David Wright / NPR@dwjr

Design is how it works

Callie NeylanJeremy PennycookPaulo LopezMax PfennighausPatrick CooperBenjamin DauerWes LindamoodStephanie SlobodianVince FarquharsonJoel SuchermanKinsey WilsonMiranda Mulligan

Michael YochIan AdelmanTyson EvansBill CouchMatt MansfieldJustin FerrellMatt ThompsonRon CoddingtonMichael ManessLaura RamosIrakli NadareishviliMarc Lavallee

Thank you to my smart friends:

About me

• Newseum• Knight Ridder/Tribune• USA TODAY• NPR

Platform ≠ storytelling

I don’t work in the newsroom.

DreamWorks / 20th Century Fox

Holy crap!We are working in the future.

We’re really good at telling stories, but ...

News design seems stuck because we can’t keep up with our audience’s expectations.

Same

152 choicesin the top navigation.

We’re running the risk of getting our asses kicked

Quite possibly with our own content.

Unsolicited NYTimes redesign by Andy Rutledge

Your competitive set?

WTHR app

Flipboard

Gawker’s conversation curationGawker

Gawker’s conversation curationGmail = ubiquitous

How might we make better things?

These problems go beyond visual design• Strategy• Money• Technology

Design thinking can help

• Context• Research• Empathy (user-centered)• Synthesis ➔ Insights

Why?

• Answer the right questions• Better answers, faster• Proactive, not reactive

Five ways to improve your experiences

1. Experience is everywhere2. Get your house in order3. Solve the right problems4. Evaluate and iterate5. Understand your materials

1. Experience is everywhere

My father-in-law

Experience is everywhere

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

US

Dol

lars

Adult Admission to Magic Kingdom Park Adjusted for Inflation to 2010 dollars

Experience is everywhere

Sources: allears.net / US Gov

$ 79

$ 21

Experience is everywhere

Experience is everywhere

Good experiences create value.

2. Get your house in order

Get your house in order

creative commons photo by flickr user kenmccown

Distribution Content

Traditional baggage

vs.

paid to manage risk paid to tell stories

Technologists

Instead:

ProductShepherds

User Experience

Subtitle

Good experience thrives in organizations where design is respected.

3. Evaluate and iterate

Evaluate and iterate

If you’re not agile, you’re doing it wrong

• Small• Multidisciplinary• Empowered• Accountable

Evaluate and iterate

Evaluate and iterateEvaluate and iterate

Tappable prototype

4. Solve the right problems

Solve the right problems

Journalists are pre-wired for success

• Ask questions• Challenge the status-quo• Readers are fickle

Solve the right problems

You’re probably focused on the wrong ideas

• “Weaponize metrics”• Twitter + Surveys• Facebook

5. Understand how things work

Understand how things work

We say “build” for a reason.

Understand how things work

Handing a PSD to a developer does not make you a web designer.

Understand how things work

Interaction DesignUnderstand how things work

Don’t get your ass kicked:

1. Experience is everywhere2. Get your house in order3. Solve the right problems4. Evaluate and iterate5. Understand your materials

Start small:

• Little experiments• Skunk works can be cheap• Google is free• Show, don’t tell

Thanks!

@dwjr