Southeye Kokka

Can we create a local news platform that feels as personal and engaging as chatting with a neighbor over the fence?

My role

UX Designer

My activities

Research, strategy, design

Duration

4 months

Introduction to the product

Your Trusted Source for Local News and Community Connection

Southeye Kokka is designed to deliver fast, reliable local news and entertainment, even with limited internet connectivity. By connecting users within their local community, Southeye Kokka provides a platform for sharing news, discussing events, and posting job opportunities, contributing to the community's growth and well-being.

Southeye Kokka is designed to deliver fast, reliable local news and entertainment, even with limited internet connectivity. By connecting users within their local community, Southeye Kokka provides a platform for sharing news, discussing events, and posting job opportunities, contributing to the community's growth and well-being.

Problem

In Sri Lanka, individuals face limited access to comprehensive local news and information, including community events, job opportunities, and obituaries, often due to unreliable internet connectivity. Existing platforms lack a unified approach, failing to integrate engaging content like that found on the Moj app with essential local information.

In Sri Lanka, individuals face limited access to comprehensive local news and information, including community events, job opportunities, and obituaries, often due to unreliable internet connectivity. Existing platforms lack a unified approach, failing to integrate engaging content like that found on the Moj app with essential local information.

Breakdown of the problem

🚫

Lack of Community Engagement

Current platforms may not foster a strong sense of community interaction and engagement. There is a need for a space where users can connect, share, and discuss local matters.

📑

Limited Access to Comprehensive Local Information

Existing platforms often focus on national or international news, leaving gaps in local coverage of events, job opportunities, obituaries, and community-specific content.

🔄

Trustworthiness and Misinformation

Ensuring the content is reliable and free from misinformation is a significant concern.

🌐

Untapped Potential for Content Creators

There's a lack of platforms that incentivize and reward local content creators for their contributions, limiting the growth of hyperlocal content in Sri Lanka.

Research

To understand the landscape of hyperlocal news apps and user preferences, I reviewed the data available online. These studies provided insights into user behavior, expectations, and pain points regarding local news and community engagement.

  • Understand the business objectives and develop a shared understanding.

  • Comprehend both user and business goals to prioritize features effectively.

  • Gain insights into our primary users by exploring their current journey with the coffee trading platform and our proposed journey.

To understand the landscape of hyperlocal news apps and user preferences, I reviewed the data available online. These studies provided insights into user behavior, expectations, and pain points regarding local news and community engagement.

  • Understand the business objectives and develop a shared understanding.

  • Comprehend both user and business goals to prioritize features effectively.

  • Gain insights into our primary users by exploring their current journey with the coffee trading platform and our proposed journey.

Value propositions

Long term relationship

We believe in the power of connecting with customers. Connect with each new user to understand their needs and then provide solutions that are unique.

Rewarding user’s behaviour

Rewarding user’s contributions and boost engagement with the people who make our app better.

Personalized content

By leveraging user data and preferences, the app can curate news content tailored to individual interests, ensuring that users receive news articles that are relevant and meaningful to them.

Market research

To gain broader market insights, I conducted secondary research on news consumption habits and social media usage in India.

1/ NEWS PLATFORMS

52% of internet users in Indian languages access news online through various news apps, websites, social media posts, message forwards, and YouTube.

52% of internet users in Indian languages access news online through various news apps, websites, social media posts, message forwards, and YouTube.

2/ PREFERRED FORMATS

Video is the preferred format for online news consumers, followed by text and audio.

Video is the preferred format for online news consumers, followed by text and audio.

3/ CORE NEWS SEGMENTS

Entertainment leads with 76% interest.

Crime and security news of city and locality interest at 72%.

Updates on national, state, and city headlines have a 71% interest.

Health and fitness, technology, and fashion also garner significant interest.

Entertainment leads with 76% interest.

Crime and security news of city and locality interest at 72%.

Updates on national, state, and city headlines have a 71% interest.

Health and fitness, technology, and fashion also garner significant interest.

How does Social media look in India?

Throughout January 2023, on average there are about 467 million active social media users in India on a monthly basis with an annual growth rate of 4.2%. These social media users on average spend about 2.6 hours on social media

Throughout January 2023, on average there are about 467 million active social media users in India on a monthly basis with an annual growth rate of 4.2%. These social media users on average spend about 2.6 hours on social media

The main factors behind using social media:

Keeping in touch with others, reading news stories, finding content, filling spare time, seeing what’s being talked about, watching live streams

The main factors behind using social media:

Keeping in touch with others, reading news stories, finding content, filling spare time, seeing what’s being talked about, watching live streams

Ref: Social Media in India - 2023 Stats & Platform Trends

Clusters and themes

After conducting our UX research, we affinity mapped our interview insights to organize the themes and pain points brought up by users.

