Know more, scroll less
Shades is a next-gen news media startup designed for Gen Z, offering interactive, community-driven content.
It prioritizes visual storytelling, user participation, and seamless discovery to keep young audiences engaged.
- Enhanced user engagement
- Boosted retention
- Strengthened brand recognition
- To increase initial downloads
- To increase user retention
Product Design Intern
Figma, Illustrator
Target audience, Unique features
Shades attracts Gen Z users.
Shades skews younger than “traditional” newsfeeds.
- Fun, vibrant, colorful
- Visually oriented
- Quick summaries
- Variety of topics (news & culture)
- Multiple perspectives
Problems
Scrolling through new images doesn’t feel efficient.
It’s hard to quickly scan multiple topics at once, making it less intuitive to explore content.
Lack of Connection
The platform doesn’t feel interactive or engaging.
It’s missing a sense of community or communication with other users.
Lack of Clarity
As an early-stage app, the navigation isn’t clear or easy to use.
Users need better onboarding and guidance to make discovery simpler and reduce confusion.
Ideation
Scrolling through images takes too much time. Adding short keywords related to today’s events could help users find content faster.
Why Don’t We Show View Counts and Comments?
I often choose news articles based on the number of views or comments, and I assume others do too.
After all, reading an article is also about engaging in discussions with others.
Logo Visibility for New Users
Users should see the app’s logo at the top of the home screen, especially since it just launched three months ago.
User survey
“Reading news is a social experience.”
People want to know what’s currently being talked about because staying informed allows them to connect, share opinions, and engage in discussions.
In fact, many people value others’ perspectives even before reading the news themselves.
How might we help users connect with each other?
- Made comment sections more visible by adding previews to article cards..
- Surfaced top-rated comments to promote meaningful discussions.
- Added view/like/share stats to boost interaction.
Added a prominent top section showcasing trending topics, based on user research.
IMPACT+
Improved navigation and enhanced content discoverability.
Informative News Previews
Redesigned news cards to display viewer count, comment count, and a save button.
IMPACT+
Enabled users to track engagement and easily bookmark content they want to revisit.
the Discover feature
User engagement, Content discoverability
Removed half of the 'You May Like' list and used the remaining half for exploring news card with a hover-over magnification effect.
IMPACT+
Increased user engagement and improved the visibility of diverse news content by making discovery more interactive and intuitive.
Rethinking for the design
From a user flow perspective, the game feature can be a strong point for Gen Z, fostering attachment by presenting informative articles in a fun and dynamic way.
Word Link
Connect the Clues, Find the Hidden Word!Playing games can motivate users to read more.
Find 5 differences!
*Feasibility: AI-generated images using source
images and various modifications.
images and various modifications.
Users can spot 5 differences and read the article for more details if they find it interesting.
Made in response to user feedback
🔹 Navigation changes using icon names made browsing the app easier, based on user feedback.
🔹 Strengthened the connection between visual design and core news content.
🔹 Offered better content hierarchy, improving how users understand and engage with information.
Reflections on my design process
Incorporating small UI elements like viewer counts and save buttons showed me how even minor adjustments can significantly enhance interaction and retention.
Redesigning user flows also deepened my understanding of balancing innovation with usability, helping me refine navigation and content hierarchy for a more seamless and intuitive experience.
What I would do with more time
Data-Driven Refinement Analyzing behavioral data and feedback to inform design decisions, ensuring an intuitive and engaging user experience.
Usability Testing
Conducting moderated and unmoderated user tests to evaluate task efficiency, ease of use, and engagement within
the game feature.
seohyun9414@gmail.com
©2025 Ellie Kim