Shades News is an app guided by cultural relevance for Generation Z, offering concise overviews and various viewpoints on current happenings. It recreates conventional news into a more captivating experience with elements such as real-time polling, summarized news, and its distinctive bright theme.
The CEO identified user retention and time spent on the app as key challenges, influenced by various user behaviors. This was crucial since Shades operates on an advertisement-based model rather than a paid service, ensuring the app remains free on the App Store.
User Retention
While many users are downloading the app, they are not returning daily or weekly. The app needs to introduce stronger incentives to return.
Increasing time spent
Along with user retention, users are not staying engaged long enough within the app. Maximizing app usage is crucial as it directly impacts advertising.
Aligning with the audience
Any solution addressing retention and engagement must be designed with the target audience in mind, ensuring it resonates with their interests and behavior.
Advertisement Model
While developing the solution, it’s essential to incorporate monetization opportunities and optimize for the advertisement model.
Challenge:
Develop a solution to increase user retention and boost overall time spent on the app. The solution should be tailored to the target audience while also creating monetization opportunities.
I developed four key guiding statements to shape my work, helping me identify and address Shades' core challenges during design and research. Establishing these early on ensured that every design decision aligned with these principles, leading to a final solution that covers all bases.
How might we..
make news consumption more interactive to increase time spent in the app?
How might we..
introduce incentives or features that encourage users to return daily or weekly?
How might we..
design experiences that resonate with Gen Z interests and behaviors to improve retention?
User Interview with Shade Users
Hi that is me.
After being debriefed by the CEO and team, I took a closer look at the root causes behind these issues. Understanding these underlying factors was key to developing a targeted and effective solution. To gain deeper insights, my primary research method was user interviews mainly with Gen-Z people.
Turning conversations into clarity, synthesizing Gen-Z user feedback.
I developed four 3 guiding statements to shape my work, helping me identify and address Shades' core challenges during design and research. Establishing these early on ensured that every design decision aligned with these principles, leading to a final solution that covers all bases.
Exploring design opportunities and defining the vision for my solution.
After discovering the pain points of users, I wanted to conduct both a competitive analysis as well as desk research to find inspiration and direction for my design.
After further research, I identified gamification as the feature needed to boost engagement and retention. Building on this insight, I began developing low-fidelity wireframes to lay the foundation for the game’s design. By carefully defining the mechanics, rules, name, and overall objectives I wanted to ensure a cohesive and purposeful experience.
Initial Gameplay Wireframes
Duel + Challenge
Users can challenge random opponents or compete against friends and family in a thrilling trivia duel.
News-Based Questions
Trivia questions will be derived from current events, challenging users on their news awareness and comprehension.
Points + Ranking System
Users will be ranked based on an ELO point system, allowing them to see how they compare against other players.
Live Trivia
This game will be a trivia experience that allows users to compete against each other in real time, making the game more engaging.
Increasing User Retention & Usage
The trivia game keeps users engaged by making news consumption interactive and competitive. By combining learning with entertaining gameplay, it encourages users to stay longer and return.
Monetization & Audience
Designed for Gen-Z, the duel and ranking mechanics create an engaging trivia experience. The gameplay attracts young users while enabling monetization through ads, cosmetics, and subscriptions.
Users will first see an instructional screen to provide context and eliminate confusion on how to play. Then, they’ll access the main trivia duel dashboard, displaying their arena level, leaderboard, stats, and a start duel button.
Simple & Informative Instructions
Users will be given instructions that give an overview of the game, something that was an issue with Shades current set of games.
Comprehensive Dashboard
A simple and informative dashboard displaying user stats, ranking, and arena level, motivating players to duel more and climb the leaderboard.
News-Based Questions
all trivia questions are based on real events, making the game both interactive with Shades and an engaging, educational experience.
Time-Based
each question features a 10-second timer, making the trivia duels fast-paced with real-time gameplay and a competitive experience.
Random Topic Generator
a random topic generator for the remaining trivia rounds adds suspense, variety, and deeper knowledge, making each duel unique
Results Feed
key stats like response time and weakest topic motivate users to improve. The urge to earn or reclaim points makes gameplay addictive and engaging.
This Product Design internship was a unique and insightful experience, as it was my first time focusing on a specific feature like gamification rather than general screens. Developing a solution for Shades pushed me to think beyond design and incorporate a business-oriented mindset. Since this was also a product strategy internship, I integrated business and content strategy to create a game that effectively addressed Shades' core challenges. Working alongside other interns, I gained valuable experiences through collaboration, idea-sharing, and friendly competition, making it a methodical and enriching time here.
Highlight from my internship! (2024)
Recognized by the CEO as an Intern Standout for the 2024 Product Design Cohort.
