Digital Transformation
THE CHALLENGE
The Washington Post faced a significant challenge in an evolving media landscape: maintaining relevance and trust among younger audiences like Gen Z, who increasingly rely on social media as their primary source of news. Declining trust in traditional news channels and the rapid pace of technological change meant that attracting and retaining younger readers required a fresh approach.
The key problem was clear: How can The Washington Post innovate its digital experience to attract younger readers, build trust, and increase subscriptions in an era dominated by social media?
KEY PROBLEM
Expanding Audience: Engaging with younger generations, especially Gen Z, who are social media savvy and influenced by trends and content shared by social media personalities.
THE NEED
Cultivating Trust: Establishing credibility with younger users who may be skeptical of traditional news channels.
KEY GOAL
Increasing Subscriptions: Creating value that resonates with younger audiences to drive new subscriptions and increase loyalty.
MY CONTRIBUTION
As the Lead UX Designer, I was responsible for leading the digital transformation process to make The Washington Post more appealing to younger audiences. This included:
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Conducting user research to understand the needs and preferences of Gen Z.
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Leading a site audit and assumption mapping to identify gaps and opportunities.
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Designing features like the Post Club, loyalty programs, and fact comparison tools to build trust and enhance user engagement.
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Design wireframes, prototypes, and user journeys that aligned with The Washington Post’s goals of attracting younger audiences while maintaining its commitment to quality journalism.
UNDERSTANDING THE USER
Gen Z is a generation that grew up with technology at their fingertips, so their expectations from digital platforms are high.
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Engagement with Social Media: Gen Z prefers quick, easily digestible content and is heavily influenced by social media. They trust recommendations from influencers more than traditional sources.
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Interest in Lifestyle and Events: They are interested in topics like lifestyle, festivals, and concerts, which are key engagement drivers.
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Subscription Usage: Gen Z uses subscription services but looks for added value—something more than just the content, like rewards or experiences that they can be part of.
These insights shaped the overall design strategy, ensuring that the platform was tailored to meet the expectations of Gen Z while providing a seamless, enjoyable user experience for all.
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This is some of data collected and used for the design solution
Gen Z Characteristics
PROCESS BREAKDOWN
The first step involved gathering data about Gen Z's news consumption habits, using surveys, focus groups, and analytics. We discovered that this generation values fast, reliable news, but they’re also drawn to platforms that allow them to engage, comment, and share.
1. Research and Empathy
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We began by conducting a site audit and creating an assumption map to identify gaps in The Washington Post's existing offering. It was evident that Gen Z wanted an experience that went beyond traditional news—something interactive, social, and rewarding.
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​2. Defining the Problem
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The problem was defined through key "How Might We" (HMW) questions:
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How might we create loyalty through rewards and incentives?
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How might we engage Gen Z through relevant topics and social media integration?
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How might we add value that makes younger readers want to be part of The Washington Post’s ecosystem?
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3. Ideation and Sketching
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We explored solutions that would tackle each challenge:
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Implementing The Post Club, offering events, giveaways, and exclusive perks.
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Adding a news comparison feature that allows users to verify facts by comparing articles across trusted channels, addressing the trust challenge.
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Integrating a loyalty and rewards program to incentivize subscriptions, offering exclusive content, discounts, and raffle entries to subscribers.
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4. Prototyping
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I led the design of prototypes that included:
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A profile page with customization features for The Post Club members.
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A promotion page with strong calls to action, targeted at Gen Z’s interests—like lifestyle, events, and concert tickets.
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An interactive feature allowing younger readers to compare news coverage across multiple trusted sources, aiming to boost transparency and trust.
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5. Testing and Iteration
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We tested our prototypes with a Gen Z focus group to ensure the features were engaging and easy to use. Feedback helped us fine-tune the designs, particularly regarding personalization and how rewards and loyalty programs were communicated within the app.
From this research, the challenge was clear: create a mobile-first platform that integrates interactive features like social media sharing, video content, and personalized news feeds, while preserving The Washington Post’s journalistic excellence.
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We brainstormed solutions that would balance user experience with editorial integrity. Key features included:
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An interactive news feed that allowed users to customize the content they saw based on their interests.
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In-app notifications and push alerts for breaking news, tailored to individual preferences.
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Incorporation of multimedia elements (videos, podcasts, infographics) to cater to diverse content preferences.
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I designed wireframes and prototypes with a strong focus on mobile optimization. We created a clean, minimal interface that emphasized usability while showcasing The Washington Post’s rich content. The prototypes were designed to be interactive, allowing users to swipe, scroll, and engage with stories in a way that felt natural and intuitive.
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User testing with Gen Z focus groups revealed valuable insights. While they appreciated the clean design and customization features, there was a strong demand for more social interaction tools, such as the ability to share and comment directly from the app. These insights led to further iterations of the design, improving overall engagement and satisfaction.
These are some of the artifacts I used
News Comparison Feature, adding reliability and trust
Providing a comparative view of news published by the main and most trusted channels about any topic
Profile page
With customization features and Club Rewards
Promotions and Rewards page
Exclusive perks for subscriptors
THESE WERE SOME MAJOR LEARNINGS OR POINTS WE WANTED TO CALL OUT
REAL-TIME ENGAGEMENT
One of the biggest learnings from this project was the importance of real-time engagement. Gen Z users were highly responsive to breaking news notifications and wanted more opportunities to interact with content in real-time. This led to the inclusion of social sharing features and live comment sections.
VISUAL CONTENT
Another critical insight was the significance of visual content. Gen Z is highly visual, and incorporating more videos, images, and infographics resulted in higher engagement levels.
EDITORIAL INTEGRITY
While modernizing the user experience was key, the design needed to strike a balance between innovation and trust, ensuring that the app felt modern without sacrificing the credibility The Washington Post is known for.
ENGAGE WITH MAR MARRUFO UX
INSIGHTS GAINED
This project revealed several key insights about engaging younger audiences. These insights helped shape a more user-centered approach for The Washington Post, bridging the gap between a legacy brand and the needs of a new generation of readers.
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Gen Z Needs More Than News: To attract and retain younger readers, it’s crucial to offer value beyond content—experiences, rewards, and the ability to interact meaningfully with the brand.
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Trust is Built Through Comparison: Implementing a news comparison feature was an effective way to build trust with a skeptical audience, offering transparency that set The Washington Post apart from other news sources.
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Interactivity and Personalization Drive Engagement: Gen Z values personalization, and giving them control over their news feed, the ability to participate in giveaways, and join exclusive events encouraged deeper engagement.