The Philadelphia Inquirer: Holistic Audio Experience
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Holistic Audio Experience
Role
Product Designer
Project Type
Professional
Team
2 PMs
7 Product Designers
Timeline
Feb 2025 - May 2025
Tools
Figma
Notion
Skills
UX Research
UX Design
Device Integration
Animation
Mobile Design
Prototyping
Design Systems
What is The Philadelphia Inquirer?
What is The Philadelphia Inquirer?
The Philadelphia Inquirer is the largest newspaper circulation in the Philadelphia area with 120k daily active users, providing well-researched information from the field to the public since 1829. They are looking to adapt with different user needs by exploring audio entertainment formats.
The Philadelphia Inquirer is the largest newspaper circulation in the Philadelphia area with 120k daily active users, providing well-researched information from the field to the public since 1829. They are looking to adapt with different user needs by exploring audio entertainment formats.
Project Context
Project Context
How might we best serve Philadelphians with a preference for audio, whether that's situational (they're in the car right now) or in all cases (they prefer listening to reading)? What would designing what a holistic experience would look like?
How might we best serve Philadelphians with a preference for audio, whether that's situational (they're in the car right now) or in all cases (they prefer listening to reading)? What would designing what a holistic experience would look like?
Competitor Analysis
Competitor Analysis
We looked at 30+ competitors to find what is integral to the audio experience and these are the values that we found:
We looked at 30+ competitors to find what is integral to the audio experience and these are the values that we found:
We analyzed a range of entertainment, news, and audio competitors
We analyzed a range of entertainment, news, and audio competitors
Queues
Timestamps
Navigation Bars
Transcript Highlights
Personalized News
Queues
Timestamps
Navigation Bars
Transcript Highlights
Personalized News
Content
Playlists
Widgets
Audio Entry Points
Discover Page
Content
Playlists
Widgets
Audio Entry Points
Discover Page
User Research
User Research
We interviewed 25 people to learn more about audio and news consumptions, and we broke it down to 2 personas
We decided to user personas to present our research findings as our work is highly dependent on users and their behaviors, thus we wanted to learn and understand our user groups.
We interviewed 25 people to learn more about audio and news consumptions, and we broke it down to 2 personas
We decided to user personas to present our research findings as our work is highly dependent on users and their behaviors, thus we wanted to learn and understand our user groups.
Feature Ownership
Feature Ownership
I took ownership over ‘Philly For You’ a curated news feed and iOS widgets
I created two separate features that would both target different aspects of what our user groups would need in the news experience
I took ownership over ‘Philly For You’ a curated news feed and iOS widgets
I created two separate features that would both target different aspects of what our user groups would need in the news experience
Ideation
Ideation
Since the project scope was larger, I was tasked with ideating for creating personalized content forms and also increase on-the-go, uninterrupted experiences. These needs were found during our user research in the gen-z and millennial groups. To ideate rapidly, I looked at competitors and did rough sketches on some ideas I had in mind.
Since the project scope was larger, I was tasked with ideating for creating personalized content forms and also increase on-the-go, uninterrupted experiences. These needs were found during our user research in the gen-z and millennial groups. To ideate rapidly, I looked at competitors and did rough sketches on some ideas I had in mind.
Transcripts on lock screen audio player & content suggestions under audio player
Daily roundup of news (vertical/horizontal swiping)
News for you page
Suggestions accessible from all screens
Personalization Mid-Fis
Personalization Mid-Fis
In a world where news feels overwhelming, I wanted to make catching up feel calming and personal. To directly combat personalization, I decided to expand upon the 2nd lo-fi screen, taking inspiration from short form content, as the swiping motion allows for more digestible content and combats the lower attention spans that our gen-z users have. The prototype on the left was made to have double personalization with left/right tap introducing different genres of news and swiping would introduce different articles within the genre. The one on the right is similar to most short form content with a singular vertical scroll format.
In a world where news feels overwhelming, I wanted to make catching up feel calming and personal. To directly combat personalization, I decided to expand upon the 2nd lo-fi screen, taking inspiration from short form content, as the swiping motion allows for more digestible content and combats the lower attention spans that our gen-z users have. The prototype on the left was made to have double personalization with left/right tap introducing different genres of news and swiping would introduce different articles within the genre. The one on the right is similar to most short form content with a singular vertical scroll format.
✅ Allows for double personalization
✅ Fresh UI
❌ Information Overload
❌ Not enough articles to fuel daily refreshes
✅ Allows for double personalization
✅ Fresh UI
❌ Information Overload
❌ Not enough articles to fuel daily refreshes
✅ Familiar UI
✅ Feasible with current news production
✅ More digestible format for users
❌ News photos are taken in landscape
✅ Familiar UI
✅ Feasible with current news production
✅ More digestible format for users
❌ News photos are taken in landscape
‘Philly For You’ Final Prototype
‘Philly For You’ Final Prototype
After rounds of feedback and iterations, the final prototype boasts a short form content format, that leads users to click on each article, curated for them daily based on their activities. As this is a completely new feature being introduced to the app, I also created a very brief animated onboarding flow. This feature will be housed on the top of user’s FYP created by our team as well.
