Snack - 2021
Snack - news app that harnesses the power of AI to curate and deliver interesting news content from around the world in 10-second articles.
Context
Problem Statement
In today's fast-paced digital landscape, users are inundated with an overwhelming amount of news content, leading to information overload and time constraints. Existing news apps predominantly offer lengthy articles and videos, failing to address the user's need for quick, easily digestible updates.
Solution
This creates a demand for a user-centric news app that leverages AI to generate concise 10-second news stories, which are accessible, customizable, and designed to save time while keeping users informed about the latest developments. The challenge is to develop a news app that optimizes the news consumption experience by delivering pertinent information efficiently and reducing the cognitive burden associated with traditional news sources.
Goals
Efficiency: Create an app that quickly delivers the most important news stories in 10 seconds or less.
User-Centric: Prioritize user preferences, allowing customization and personalized news feeds.
Accessibility: Ensure the app is accessible to users with varying levels of tech-savviness.
Engagement: Keep users engaged with an intuitive and aesthetically pleasing design.
Research and Discovery
Understanding User Needs
To develop a user-centric app, began by conducting surveys and interviews. Users expressed a strong desire for quick news updates that save time and minimize information overload.
Competitive Analysis
Analyzed existing news apps and discovered that most provided long-form articles. Identified a gap in the market for short, AI-powered news snippets.
Design and Development
User Flow & Information Hierarchy
Personalized Onboarding: The app begins by asking users to select their preferred news categories.
Homepage: The homepage presents a feed of 10-second news stories.
Customization: Users can customize their feed and adjust the frequency of updates.
Read Later & Share: Users can save stories for later or share them easily.
Role of AI
Content Aggregation: Integrated AI algorithms to aggregate news stories from reputable sources.
Summarization: AI automatically generates concise 10-second summaries for each story.
Priority-Based Delivery: Stories are ranked by importance, ensuring the most critical news is presented first.
Accessibility & Usability
Swipe-Based Navigation: Navigation within the app was simplified with intuitive swipe gestures to transition between news articles. The swipe action reduced the need for complex menus and buttons.
Simplified User Interface: The app's user interface provide a clutter-free experience, ensuring users could find news quickly. Typography and color choices were made to enhance readability and maintain user focus.
Voice Assistant Integration: The app offers voice-activated controls for hands-free use.
Testing & Feedback
To refine the app, conducted extensive usability testing with a diverse group of participants.
Key findings included:
Engagement: Users found the 10-second format engaging and were more likely to check the app frequently.
Customization: Personalized news categories received positive feedback, allowing users to tailor their experience.
Accessibility: Voice assistant and text-to-speech features were appreciated by users of all demographics.
Launch & Iteration
The AI-powered news app was launched with features focused on delivering concise, real-time news. In response to user feedback, we continuously improved the app:
Increased Personalization: Expanded the number of available news categories.
Enhanced Voice Controls: Introduced more voice-activated features.
Fact-Checking: Implemented fact-checking for accuracy along with improved visibility for citations & sources.
In a world where information is abundant, this AI-powered news app has successfully streamlined the news consumption experience, providing users with the latest updates in a digestible format while minimizing information overload. The user-centric approach and continuous improvement through feedback have contributed to its success.
