Serving context aware weather insights for users across the globe

Create, maintain and evolve a adaptable home screen supporting users through a variety of weather modes.

Serving context aware weather insights for users across the globe

Create, maintain and evolve a adaptable home screen supporting users through a variety of weather modes.

Serving context aware weather insights for users across the globe

Create, maintain and evolve a adaptable home screen supporting users through a variety of weather modes.

Role

Sole Product Designer

Project Collaborators

Senior Technical Staff Member Lead developer Team of 3 developers

Timeline

6 Months

Role

Sole Product Designer

Project Collaborators

Senior Technical Staff Member Lead developer Team of 3 developers

Timeline

6 Months

Role

Sole Product Designer

Project Collaborators

Senior Technical Staff Member Lead developer Team of 3 developers

Timeline

6 Months

Overview

I designed a proof of concept application that enables independent content creators to investigate and share trending topics identified by IBM’s Watson AI.

Overview

I designed a proof of concept application that enables independent content creators to investigate and share trending topics identified by IBM’s Watson AI.

Overview

I designed a proof of concept application that enables independent content creators to investigate and share trending topics identified by IBM’s Watson AI.

Problem

As the news industry has become fueled by social media, determining sources and balancing perspectives has become exponentially more difficult.

Problem

As the news industry has become fueled by social media, determining sources and balancing perspectives has become exponentially more difficult.

Problem

As the news industry has become fueled by social media, determining sources and balancing perspectives has become exponentially more difficult.

Solution

IBM Watson News Angles is a proof of concept app that used AI to detect trending topics, determine sentiment and pull quotes and sources to share with others.

Solution

IBM Watson News Angles is a proof of concept app that used AI to detect trending topics, determine sentiment and pull quotes and sources to share with others.

Solution

IBM Watson News Angles is a proof of concept app that used AI to detect trending topics, determine sentiment and pull quotes and sources to share with others.

Research

I ran over 25 user research sessions to understand how different types of content consumers and producers interact with technology and news.

Research

I ran over 25 user research sessions to understand how different types of content consumers and producers interact with technology and news.

Research

I ran over 25 user research sessions to understand how different types of content consumers and producers interact with technology and news.

Research

I ran over 25 user research sessions to understand how different types of content consumers and producers interact with technology and news.

Research takeaways

Motivations for news consumption

  • Entertainment, time filler

  • Desire to understand the world

  • Want to understand relevant interests

  • Concern is relative to personal affect

  • User touch points over the last year


Consumption behaviors

  • Relying on headlines for information

  • When diving deep, one curious thought leads to the next

  • Preference for visual representations of info

  • Tweet length text, except when most heavily engaged


Pain Points

Too much information 

"I say news is boring or I don't care about it, but I just really don't know whats going on and don't want to look stupid."


Source Bias 

"The more I read about the media industry and how rigged it all is, the less I watch it."


Useless Comments 

"The comment sections on news sites are just awful. The most racist flame-war filled crap I've ever seen."


Misinformation 

"I really don't want to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist, but I feel like I'm being lied to. Daily."

Research takeaways

Motivations for news consumption

  • Entertainment, time filler

  • Desire to understand the world

  • Want to understand relevant interests

  • Concern is relative to personal affect

  • User touch points over the last year


Consumption behaviors

  • Relying on headlines for information

  • When diving deep, one curious thought leads to the next

  • Preference for visual representations of info

  • Tweet length text, except when most heavily engaged


Pain Points

Too much information 

"I say news is boring or I don't care about it, but I just really don't know whats going on and don't want to look stupid."


Source Bias 

"The more I read about the media industry and how rigged it all is, the less I watch it."


Useless Comments 

"The comment sections on news sites are just awful. The most racist flame-war filled crap I've ever seen."


Misinformation 

"I really don't want to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist, but I feel like I'm being lied to. Daily."