Found through out user interviews and competitor analysis, this feature would work best with gen-z users that are trying to increase their news consumption without having to overcome a large barrier of entry that traditional news consumption presents.
After rounds of feedback and iterations, the final prototype boasts a short form content format, that leads users to click on each article, curated for them daily based on their activities. As this is a completely new feature being introduced to the app, I also created a very brief animated onboarding flow. This feature will be housed on the top of user’s FYP created by our team as well.
Found through out user interviews and competitor analysis, this feature would work best with gen-z users that are trying to increase their news consumption without having to overcome a large barrier of entry that traditional news consumption presents.
iOS Widget Ideation
iOS Widget Ideation
To people on the move that need easy access to news, I narrowed down on creating iOS widgets as iOS is the OS used by most of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s users. Our team touched upon playback, car play, and widget creation, but I focused on designing effective widget designs.
Initial iterations focused on creating additional function beyond what the playback center provides. but individually, these widgets are redundant.
❌ Same functionalities as playback center
❌ Lack of context to ‘dive back in’
❌ Information overload
To people on the move that need easy access to news, I narrowed down on creating iOS widgets as iOS is the OS used by most of The Philadelphia Inquirer’s users. Our team touched upon playback, car play, and widget creation, but I focused on designing effective widget designs.
Initial iterations focused on creating additional function beyond what the playback center provides. but individually, these widgets are redundant.
❌ Same functionalities as playback center
❌ Lack of context to ‘dive back in’
❌ Information overload
‘iOS Widget’ Final Prototype
‘iOS Widget’ Final Prototype
In a feature that prioritizes efficiency, I had to consider what users need direct access to. From our user research, we know that users want uninterrupted audio experience and need to be enabled to multitask. In order to not take away from the functionalities of the playback center and the app, these are the features that I included in my final prototypes
✅ Pause and play buttons
✅ Up next
✅ Skip to next
In a feature that prioritizes efficiency, I had to consider what users need direct access to. From our user research, we know that users want uninterrupted audio experience and need to be enabled to multitask. In order to not take away from the functionalities of the playback center and the app, these are the features that I included in my final prototypes
✅ Pause and play buttons
✅ Up next
✅ Skip to next
Design Impacts
Design Impacts
Initiated the process of what a holistic audio experience would look like for the Inquirer: broad ideas that got consolidated into specific feature recommendations based on user research and news/media industry trends — the design team will be continuing our explorations and implementing our designs in their mobile application
We used the Inquirer design system (ex. typography, colors, spacing, etc.) and stuck with standard UI design practices for easy handoff to the Inquirer's engineering and design team
Met with stakeholders, design, dev, and editorial teams biweekly for crit on design decisions aligning with feasibility and meeting stakeholder/business goals to ensure seamless handoff to the dev team given business needs.
Initiated the process of what a holistic audio experience would look like for the Inquirer: broad ideas that got consolidated into specific feature recommendations based on user research and news/media industry trends — the design team will be continuing our explorations and implementing our designs in their mobile application
We used the Inquirer design system (ex. typography, colors, spacing, etc.) and stuck with standard UI design practices for easy handoff to the Inquirer's engineering and design team
Met with stakeholders, design, dev, and editorial teams biweekly for crit on design decisions aligning with feasibility and meeting stakeholder/business goals to ensure seamless handoff to the dev team given business needs.
Final Reflections
Final Reflections
I was able to explore what it is like to design with an already existing design system and what it means to push creative boundaries while maintaining functionalities. If I had more time with this project, I would
Be involved with The Philadelphia Inquirer to do user testing on user retention and actual long-term of news consumption when presented in a short-content form
Expand on cross device integration and consider more operating systems beyond iOS according to the user base of The Philadelphia Inquirer
I was able to explore what it is like to design with an already existing design system and what it means to push creative boundaries while maintaining functionalities. If I had more time with this project, I would
Be involved with The Philadelphia Inquirer to do user testing on user retention and actual long-term of news consumption when presented in a short-content form
Expand on cross device integration and consider more operating systems beyond iOS according to the user base of The Philadelphia Inquirer
Special thanks to the Inky team for showing their passion of working with students and constantly providing their support through feedback and professional development opportunities — notably visiting the Philly office!
Special thanks to the Inky team for showing their passion of working with students and constantly providing their support through feedback and professional development opportunities — notably visiting the Philly office!
