Role
UX Lead
Duration
12/2022 - 10/2023
Problem Statement
Becoming the leading Asian American news aggregator wasn’t easy, and NextShark’s quick growth demanded a reexamination of their brand, web and app UI, and strategy to support future endeavors and expansion.
As lead user experience designer, I worked with executives, editors, and software teams to create a unified brand strategy and a better digital experience for NextShark's web and mobile apps.
During my time at NextShark, I improved website engagement by nearly 400%, and my community-focused prototypes secured thousands in funding for implementation and further improvements.
Needfinding
How might we offer a space/network of belonging for disconnected Asians in order to foster joy, solidarity, and awareness?
Four interviews with readers and 3 interviews with executives pointed to how impersonal and unfocused NextShark had become, distancing their once-loyal reader base in its quest to diversify.
I uncovered that readers and executives alike needed a space to connect with their local community and celebrate their Asian heritage. Additionally, readers knew NextShark best for Asian American activism and awareness, not their current tabloid content.
With this in mind, I prototyped the new web and app UI alongside new community-focused features: a dedicated opinion column, fleshed-out author bios, and a classifieds bulletin board.
The Miro board to help synthesize needfinding insights for readers.
A preview of the brand audit slide deck I presented to the C-suite.
Prototyping
Through a combination of examining sites that NextShark wanted to emulate and rigorous testing on readers and non-readers, I created low-, medium-, and high-fidelity prototypes for their mobile and web app.
The web and app redesign focused on delivering a fresh, engaging user experience. I also revitalized NextShark’s brand with bold, culture-relevant colors and Asian lineage references.
The addition of writer bios and a fleshed-out about page greatly added to the community-centric aspect by allowing readers to add a personality and face to a name.
For readers to connect and build networks, the new classifieds bulletin board publicized opportunities in the greater Asian American community. This also added a new revenue stream through NextShark-exclusive advertisements throughout the site.
A dedicated opinion column on the web and app promoted engagement and dialogue between NextShark and its readers while centering community voices.
Usability Testing
I conducted 5 usability tests with readers following the RITE Method to smooth out usability issues.
Key among usability findings was that layouts often felt repetitive, though this wasn't an issue unique to NextShark's UI. To combat this, I designed a different hero for each main news category for the homepage and changed the positioning of article cards in each section. I also added carousels to drive engagement and break up the vertical scrolling monotony.
RITE testing showed fewer complaints about repetitive design and fatigue.
The Miro board to help synthesize usability testing results, grouped by page and topic.
Strategy
I also uncovered inefficiencies in NextShark’s marketing and editorial strategy. I conducted a brand audit by analyzing Google Analytics and by conducting interviews at the executive, editorial, and reader levels, which revealed that:
1) Low user acquisition from Instagram was due to a nonexistent funnel; a vast majority of users were not aware of NextShark’s website and app.
2) Just 2.5% of NextShark’s articles produced within a month were responsible for 41% of their total monthly views, indicating severe inefficiencies in editorial allocation.
My slide deck pitch to NextShark’s CEO and founder on the results of my brand audit.
A brainstorm of various ways to increase engagement and revenue through a more pointed marketing strategy.
These insights led to a shift in 1) NextShark’s marketing strategy to push for higher web and app visibility, and 2) editorial strategy to publish fewer articles, focusing on impact, activism, and achievements.
Overall, my presence at NextShark led to a more conscious effort to connect with readers and the greater Asian American community.
