration and inconvenience.

solution

Upon saving a story, a confirmation message pops up ensuring users immediate feedback. These stories are saved in the hamburger menu inside "Saved with you", providing users with quick access to the received content.

Addressing user concerns and iteratively refining features, such as simplifying the sharing process and enhancing content visibility, reinforced the pivotal role of user feedback in creating a more user-friendly experience. Integrating features like text-to-speech and personalized content recommendations deepened my understanding of accessibility and user preferences. Additionally, incorporating engagement features like liking and commenting underscored the significance of fostering a sense of community within the app. This project has taught me the dynamic and continuous nature of design, emphasizing the ongoing commitment to prioritizing user experience for an impactful product.

reflection