Redesign of Financial Times

01. Overview

This project was a collaboration between myself, a UX designer, and Victoria Mortimer, a journalist and fellow graduate student at NYU. It was developed as part of Victoria’s thesis project, where we explored how the ideology of social media could reshape the way audiences interact with traditional news portals.

Our work focused on the Financial Times, reimagining both its homepage and its iOS app. By blending the authority of a legacy news institution with the accessibility and engagement patterns of social media, we aimed to create a more modern, approachable, and user-centered experience.

02. Research

Our research focused on modern news consumption behaviors, particularly the growing shift from traditional portals to social media channels. Here are our refined insights, reinforced by current data:

A. Traditional News Portals Are Losing Ground

• In the U.S., 54% of adults now get their news from social media—surpassing television (50%) and dedicated news websites or apps (48%)  .

• Morning Consult data shows that 48% of U.S. adults access news via social media daily—nearly double the share that uses cable (26%) or news websites (29%)  .

Implication: Traditional news platforms are becoming less central in the news ecosystem, especially among younger audiences.

B. Social Media Is Now the Primary News Touchpoint

• Reuters Institute found that 30% of people report social media as their main way of encountering news, compared to just 22% for direct access to news websites or apps  .

• The Pew Research Center highlights that over half of U.S. adults (54%) “at least sometimes” get news via social media  .

Implication: Most users now organically discover news through social feeds, rather than visiting news-specific platforms.

C. Comments and User Feedback Are Undervalued—But Critical

• A Wired article underscores that well-managed comment sections can significantly improve page views, time on site, and reader loyalty—if they are strategically moderated and integrated, rather than offloaded to social platforms  .

• Academic research indicates that featuring high-quality comments can boost engagement (e.g., slowing down engagement drop-offs), even though the quality improvement may be modest  .

Implication: Comments are not just supplementary—they’re an opportunity to deepen engagement and humanize the news experience.

D. Real-Time News Triggers Strong Portal Visits

While specific statistics about real-time news driving portal visits are harder to source directly, our qualitative research aligns with broader trends:

• Users still turn to dedicated platforms during breaking or live events, seeking trusted, real-time information. This behavior highlights that authority-driven portals still matter—especially when speed and accuracy are critical.

Implication: There’s a unique opportunity to blend immediacy with credibility in design—especially during unfolding events.

Conclusions:

03. Design Approach

Informed by our research into social media news consumption—especially on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter)—we developed a design that bridges the gap between traditional journalism and modern, accessible news experiences.

Platform Insights

• Short-form videos dominate digital traffic. In 2025, short videos are expected to account for around 82% of global internet traffic, with video overall making up more than 82% of online consumption  . Daily usage of short-form platforms like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels now exceeds traditional long-form streaming and TV among 63% of the online population  .

• News video consumption is especially high. Approximately 66% of global users access short news videos weekly, notably higher than long-form videos at 49%, or live streams at 51%  .

• Facebook and X remain key news gateways. In the U.S., 54% of adults get news from social media, compared to 48% who use news apps and websites—and Facebook (36%) and YouTube (30%) are top platforms, with Instagram (19%), WhatsApp (19%), TikTok (16%), and X (12%) following  .

Design Responses

1. Video-First Homepage Carousel

We introduced a dynamic news carousel as the topmost section of the redesigned homepage, showcasing short video snippets of key stories. This leverages current user habits: quick-to-consume, visually engaging formats that mimic the scrollable feeds on Facebook and X, and grab attention immediately.

2. Real-Time News Widget

We embedded a live updates ticker on the homepage—acting as a trusted “source of truth” for readers during developing stories or events. This acknowledges the fact that users still turn to full-service portals for immediate, credible coverage when “live” news matters most.

3. Social-Style (Without Full Socialization)

To harness engagement trends, we added trends, like and comment functionalities to articles—but retained a one-way flow of content (no reposts or sharing from users), preserving journalistic integrity while introducing low-barrier interaction.

4. “Group Chat” Commentary Feature in App

Our app includes a novel “group chat” layout for reader commentary: articles by writers and journalists appear as message-like entries in a chat feed, evoking WhatsApp or iMessage. This format brings user commentary closer to the conversational mode that people enjoy on X—blending familiarity with a professional tone.

Summary of Design

04. Outcomes & Results

Our redesign demonstrates how a traditional news outlet like Financial Times can bridge the gap between credibility and modern accessibility. Key outcomes include:

A. Redesigned Web Homepage

• Introduced a video-first carousel at the top, reflecting the current dominance of short-form video consumption.

• Implemented a real-time news widget, ensuring users can access live, credible information during unfolding events.

• Added social-style interactions (likes and comments) while keeping the platform one-directional, preserving journalistic authority.

B. iOS App Prototype

• Developed a group chat-style commentary feed, where writers’ articles appear like chat messages, bringing a conversational, social-media-like feel to the app.

• Provided an intuitive, mobile-first experience, optimizing navigation and interaction flows for iOS users.

C. Engagement & Accessibility

• By combining visual previews, interactive features, and real-time updates, the redesign encourages users to visit the portal directly rather than relying solely on social media feeds.

• Commentary and user engagement features make valuable opinions more visible, increasing accessibility to community insights.

D. Conceptual Impact

• Introduces a new paradigm for news portals, blending social media behaviors with traditional journalistic integrity.

• Demonstrates that legacy news organizations can adapt to modern consumption habits without compromising credibility.

05. Role, Collaboration & Reflection

My Role

As the UX designer on this project, I was responsible for:

• Conducting research and synthesizing findings to inform the redesign

• Conceptualizing the integration of social media behaviors into the Financial Times experience

• Designing UI and interaction flows for both the web homepage and iOS app

• Creating an iOS mockup using SwiftUI and handling web development of key components

Victoria’s Role

Victoria Mortimer, as a journalist and thesis lead, contributed by:

• Reviewing and guiding design decisions with professional expertise

• Providing feedback to ensure journalistic accuracy and clarity

• Designing features and optimizing flows in line with news reporting best practices

• Collecting data, examples, and real-world references to validate concepts

Collaboration

Our collaboration was a continuous cycle of research, feedback, and iteration. By combining my UX design perspective with Victoria’s journalistic insight, we created a balanced solution that merged accessibility, engagement, and credibility.

Reflection

This project reinforced that UX design is as much about understanding user behaviors as it is about visual or interaction design. Translating social media patterns into a traditional news portal was challenging but rewarding—it taught me how to:

• Blend user habits with professional standards

• Prototype for multiple platforms simultaneously

• Translate conceptual insights into practical design solutions