Domain
Timeline
Team
News apps force users to scan static headlines juggling between fragmented platforms, with no adaptation for different contexts or engagement levels.
I redesigned news as an adaptive AI experience that learns preferences and adjusts to context, making consumption social and genuinely engaging.
Aarav, 27
Digital Marketing Associate
Delhi
“I don’t get a lot of time to read news. I mostly scan through Inshorts and keep up with social media news bits.”
ABOUT:
Busy on-the-go individual
tech savvy
apps he uses
Tech comfort level: High
Early adopter of new technology (owns an AR-capable smartphone and uses wearables)
News Consumption Habits:
Frequently skims headlines during work breaks
Listens to news while commuting
Engages deeply with a few selected stories when free in the evening
Often shares or discusses news in group chats and social media
✔️ Early Exploration
I was captivated by AR+VR's immersive potential and started wireframing cinematic living-room experiences.
❌ The "Living Room Newsroom" Fixation
My earliest prototype imagined users in their living room with news stories unfolding across their coffee table in 3D - interactive timelines, character avatars, satellite maps, the whole cinematic treatment.
It worked. For that moment. But only for that moment.
⭐ Wins
AR overlays with live data
Gesture-based navigation (tap, pinch, zoom)
Smart feed filtering out the noise
❌ Fumbles
Users weren’t always looking to immerse themselves in news
I was so taken by the immersive power of AR/VR that I began crafting the solution around it right from the start.
🎭 The "Living Room Newsroom" - My First Fixation
One of my earliest prototypes imagined users sitting in their living room, with a news story unfolding across their coffee table in rich 3D. Interactive timelines, character avatars, satellite maps - the whole cinematic treatment.
It worked.
For that moment.
But only for that moment.
🧭 The Turning Point: Designing for Context, Not Just Tech
This was the moment I returned to my user interviews. I reread quotes that were never about tech - they were about feelings and friction:
"I forget articles I save for later."
"Sometimes I just want the highlights while walking."
"Can I listen instead of read?"
🧠The Ideation
What if the news knew what I needed - before I did?
Can we let users deep-dive into a story - without locking them into a rigid mode?
Could the app surface just enough - a timeline, key points, a visual clue - to the story in under a minute?
What if AI could gather personalised headlines?
🎛 A context-aware news companion. It adjusts to your needs, your time, your mode - not the other way around.
Mapped emotional states to content types
Eventually, the ideation narrowed into three core experience pillars, derived from user context:
Wake up groggy? Get a voice-led recap while brushing.
Information Architecture
Keeping curiosity alive
Revenue streams for the business?
Ethical data collection and its monetisation
Run advertisements
Maintain subscription paywalls for some features
Business Model Canvas
SWOT analysis
