Problem

In December 2022, The Washington Post launched Newsprint, our inaugural year-end review experience (OK, fine — our version of Spotify Wrapped!). The proof of concept was successful and foundational, but left opportunities to push the 2023 version beyond basic data points and a neutral tone.

Goals

Increase retention and engagement metrics for the 2023 version by delivering a delightful, novel experience to users that highlights the value of their subscription using reading history data.

Process

Newsprint is an almost year-long project involving product, design, marketing, data and analytics, newsroom, and other stakeholders. I led content design, partnering with a product designer on the overall experience — from entry points to the end screen.

First, I created a new tone guide for Newsprint. I aimed for a more casual, fun vibe in line with our target audiences — while also making sure it would be appropriate accompanying often-grim news.

We relied on multiple rounds of user testing and interviews to validate ideas and copy, figuring out what kinds of information were valuable to users (and what they thought was lame). Recommending multiple authors? A slog. Seeing their top author thank them personally on video? A hit.

I also created our now-signature “reader types,” which tell you about your news-reading habits, working closely with our data and analytics team.

This process is truly massive, with complex content mapping, a ton of fallback states, and an intense QA process. I also took on some project management responsibilities, setting deadlines and milestones.

Outcome

Newsprint has become a subscriber-favorite. It’s helped the reader–journalist connection, while also increasing reader engagement with newsletters, alerts, and authors:

• Article save rate increased 112%

• Newsletter sign-up rate increased 25%

• Flow completion rate increased 6%

• Median time spent increased 72%

• Unique signed-in visitors to Newsprint increased 56%

• Total visits to Newsprint increased 94%

Skills

Collaboration, complex content strategy, concept testing, content mapping, content QA, user interviews, voice and tone guides, workshops