THE INDEPENDENT
APP UX/UI │ B2C │ MEDIA
The Independent News App Redesign
The Independent news app was to become a key benefit of the organisation’s subscription package. It needed a redesign to became a more performant channel for user conversion.
I combined insights from the App Store, customer service feedback and user interviews into a detailed journey map. I determined that we needed to clearly delineate between free journalism from subscriber-only, in-depth analysis.
Understanding User Behaviour
Using Adobe Analytics, we uncovered patterns in user behaviour that were likely limiting subscription conversions - most notably, we were offering too much content for free. To address this, I conducted a full review of the app’s user flows and identified several friction points that could be contributing to user drop-off.
One such example was the convoluted journey for restoring a previously purchased subscription - a process that proved to be highly confusing for users.
Mapping the Buyer's Journey
To further explore why users weren't converting, I created a detailed buyer’s journey map. This incorporated insights from the App Store, customer service feedback, and user interviews. The map helped us visualise pain points across the conversion funnel and guided our problem definition:
“To increase conversion rates, we need to improve the visibility of premium content within the app while clearly differentiating the app offering from the mobile website.”
This alignment of qualitative and quantitative feedback enabled a more targeted ideation phase.
Refining the Information Architecture
One of the key improvements involved separating “Features” (i.e. premium content) from general news within the app. This distinction was designed to clearly differentiate free journalism from subscriber-only, in-depth analysis.
I also grouped together secondary benefits - such as exclusive newsletters or subscriber-only events - into a suite of “Extras”, helping present a more compelling value proposition.
To support this new content structure, I proposed a revised information architecture for the app. To ensure user expectations were met, I ran a card sorting exercise with readers to understand where they would intuitively expect to find different content types. The final IA was driven by this insight.
Ideation and Prototyping
Once the new structure was defined, I created wireframes and built interactive prototypes in InVision. Through multiple rounds of usability testing, we validated that the updated app was easier to navigate and helped users more clearly understand the value of a subscription - one of our core objectives.
UI Design and Design System Alignment
I collaborated closely with our UI designer to ensure the visual direction of the app was consistent with the Independent’s brand and digital product ecosystem. All UI components were built using nested symbols in our shared Sketch libraries, following ESI Digital Design System standards.
This approach not only ensured brand consistency but also allowed for a faster, more efficient design workflow. These libraries continue to support future app iterations.
Supporting Development and Customer Teams
To support UAT and reduce friction during development handoff, I documented user flows for all major app journeys. These diagrams also serve as ongoing references for the customer service and product teams, helping them identify areas for future improvement.
Key Results
iOS App Store rating improved from 3.2 to 4.4
App ranked within the top 25 in the Magazines & Newspapers category (downloads)
15,000+ downloads to date
Conversion rate increased by 23%
