The New York Times

Redesign • School project • 2021

UX researcher + UX designer

A redesign of The New York Times website, with a key focus on user experience and accessibility.

Background

This project was completed as a course requirement. The entirety of the project, including research and design, took three months to complete. The goal was to redesign The New York Times website to improve its user experience and accessibility.

Project research

A two-part assessment, which focused on user experience and accessibility, was conducted on the existing New York Times website.

Research methods

User experience — Heuristic analysis, user interviews, and think-aloud tests

Accessibility — Two-part accessibility audit, including an automated and manual audit

Problems found

1. Inconsistent navigation with no specification of the active page

2. No easy way to “go back” a level

3. Important elements were not discoverable due to the cluttered layout

4. Text styles did not comply with AA standards

5. Lack of visual consistency, especially with text styles

Design goals

1. All elements must be visible & accessible

2. Simplify the navigation & make it more efficient

3. Design a more simplistic layout

4. Create a clear visual hierarchy

5. Implement a consistent design across the website

Focuses of redesign

Navigation — Focus on consistency, efficiency, and displaying the user’s current location

Page layout — Focus on simplicity, visibility, and the discovery of important elements

Text styles — Focus on consistency, accessibility, and creating a clear visual hierarchy

Wireframes

New visual identity

Final designs