Research takeaways

Motivations for news consumption

  • Entertainment, time filler

  • Desire to understand the world

  • Want to understand relevant interests

  • Concern is relative to personal affect

  • User touch points over the last year


Consumption behaviors

  • Relying on headlines for information

  • When diving deep, one curious thought leads to the next

  • Preference for visual representations of info

  • Tweet length text, except when most heavily engaged


Pain Points

Too much information 



"I say news is boring or I don't care about it, but I just really don't know whats going on and don't want to look stupid."


Source Bias 



"The more I read about the media industry and how rigged it all is, the less I watch it."


Useless Comments



"The comment sections on news sites are just awful. The most racist flame-war filled crap I've ever seen."


Misinformation



"I really don't want to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist, but I feel like I'm being lied to. Daily."

A summary of different research sessions.

Persona number one, AJ the news enthusiast.

Persona number two, Jessica the news consumer.

Research takeaways

Motivations for news consumption

  • Entertainment, time filler

  • Desire to understand the world

  • Want to understand relevant interests

  • Concern is relative to personal affect

  • User touch points over the last year


Consumption behaviors

  • Relying on headlines for information

  • When diving deep, one curious thought leads to the next

  • Preference for visual representations of info

  • Tweet length text, except when most heavily engaged


Pain Points

Too much information 

"I say news is boring or I don't care about it, but I just really don't know whats going on and don't want to look stupid."


Source Bias 

"The more I read about the media industry and how rigged it all is, the less I watch it."


Useless Comments 

"The comment sections on news sites are just awful. The most racist flame-war filled crap I've ever seen."


Misinformation 

"I really don't want to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist, but I feel like I'm being lied to. Daily."

Research takeaways

Motivations for news consumption

  • Entertainment, time filler

  • Desire to understand the world

  • Want to understand relevant interests

  • Concern is relative to personal affect

  • User touch points over the last year


Consumption behaviors

  • Relying on headlines for information

  • When diving deep, one curious thought leads to the next

  • Preference for visual representations of info

  • Tweet length text, except when most heavily engaged


Pain Points

Too much information 

"I say news is boring or I don't care about it, but I just really don't know whats going on and don't want to look stupid."


Source Bias 

"The more I read about the media industry and how rigged it all is, the less I watch it."


Useless Comments 

"The comment sections on news sites are just awful. The most racist flame-war filled crap I've ever seen."


Misinformation 

"I really don't want to sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist, but I feel like I'm being lied to. Daily."

A summary of different research sessions.

Persona number one, AJ the news enthusiast.

Persona number two, Jessica the news consumer.

Prototyping

I created low-fidelity prototypes of scenarios to demonstrate product goals to upper management.

Prototyping

I created low-fidelity prototypes of scenarios to demonstrate product goals to upper management.

Prototyping

I created low-fidelity prototypes of scenarios to demonstrate product goals to upper management.

Prototyping

I created low-fidelity prototypes of scenarios to demonstrate product goals to upper management.

User flows for personas:


  • The news enthusiast who actively selects topics to write about with Watson. 



  • The on-the-go news consumer who plays a short game to influence a news story already made with Watson.

User flows for personas:


  • The news enthusiast who actively selects topics to write about with Watson. 



  • The on-the-go news consumer who plays a short game to influence a news story already made with Watson.

User flows for personas:


  • The news enthusiast who actively selects topics to write about with Watson. 



  • The on-the-go news consumer who plays a short game to influence a news story already made with Watson.

Conceptual user flows for presentation to leadership for investment approval.

User flows for personas:


  • The news enthusiast who actively selects topics to write about with Watson. 



  • The on-the-go news consumer who plays a short game to influence a news story already made with Watson.

User flows for personas:


  • The news enthusiast who actively selects topics to write about with Watson. 



  • The on-the-go news consumer who plays a short game to influence a news story already made with Watson.

Conceptual user flows for presentation to leadership for investment approval.

