Hacker News: Mobile Web Redesign

THE MASTER SCHEME

The Hacker News redesign project focused on enhancing the mobile web version to address various user experience issues and modernize the platform's look and feel. In this project, the primary goal was to create a visually appealing and user-friendly interface that improved key metrics such as article clicks per session and time spent on site.

My role: User Researcher, UX Designer, UI Designer,

The project followed the Design Thinking Method, involving research, problem identification, solution ideation, and prototyping.

The scope included understanding user pain points through interviews, defining key objectives, brainstorming solutions, and developing a high-fidelity prototype. The redesign aimed to create a seamless, mobile-first experience that catered to tech-savvy individuals, enhancing their interaction with the platform.

THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE

To understand the scope and necessity of the redesign, it's essential to examine the current state of the Hacker News mobile web interface. Below are a few screens that highlight the existing design and functionality issues that users face.

Challenges identified

To gain deeper insights, I conducted five user interviews with tech-savvy individuals. These interviews aimed to uncover the participants' reading habits, their needs, pain points and opinions on Hacker News.

The following key issues were identified by the interview participants:

1. Lack of Clarity (mentioned by 4 of 5 participants):

Alexandra: "The website’s purpose isn’t immediately evident."
Moritz: "It’s hard to understand what the main focus is."
Lena: "Navigating through the content is confusing."
Kim: "I find it difficult to quickly find relevant information."

2. Outdated Design (mentioned by 3 of 5 participants):

Malik: "The current look feels antiquated and not user-friendly."
Moritz: "It doesn’t match modern web design standards."
Alexandra: "The interface feels old and not engaging."

4. Mobile Inconsistency (mentioned by 3 of 5 participants):

Moritz: "The mobile experience is uneven."
Malik: "It’s not consistent across devices."
Alexandra: "Visiting the site on my phone is frustrating."

5. Comments & Community (mentioned by 3 of 5 participants):

Lena: "Hard to recognize the commenting function."
Malik: "Participating in discussions is cumbersome."
Kim: "I wonder if there is a community area..."

6. Navigation challenges (mentioned by 3 of 5 participants):

Alexandra: "Finding my way around is difficult."
Moritz: "The navigation is not that intuitive"
Lena: "It's hard to locate specific sections."

3. Lost Elements (mentioned by 2 of 5 participants):

Kim: "Important information is hard to locate."
Lena: "Key details get lost in the clutter."

PRESENTING SMART SOLUTIONS

The project briefing and the user interview insights also allowed me to come up with the HMW statement:

“How might we redesign the Hacker News homepage to be visually stunning while ensuring intuitive navigation, fostering meaningful community interactions, and thereby encouraging users to spend more time on the site?”

The redesign solutions were tailored to address the identified problems:

Visually appealing design: Sleek, modern layout with spacious design for easy readability.
Personalized content recommendations: AI-generated suggestions based on user activity.
Streamlined topic navigation: Introducing categories for easy article discovery.
Customized content discovery: Search bar and filters for personalized content sorting.
Community widget: Displaying top comments and most commented articles to encourage participation.
Enhanced user profiles: Personal profile area in the new header with user avatars in social sections.
Mobile optimization: Mobile-first design with responsive features.

WHAT HAS BEEN CHANGED?

Information Architecture:

Simplified navigation with clear categories.
Hierarchical structure for easy content discovery.
User flow designed for seamless navigation from homepage to article reading and commenting.

Key Elements:

Homepage: Clear, engaging layout with featured articles and easy access to categories.
Article pages: Detailed, readable format with easy navigation to related content.
Commenting system: Interactive and engaging comment threads with reply features.

A BIT OF INTERFACE MAGIC...

With the new user interface, I wanted to create a visually appealing and functional mobile-first interface. I aimed to do so by creating a new:

Color Scheme: Futuristic, tech-inspired colors that resonate with the target audience.
Typography: Clean, modern fonts for readability and aesthetic appeal.
Layout: Spacious, easy-to-navigate design with a clear hierarchy of information.
Mobile Optimization: Responsive design ensuring a seamless experience across devices.

PROTOTYPE OF THE NEW UI

Below you can see a walkthrough of the clickable prototype, showcasing the redesigned UI and all the new UX interactions the site has:

THE BENEFITS UNLOCKED WITH THE REDESIGN

The redesign aims to add significant value to both users and the company.

Benefits to the User:

Easy discovery of relevant articles.
Enhanced reading experience with a modern interface.
Active participation in community discussions.
Personalized content tailored to their interests.

Benefits to Hacker News:

Better user retention through improved engagement.
Potential for increased ad revenue due to longer session durations.
Stronger brand presence with a modern, tech-inspired design.

THE FINAL VERDICT

The Hacker News mobile web redesign successfully addressed key user pain points by enhancing the visual appeal and functionality of the site. The project involved comprehensive user research, problem identification, and solution ideation, resulting in a high-fidelity prototype that improved user engagement and satisfaction.

Key Takeaways:

User-centric design is essential for creating a successful interface.
Modernizing the visual design can significantly impact user engagement.
Personalized content and streamlined navigation are crucial for improving the user experience.

Expected Impact:

Enhanced user experience leading to increased engagement.
Potential improvement in key metrics such as article click-through rates and time spent on site.
Stronger community interactions and a more vibrant platform.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!