USA Today | jamusandrest

the brief

One of the most iconic news brands in terms of recognizability, USA Today has thrived as an information

entity largely in part due to its massive and diverse presence. Despite stocking every hotel and airport in

America, USA Today has ambitions to stake themselves as a pillar news source in the 21st century.

Representatives from USA Today's marketing team approached New Media Design students at RIT to brainstorm

potential solutions for increasing brand awareness and engagement among the 22-35 year old demographic. This

unique, mobile-first solution leverages the USA Today brand to create a lasting experience that separates them

from the barrage of the often untrustworthy sea of news sources.

comparative analysis

INVISION BLOG

This site’s blog does a very good job of reminding the user that they are in control. Creating a dialogue makes it dynamic and easily understood.

user polls

A survey administered via Facebook yielded 50 results from 18-35 year olds.

have positive reviews for USA Today

share articles at least once a month

take value in USA Today's unbiased tone

final screens

Solutions focused on implementing a "Discovery Mode" in the context of USA Today's Life section, for stories focusing on technology and pop culture.

USA TODAY LIFE

This is the news site’s main feed for all articles pertaining to the “Life” category. There is a top story followed by older stories, which display time posted and tags. The “Discover” button in the top right will launch discovery mode.

DISCOVER MAIN FEED

The discover main feed is populated with collections that the user follows, as well as suggested collections that are sprinkled in the feed. The bookmark icon in the header allows the user to make a new collection & view their collections, as well as editing the collections they follow.

DISCOVER SEARCH

The search feature takes keywords and sorts results into articles and collections, so the user can begin with a specific article and funnel out to a larger collection, or they can start large with a collection and hone in on an article.

ARTICLE

Most USA Today articles are multimedia, containing photo sets and videos amongst text. Spacing and hierarchy become increasingly important on mobile-first, especially because this interaction is often the end goal for most readers. Legibility on a news app is paramount priority.