About Work
Aftenposten Rutine
Exploring possibilities for personalizing the front page of Aftenposten based on a user's daily routine.
2021 / Academic project
Interaction Design / Editorial
In collaboration with Schibsted
Supervisor:
Mosse Sjaastad

A four-week interaction design module in collaboration with Schibsted exploring personalization of the front page of Aftenposten, the largest subscription-based newspaper in Norway.

The brief simply said, "willingness to pay" and gave me a lot of freedom to frame the project. Personalization is a relevant topic for Schibsted. Several surveys and reports show that personalization can increase customer value and subsequently have a positive effect on willingness to pay. However, personalization of news brings forth important questions that need to be considered. Potential pitfalls of personalization, like creating filter bubbles, might have negative implications for individuals and the civic discourse.

The process started with doing research into existing solutions for personalization, both inside the news media industry and outside. Secondly, I started ideating and sketching to really get a feel for how the different solutions would work for the user. Finally, the sketches were important to evaluate the different ideas with input from Schibsted.

The project delivery is a proposal for how Aftenposten could personalize its front page based on the readers routine. Time spent on the news platform is collected and, in addition to other data points, used to learn the user's reading habits. The content is formatted in a way that suits the predicted situation, whether it would be a quick news update in the morning or a more focused view for longer reads in the evenings.

A
MIXED CONTENT
Example of a morning view containing a mix of optional and configurable data mixed with editorial content where the format is personalized and based on the user's morning routine.
B
PERSONALIZED VIEW
By recording and analysing user activity, we might deliver news in a format suited for a predicted situation (routine). In this sketch, the user usually spends more time on reading the news in the evening. The articles are formatted in a way that suits focus and a longer read.
C
USER IN CONTROL?
The project also included sketches on personal input and control. Personalization of news is a difficult subject and Schibsted strongly acknowledges the role of the press in society. Potential pitfalls of personalization, like creating filter bubbles, might have negative implications for individuals and the civic discourse.