Product Design

• ▪ Industry / Branch
• Publishing & Investment
• ▪ Role
• Senior Product Designer
• ▪ Services
• Concept · Consulting · Analysis · UX Research · UX Design · UI Design · Web Design · Prototyping · Engineering · Development · Usability · Optimization

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• ▪ Client
• AEX Media Amsterdam, an ambitious publishing venture with a bold vision: to create the first on-line Dutch news website that would not simply deliver headlines, but actively engage readers and encourage daily return visits.
• ▪ Challenge
• • The project demanded a delicate balance. The site had to be sleek and modern to stand out in a crowded digital landscape, yet remain highly usable and readable.
  • It needed to present a dense stream of financial data, market numbers, and breaking news without overwhelming the reader.
  • Above all, it had to foster genuine interactivity and participation, turning passive news consumers into an engaged community.

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• ▪ Summary
• • As the Senior Product Designer, I was brought in just after finishing work on AUDI website, to lead the project from concept to launch.
  • My role spanned initial consulting and concept development through to UX Resarch & Design, UI Design, Web Design, and Engineering.
  • I worked in close collaboration with AEX Media's editorial and investment teams to translate a high-level vision into a tangible, award-worthy digital platform.

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• ▪ Initial
• Discovery began with an analysis of the Dutch digital news landscape. We examined reader behavior patterns and identified a critical gap: existing news sites were either text-heavy and static, or cluttered with aggressive advertising that undermined trust. Readers craved substance and clarity, especially when dealing with complex investment and financial data.
• ▪ The audience
• The target reader was identified as the "Informed Decision-Maker" - professionals and active investors who needed news to be accurate, fast and scannable. They consumed content across devices, often during commutes or between meetings, demanding a seamless mobile experience.
• ▪ The goal
• 1. - Design a visually distinctive, "sleek" interface that signals credibility and modernity.
  2. - Engineer a reading experience that balances dense data (numbers, tickers) with long-form readability.
  3. - Build interactive features that encourage daily participation and community engagement.

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• ▪ The struggle
• Readers from day traders to corporate executives were fatigued by news sites that prioritized ad-revenue / banners over user experience. Information was buried in slow-loading pages, and financial data was often presented in static, hard-to-parse tables and oh-so small font.
• ▪ The expectation
• The audience expected a platform that matched the sophistication of their own work. Clean design, instant load times, and intuitive navigation were non-negotiable. They wanted to participate through comments, polls, and personalized feeds, without the friction of clunky login walls or intrusive pop-ups.

Persona

• ▪ The Informed Decision-Maker
• • Role: Investor, Analyst, Portfolio Manager, or Entrepreneur
  • Age: 30-55
  • Motivation: Staying ahead of market-moving news with minimal friction.
  • Pain Point: Cluttered, slow news sites that bury financial data and offer no community interaction.
  • Quote: "I need the numbers and the narrative-fast, clean, and on any screen."

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• ▪ Data presentation
• A custom Design System was created to present financial data and market numbers with clarity. Clean typography, subtle & readable data visualizations transformed dense information into scannable insights. Key metrics were highlighted without shouting, allowing the editorial voice to lead.
• ▪ Engagement & interactivity
• Interactive elements were woven directly into the reading experience. Real-time polls, comment sections designed for meaningful discussion, and personalized "My Feed" functionality encouraged daily visits and active participation, setting the platform apart from static news aggregators.
• ▪ Performance & readability
• A lean, performance-optimized front-end ensured sub-second load times, critical for retaining mobile readers. Typography was carefully tuned for long-form reading, with optimal line heights and contrast ratios to reduce eye strain during extended sessions.

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• ▪ Prototyping
• High-fidelity, interactive prototypes were developed to test core reading and data-scanning flows.
  Shared with select users from the investment community, they provided immediate feedback on the balance between visual sleekness and information density.
• ▪ Refinement
• Feedback loops focused on the mobile reading experience and the clarity of financial data widgets. Adjustments were made to typography scaling and interactive touch targets, ensuring the site felt premium and effortless on every device. This close collaboration between design and development enabled rapid, confident iteration.

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• ▪ The platform
• The definitive website layout delivers on the bold vision: the first real Dutch news platform where sleek, modern design meets genuine usability and engagement.
  The interface is clean and authoritative, presenting complex financial and market data with unprecedented clarity. Interactive community features are seamlessly integrated, inviting readers to participate without disrupting the core news experience.

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• ▪ Visual
• A sophisticated, editorial color palette with high contrast and a focus on typographic hierarchy. The design language communicates trust, speed, and precision-values essential to both publishing and investment audiences.
• ▪ Engineering
• Engineered with a performance-first mindset, the site loads fast. The front-end architecture supports the dynamic presentation of data without sacrificing speed or accessibility.

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• ▪ Impact & Recognition
• The project was recognized with the prestigious award for Best Dutch NEWS Website, validating the design strategy and execution.
  The platform successfully established AEX Media Amsterdam as a leading digital voice in the competitive Dutch publishing landscape.
• ▪ Key takeaways
• • - Data doesn't have to be dull: With careful design, dense financial information can become a compelling visual asset.
  • - Engagement is engineered: Interactivity must be woven into the fabric of the experience, not bolted on as an afterthought.
  • - Performance is credibility: In the fast-paced world of news and investment, a slow site is a forgotten site.

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