After conducting our UX research, we affinity mapped our interview insights to organize the themes and pain points brought up by users.

We grouped key themes into four broad overlapping branches, which we termed the "3 Cs".

We grouped key themes into four broad overlapping branches, which we termed the "3 Cs".

In general, we discovered that there are two types of relationships users form with Southeye Kokka:


Transactional Relationships

These relationships are defined by users getting as much relevant information as they can from the app. Users value the comprehensive coverage of local news, job postings, and entertainment content that the app provides.


Personal Connections

These relationships are developed through community engagement and trust. Users form connections by interacting with others on the platform, sharing information, and participating in discussions about local issues.

In general, we discovered that there are two types of relationships users form with Southeye Kokka:


Transactional Relationships

These relationships are defined by users getting as much relevant information as they can from the app. Users value the comprehensive coverage of local news, job postings, and entertainment content that the app provides.


Personal Connections

These relationships are developed through community engagement and trust. Users form connections by interacting with others on the platform, sharing information, and participating in discussions about local issues.

Competitor analysis

A competitor analysis provides strategic insights into the features, functions, flows, and feelings evoked by the design solutions of the client’s direct/ indirect competitors.

A competitor analysis provides strategic insights into the features, functions, flows, and feelings evoked by the design solutions of the client’s direct/ indirect competitors.

By understanding these facets of competitors’ products, we can strategically design solutions with the goal of making a superior product and/or experience.

By understanding these facets of competitors’ products, we can strategically design solutions with the goal of making a superior product and/or experience.

Who is involved?

Through secondary research, we gained a comprehensive understanding of the Sri Lankan media landscape, user preferences, and the competitive environment. This involved analyzing market reports, studying news consumption habits, and evaluating existing platforms.

Through secondary research, we gained a comprehensive understanding of the Sri Lankan media landscape, user preferences, and the competitive environment. This involved analyzing market reports, studying news consumption habits, and evaluating existing platforms.

Primary stakeholders

News consumers

Seeking reliable local news, information, & fun.

Reporters

Gather and report on local news, events, and other important information.

Channel owners

Manage and curate a specific content channel on Southeye Kokka.

Secondary stakeholders

Local news outlets

Can partner with Kokka to expand their reach and monetize their content.

Local businesses

Can use Kokka to promote their products & services, post job openings, & connect with the community.

Advertisers

Can leverage Kokka's user base to reach a targeted audience with their messages.

Southeye team

Content moderators

Responsible for ensuring the quality and accuracy of content on the platform.

Backend team

Responsible for promoting the app, managing payments.

How might we provide a diverse range of local news and entertainment content that caters to the varied interests of our users?

How might we provide a diverse range of local news and entertainment content that caters to the varied interests of our users?

Creating the brand

Typography

Aa

General Sans Variable

Semibold, medium, regular, italic

General Sans is a good choice for display, and long reading text, if you have a project that benefits from its vibe. Its letterforms feel like the France of the 1950s; they are very orderly, but also a bit spritely.

General Sans is a good choice for display, and long reading text, if you have a project that benefits from its vibe. Its letterforms feel like the France of the 1950s; they are very orderly, but also a bit spritely.

Colors

The principle of 60% + 30% + 10% is the best proportion to achieve color balance. We have to choose a dominant color and use it in 60% of the space, a secondary color in 30% and a final color in the remaining 10%.

The principle of 60% + 30% + 10% is the best proportion to achieve color balance. We have to choose a dominant color and use it in 60% of the space, a secondary color in 30% and a final color in the remaining 10%.

Primary color

Primary

#FFB325

Primary shade

Primary

#664200

Neutral

Neutral

#FFEDCC

Accent

Accent

#D2BEFD

Accent

Accent

#DFF488

Will be used to highlight

Buttons

Buttons

Links

Links

Icons

Icons

Visual elements

Visual elements

Important Text

Important Text

Choosing two accent colors which is well-suited with the primary color shades to create a combination of vibrant visual palette that exudes positivity and cheerfulness.

Yellow is a vibrant and energetic color that can evoke feelings of happiness, warmth, and cheerfulness. We use yellow to draw attention and create a good mood to user who using the app to read the news and updates from market.

