MSN: Content Views
Content Views Re-design
Microsoft circa 2015-17
The leadership team wanted to transform MSN into a destination worthy news source. by improving the reading experience and minimizing distractions from advertising. Our org had taken over MSN to fix it's reputation from within the company.
Objective
My focus was to redesign all content pages for MSN and future news products by designing a flexible framework to support all content pages. These content views included articles, slideshows, videos, listicles, quizzes, polls, and advertorials as well as build in content recirculation to increase engagement and multiple options for various monetization schemes.
The Compromise
This was where I left the project off as I was transitioning to work on Microsoft Edge. The goal of the design was to make content the central focus of the page. Readability was important, so line spacing was key to making text easier to read. Despite trying to minimize distractions in the right rail, we kept if for this design but instead of a continuous scroll, it used a carousel design that transitioned ads at short intervals.
Iterations
We landed on a more simplified layout. Based on user studies, user's prefered this layout because the layout seemed more streamlined. Engineering-wise, it was easier to implment as well, especially since I also simplified the framework but still allowed for more variability.
They Really Hated It
The first series of content views designs were presented to our leadership team which consisted of our CVP, GPM, and Creative Director. They were quite pissed off by the design, but directed at the PM team. PM and engineering did not want to commit to a big site redesign, so they basically ignored leadership request for something different and less chaotic than the original.
Use the Force
The goal was to design an experience sans display ads for this next iteration. During this time, leadership wanted to look at a future where we didn't have display ads, instead taking the opporutnity to drive users to the app store and monetizing on apps somehow, using context to display relevant apps and supplementary content embedded intot he experience.
Bernie: The Change
Behind the curtains, leadership and design wanted to extend the system to form a new canvas within the Microsoft Edge browser for content using the new designs. Working with the original MSN team was difficult and leadership wanted to break free from the unsavory reputation that MSN had as a service.
Outro
Having revisted the feed in the new tab page in Microsoft Edge several years later, I do have a good chuckle at how they eventually got to more simplified design 😝