Prototyping

Management green-lit an MVP implementation after the prototype presentation, and I created our MVP prototype in increasing fidelity, also helping code the CSS for the app.

Prototyping

Management green-lit an MVP implementation after the prototype presentation, and I created our MVP prototype in increasing fidelity, also helping code the CSS for the app.

Prototyping

Management green-lit an MVP implementation after the prototype presentation, and I created our MVP prototype in increasing fidelity, also helping code the CSS for the app.

Prototyping

Management green-lit an MVP implementation after the prototype presentation, and I created our MVP prototype in increasing fidelity, also helping code the CSS for the app.

The MVP prototyping process, lo-fi, mid-fi and production ready UI mockups.

Final designs

I defined a visual system and UI for the IBM Watson News beta web app. The final MVP was a live web app where users could pick up a trending topic that Watson detected and make a news story from it in two clicks.

Final designs

I defined a visual system and UI for the IBM Watson News beta web app. The final MVP was a live web app where users could pick up a trending topic that Watson detected and make a news story from it in two clicks.

Final designs

I defined a visual system and UI for the IBM Watson News beta web app. The final MVP was a live web app where users could pick up a trending topic that Watson detected and make a news story from it in two clicks.

Final designs

I defined a visual system and UI for the IBM Watson News beta web app. The final MVP was a live web app where users could pick up a trending topic that Watson detected and make a news story from it in two clicks.

Reflections

Seeing ‘behind the curtain’ with early AI technology .

Going into this project, I had a lot of misconceptions about how AI technology works. In order to design the application well, I had to understand the nuts and bolts of how different predictive analytics engines work. It was a great foundation for understanding how different technologies work together to create one whole experience.

Falling in love with user research for the first time!

This was my first introduction to user research as a professional. I began to understand how crucial testing with actual users, or target users is to being able to take a step back and evaluate feedback and determine where it makes sense to integrate it.

Reflections

Seeing ‘behind the curtain’ with early AI technology .

Going into this project, I had a lot of misconceptions about how AI technology works. In order to design the application well, I had to understand the nuts and bolts of how different predictive analytics engines work. It was a great foundation for understanding how different technologies work together to create one whole experience.

Falling in love with user research for the first time!

This was my first introduction to user research as a professional. I began to understand how crucial testing with actual users, or target users is to being able to take a step back and evaluate feedback and determine where it makes sense to integrate it.

Reflections

Seeing ‘behind the curtain’ with early AI technology .

Going into this project, I had a lot of misconceptions about how AI technology works. In order to design the application well, I had to understand the nuts and bolts of how different predictive analytics engines work. It was a great foundation for understanding how different technologies work together to create one whole experience.

Falling in love with user research for the first time!

This was my first introduction to user research as a professional. I began to understand how crucial testing with actual users, or target users is to being able to take a step back and evaluate feedback and determine where it makes sense to integrate it.

Reflections

Seeing ‘behind the curtain’ with early AI technology .

Going into this project, I had a lot of misconceptions about how AI technology works. In order to design the application well, I had to understand the nuts and bolts of how different predictive analytics engines work. It was a great foundation for understanding how different technologies work together to create one whole experience.

Falling in love with user research for the first time!

This was my first introduction to user research as a professional. I began to understand how crucial testing with actual users, or target users is to being able to take a step back and evaluate feedback and determine where it makes sense to integrate it.

Team building logo

Interested in connecting?

Let’s talk projects, collaborations, or mentorship!

Blythe.a.reinhard@gmail.com

Blythe Meyer

Interested in connecting?

Let’s talk projects, collaborations, or mentorship!

Blythe.a.reinhard@gmail.com

Blythe Meyer

Interested in connecting?

Let’s talk projects, collaborations, or mentorship!

Blythe.a.reinhard@gmail.com

Blythe Meyer

Interested in connecting?

Let’s talk projects, collaborations, or mentorship!

Blythe.a.reinhard@gmail.com

Blythe Meyer