The main color used in 10% of visual design of Kokka

Choosing two accent colors which is well-suited with the primary color shades to create a combination of vibrant visual palette that exudes positivity and cheerfulness.

Yellow is a vibrant and energetic color that can evoke feelings of happiness, warmth, and cheerfulness. We use yellow to draw attention and create a good mood to user who using the app to read the news and updates from market.

The main color used in 10% of visual design of Kokka

You can be a

  • Reporter

  • Content curator

  • Kokka agent

  • News media

  • Reporter

  • Kokka agent

in Kokka

in Kokka

Light and dark mode

Dark interfaces are ideal for nighttime or evening environments, whereas lighter ones are suited for the daytime. The harsh bright light of a smartphone can cause discomfort when viewed in a dark room, and the muted aesthetic of a dark UI will not show up as well in a brightly lit area.

For better visual design for Dark and Light mode, we also define the color palette for Dark and Light mode based on variables of latest Figma updates.

Dark interfaces are ideal for nighttime or evening environments, whereas lighter ones are suited for the daytime. The harsh bright light of a smartphone can cause discomfort when viewed in a dark room, and the muted aesthetic of a dark UI will not show up as well in a brightly lit area.

For better visual design for Dark and Light mode, we also define the color palette for Dark and Light mode based on variables of latest Figma updates.

Notable explorations in card design

Our design choices are deeply ingrained in every aspect of the app's interface. I hope you can feel my passion for crafting a meaningful digital experience as you interact with it. Let's delve into three key news card variations that we explored during the development process.

Option 1

DIFFERENTIATION

Medium

ADHERENCE

Low

The card layout prioritizes visual appeal and user engagement with a 50/50 visual-content split. Clear category labels, upfront news summaries, and relevant hashtags facilitate easy discovery. The channel details and a comment section with WhatsApp sharing enhance user trust and interaction.

Option 1

DIFFERENTIATION

Medium

ADHERENCE

Low

The card layout prioritizes visual appeal and user engagement with a 50/50 visual-content split. Clear category labels, upfront news summaries, and relevant hashtags facilitate easy discovery. The channel details and a comment section with WhatsApp sharing enhance user trust and interaction.

Option 1

DIFFERENTIATION

Medium

ADHERENCE

Low

The card layout prioritizes visual appeal and user engagement with a 50/50 visual-content split. Clear category labels, upfront news summaries, and relevant hashtags facilitate easy discovery. The channel details and a comment section with WhatsApp sharing enhance user trust and interaction.

Option 2

DIFFERENTIATION

High

ADHERENCE

Medium

The card layout balances visual appeal with user engagement, featuring a 70/30 image-to-text ratio. Clear tags, channel details, and publication information precede concise summaries. Action buttons for views, likes, comments, and sharing further enhance user interaction.

Option 2

DIFFERENTIATION

High

ADHERENCE

Medium

The card layout balances visual appeal with user engagement, featuring a 70/30 image-to-text ratio. Clear tags, channel details, and publication information precede concise summaries. Action buttons for views, likes, comments, and sharing further enhance user interaction.

Option 2

DIFFERENTIATION

High

ADHERENCE

Medium

The card layout balances visual appeal with user engagement, featuring a 70/30 image-to-text ratio. Clear tags, channel details, and publication information precede concise summaries. Action buttons for views, likes, comments, and sharing further enhance user interaction.

Option 3

DIFFERENTIATION

Medium high

ADHERENCE

High

The card prioritizes visuals, featuring an 80/20 image-to-text ratio. Clear categories, titles, tags, and channel details precede concise summaries. Action buttons for likes, comments, views, and WhatsApp sharing enhance user engagement.

Option 3

DIFFERENTIATION

Medium high

ADHERENCE

High

The card prioritizes visuals, featuring an 80/20 image-to-text ratio. Clear categories, titles, tags, and channel details precede concise summaries. Action buttons for likes, comments, views, and WhatsApp sharing enhance user engagement.

Option 3

DIFFERENTIATION

Medium high

ADHERENCE

High

The card prioritizes visuals, featuring an 80/20 image-to-text ratio. Clear categories, titles, tags, and channel details precede concise summaries. Action buttons for likes, comments, views, and WhatsApp sharing enhance user engagement.

