Sena Kim
The New York Times Redesign
Reimagining Legacy Journalism for the Next Generation
Overview
Change News Experience
Transforming the passive reading experience into an interactive and snackable journey. This redesign aims to retain younger audiences by integrating short-form consumption patterns and active social participation
Key Features & Solutions
Feature 01. NYT Shorts
Adapting to the short attention spans of Gen Z, I designed a vertical swipe-based news feed. Long-form articles are condensed into key visuals and bullet points, allowing users to consume heavy news lightly—just like scrolling through Reels
Impact
Increased retention among younger demographics by lowering the psychological barrier to reading news.
Feature 02. The Agora
Interactive Engagement
Transforming static articles into active debate arenas. Users can participate in real-time polls on controversial topics and discuss results in 'The Agora', fostering a sense of community and participation.
Impact
Boosted engagement rates and time-on-page by shifting users from passive readers to active participants.
Feature 03. Social Booster Panels
Viral Loop Strategy
To amplify the 'firepower' of debates, I designed dedicated sharing panels optimized for Instagram Stories. Users can share poll results or key quotes with stylish templates in one click, driving external traffic back to the app.
Impact
Created a viral loop where social sharing drives new user acquisition and re-engages existing users.
Feature 04. Engagement-Driven Rewards
Gamified Monetization Funnel
Turning engagement into currency. I introduced a point system where users earn 'Opinion Points' by participating in votes and debates. These points can be redeemed for temporary Premium Access, allowing free users to experience high-quality journalism without an immediate paywall barrier.
Impact
Lowered the entry barrier for Gen Z by offering a 'Taste of Premium'. This strategy drives active participation while creating a natural funnel from free users to paid subscribers.
The Engagement Flywheel Strategy
Designing a Sustainable Growth Cycle
Beyond visual updates, I engineered a strategic 'Engagement Flywheel' that naturally converts casual users into loyal subscribers. The journey begins with 'Shorts', lowering the entry barrier for Gen Z. This interest leads to active participation in 'The Agora', where users earn points through voting and debating. These points unlock 'Premium Content', providing a teaser of the paid experience (Lock-in). Finally, users circulate this value by 'Sharing' content to social media for extra rewards, creating a viral loop that drives new traffic back to the app. This ecosystem aligns user fun with NYT’s business goals: Retention, Data Acquisition, and Subscription Conversion
From 'Read Only' to 'Read, React, and Share'.
