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InSync.
A news consumption app tailored for Digital Natives (24-34), prioritizing transparency, and a well-rounded perspective.
InSync. empowers users to voice their concerns, fostering accountability.
Context
News consumption has long served as a key element for societal engagement, shaping perspectives, and fostering informed participation.
However, the lines between different media landscapes are getting increasingly blurry. The abundance of available information poses challenges regarding credibility, transparency, and misinformation due to its overwhelming nature. In an age defined by easy access to news content, the significance of consumption goes beyond mere information intake.
Roles
Design Research
Interaction Design
Visual Design
Conversational Design
Team
Priyanka Verma
Rishma Bora
Duration
8 weeks
What is the problem we are trying to solve?
When was the last time we questioned what lies beyond the headlines?
Social media often gives the illusion of knowledge, yet leaves us with only fragments of the whole picture. Eye-catching headlines and limited characters fail to provide context, and inflate our perception of understanding.
When was the last time we relied on a news source without hesitation?


In our busy lives, we often trust information without verifying. But misinformation spreads, fueled by unfiltered user content. In this digital chaos, many lack awareness, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation and false narratives that are flooding on social media.
Why do these numbers matter?
Sensationalism is preferred over neutrality; causing manipulation to the truth of an event.
Delving deeper into the problem space.
InSync. aims to provide a holistic platform for news consumption by offering a tailored experience to the needs of news readers.
A succinct overview of recent events, consciously excluding photos on the home screen to enhance reader focus.
Providing users the choice to explore news stories in depth for a comprehensive understanding.
Weekly trivia on current affairs to inculcate the habit of news reading, and create better user engagement.
Who are our Key Archetypes?
Individuals in the age group 24-34
Dedicated News Seekers
Individuals who actively read news in their daily routine.
Casual News Consumers
People selectively engage with news from different sources based on the content.
We conducted 6 interviews, gaining invaluable insights.
These participants were recruited through surveys that we circulated, helping us identify people belonging to our archetypes.
Observation to Insights
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Motivation
The major motivations that surfaced :
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Personalization of news is preferred.
Preference of a unified platform providing varied news pieces from different sources.
Need to stay updated with current affairs to be an active participant in discussions.
So I would go down to the Cafe, grab my coffee and then while I'm waiting for the coffee, I'll go on my Guardian or BBC app.
Insights that shaped our approach
With each of the 5 themes that we discovered from our interviews, we conducted Affinity Mapping to highlight insights that could guide us towards our potential solution.
From our insights, we derived the solution criteria which acted as guidelines to shape our product.
Observation to Insight Framework
Feature Mapping
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Impact depends on how consistently users are consuming news, and the in depth knowledge they have about a news piece.
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Feasibility is affected by factors such as technological viability, available resources and financial investments.
Building the brand ethos.
Clarity instead of Chaos.
We provide transparent, unbiased reporting on the day's most significant stories.
Look at Bright Side.
Apart from the distressing news pieces circulated, we want to bring you news that highlights the good things happening around the world.
Your voice matters.
We're committed to listening to our users and incorporating their feedback into our platform.
Detailed Solution
Quick New Updates
Insync streamlines the news consumption process by presenting concise headlines in the main feed, which expand to provide brief summaries of the latest events. This feature caters to readers seeking quick updates on current events without dedicating significant time to browsing through articles.
Additionally, users can efficiently navigate through news stories by filtering them based on categories, ensuring a personalized experience.
Deep dive with context
InSync. allows users to explore news events in depth, presenting various sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of current events.
Users can navigate through different perspectives and timelines to grasp the evolving nature of news coverage.
Welcome to the
Bright Side
Ever felt overwhelmed by the constant stream of burdening news? Amidst the often bleak news landscape, we aim to uplift our readers by highlighting the positive events happening around the world.
This feature provides a refreshing break from the negativity, promoting a more balanced and optimistic news experience.
Tuesday Trivia
Enhancing user engagement and retention, our Tuesday Trivia feature offers a weekly quiz on current events.
Designed to encourage readers to retain and recall information, this interactive activity provides a fun and engaging way to test knowledge while indirectly reinforcing key news concepts.
Personalized Feed
Tailoring news to individual interests, Insync’s personalized feed enhances the reader experience by curating content based on user preferences.
During onboarding, users are prompted to select topics of interest, ensuring their feed reflects articles relevant to their preferences.
Monthly Recap
This feature offers users a personalized overview of their news consumption behavior.
By gamifying aspects of news consumption, this recap highlights key metrics to foster a sense of achievement and incentivizes continued engagement with the platform.
What would success mean to InSync.
Time spent on
each article
Since InSync is purely focused on delivering news, an increase in time spent on each article would indicate that users are actually absorbing content.
Attempting Weekly Quizzes
By attempting weekly quizzes, the users engagement with the app is increasing. Additionally, it also reflects that users are interested in testing out their knowledge of current events.
Number of Subscribers & Downloads
A steady increase of subscribers indicates the satisfaction of current users. Whilst the increase in downloads signifies that people find Insync as a reliable source of news.
Learning & Reflection
Embracing an open mindset to change and iterations were a pivotal learning experience during the project. Each presentation of our ideas sparked new questions, guiding us towards unexplored directions.
In retrospect, we recognize the importance of being open to experimental concepts. It allowed us to push boundaries and explore unconventional ideas.
We also discovered the value of incorporating different frameworks into our workflow. It introduced us to look at things in a different perspective, guiding us towards a more comprehensive approach to design.
Desk Research
Insight Generation
Presentation
Desk Research
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