Winner

Introducing Southeye Kokka

Based on the insights gathered from the discovery phase and user feedback, the following redesign goals were established to improve Sucafina's digital platform:

Based on the insights gathered from the discovery phase and user feedback, the following redesign goals were established to improve Sucafina's digital platform:

PROFILE OF A NORMAL USER

In the Southeye Kokka app, users can access their profile where they have various tabs such as Profile, Saved, Following, Mute Channel, and Block Channel. These features allow users to manage their content preferences, save interesting posts, follow favorite channels, and control their viewing experience by muting or blocking channels as needed.

In the Southeye Kokka app, users can access their profile where they have various tabs such as Profile, Saved, Following, Mute Channel, and Block Channel. These features allow users to manage their content preferences, save interesting posts, follow favorite channels, and control their viewing experience by muting or blocking channels as needed.

CHANNEL CREATION FLOW

Users can personalize their profiles, manage saved content, follow other users, and mute or block channels. Users can also create their own channels by verifying their identity and selecting a role (content creator, reporter, curator, news media, or Kokka agent). After completing channel information and uploading ID images, the Southeye Kokka team verifies the channel profile.

PUBLISHING CONTENT IN CHANNEL

Channel creators can efficiently manage their channels by accessing profile settings, viewing performance insights, handling payouts, and switching between managed channels.

For content creation, they can quickly create various post types (news, carousel, gallery, video, reel, etc.), ensuring comprehensive and engaging content. The intuitive interface allows easy input of titles, descriptions, images, and tags, with a preview option to perfect posts before publishing. This streamlined process meets user needs for efficient channel management and dynamic content delivery.

Channel creators can efficiently manage their channels by accessing profile settings, viewing performance insights, handling payouts, and switching between managed channels.

For content creation, they can quickly create various post types (news, carousel, gallery, video, reel, etc.), ensuring comprehensive and engaging content. The intuitive interface allows easy input of titles, descriptions, images, and tags, with a preview option to perfect posts before publishing. This streamlined process meets user needs for efficient channel management and dynamic content delivery.

ONBOARDING REPORTER

Users can onboard as reporters by clicking the hamburger menu and selecting the reporter option. They fill in basic information, verify their ID, and submit the form. Upon completion, the profile is reviewed by the Southeye Kokka team. The onboarding status is updated on the same screen.

Users can onboard as reporters by clicking the hamburger menu and selecting the reporter option. They fill in basic information, verify their ID, and submit the form. Upon completion, the profile is reviewed by the Southeye Kokka team. The onboarding status is updated on the same screen.

PUBLISHING CONTENT AS A REPORTER

Reporters can easily manage their content with the news creation and submission flow. They can view all their published articles in one place. To create new content, they simply click the plus FAB icon and choose between a multimedia or video-only post. On the create news page, they can upload media, switch between English and Tamil, and add relevant details such as title, body text, and district.

Once submitted, the Southeye Kokka team reviews and publishes the content.

Reporters can easily manage their content with the news creation and submission flow. They can view all their published articles in one place. To create new content, they simply click the plus FAB icon and choose between a multimedia or video-only post. On the create news page, they can upload media, switch between English and Tamil, and add relevant details such as title, body text, and district.

Once submitted, the Southeye Kokka team reviews and publishes the content.

Key takeaways

Working on the Southeye Kokka project provided me with invaluable experience in managing multiple user roles and catering to diverse client requirements.

Here are some key learnings and achievements from this project:

Working on the Southeye Kokka project provided me with invaluable experience in managing multiple user roles and catering to diverse client requirements.

Here are some key learnings and achievements from this project:

Multifaceted User Role Management: Successfully designed user flows for various roles, including content creators, reporters, channel owners, and advertisers. Ensured each user type had a tailored experience that met their specific needs and enhanced overall platform usability.

Multifaceted User Role Management: Successfully designed user flows for various roles, including content creators, reporters, channel owners, and advertisers. Ensured each user type had a tailored experience that met their specific needs and enhanced overall platform usability.

Adaptability: Demonstrated flexibility in adapting to new challenges and requirements as they arose during the project lifecycle. Continuously iterated on design solutions to improve user experience based on ongoing feedback.

Adaptability: Demonstrated flexibility in adapting to new challenges and requirements as they arose during the project lifecycle. Continuously iterated on design solutions to improve user experience based on ongoing feedback.

User-centric design approach: Focused on creating a user-friendly interface that prioritized ease of use and accessibility. Implemented features that encouraged community engagement and active participation from users.

User-centric design approach: Focused on creating a user-friendly interface that prioritized ease of use and accessibility. Implemented features that encouraged community engagement and active participation from users.

✨

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