As presented at the Society for News Design Conference in Charlotte, NC on April 20, 2017. Recording of the talk available at https://youtu.be/nfy6b5vpE5c The Digital Media Design team at NPR strives to design experiences that meet listeners and readers across the all places they are now and will be in the future—websites, smartphones, tablets, connected cars, connected homes, wearables, and more. Over the past several years, the team has launched and iterated on NPR One—NPR’s personalized, on-demand listening service—on over a dozen platforms. At the same time, we’ve redesigned large swaths of NPR.org, entirely rebuilt the web audio player, created essential internal editorial tools, and embarked on a ground-up rebuilt of the flagship NPR mobile app. Through all these projects, maintaining a consistent, shared vision of how we reach audiences and serve journalism has been essential. In this presentation, I'll discuss three keys to successful platform and product design at NPR—audience-centric research & design processes, service to journalists, and partnership with local stations. I'll explore how these key themes impact our work and share the lessons we’ve learned in designing products that scale while meeting the needs of each of these core constituencies.

1. Three Keys for Successful
Platform Design at NPR
Dan Newman
Deputy Creative Director
@creativenewman

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What does
“Public Radio”
mean to you?
Photo by Ricky Montalvo

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Public radio may cause extreme drowsiness.

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Before listening to public radio,

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make sure your doctor says that
you’re healthy enough to have sex,

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not that it will matter!

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Leslie, would you like to introduce the next segment?

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OK.

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Now it’s time for jazz plus jazz equals jazz.

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Today, we have a recording of Benny Goodman
played over a separate recording of Miles Davis.

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Research shows that our listeners love jazz.

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Public radio may be easy to parody,
but we think of it like this…

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National Public Radio will serve the individual;
it will promote personal growth;
it will regard the individual differences with
respect and joy rather than derision and hate;
it will celebrate the human experience as
infinitely varied rather than vacuous and banal;
it will encourage a sense of active constructive
participation, rather than apathetic helplessness.
Bill Siemering
Founding Board Member, NPR

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“This is NPR”

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NPR is global

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NPR is local

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“Broadcast radio is the cockroach of
media. You can’t kill it. You can’t make
it go away, it just gets stronger and more
resilient.
That doesn’t mean that I see digital radio
as a passing fad. It’s for real. I’m a huge
Spotify user. I think it’s a great service,
but I use broadcast too.”
Jarl Mohn
CEO, NPR

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NPR has long been at
the digital forefront

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1998 2000 2002

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Photo by ClearFrost
But the landscape is changing

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Digital Media Design
We research, prototype, and
design experiences for the
public across the places they
are and will be in the future.

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NPR.org

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NPR News App

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NPR One

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Editorial Tools & Services

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The mission of NPR is to work in partnership
with Member Stations to create a more
informed public — one challenged and
invigorated by a deeper understanding and
appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.
To accomplish our mission, we produce,
acquire, and distribute programming that
meets the highest standards of public service
in journalism and cultural expression …
partnership
with Member Stations a more
informed public
public service
in journalism and cultural expression

27. Platform Design at NPR
@creativenewman #SNDCLT
The mission of NPR is to work in partnership
with Member Stations to create a more
informed public — one challenged and
invigorated by a deeper understanding and
appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.
To accomplish our mission, we produce,
acquire, and distribute programming that
meets the highest standards of public service
in journalism and cultural expression …
partnership
with Member Stations a more
informed public
public service
in journalism and cultural expression

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@creativenewman #SNDCLT
Creating a more informed public .
AUDIENCE-CENTRIC
RESEARCH & DESIGN
a more informed public

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Understand context first

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Understand context first

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Understand context first

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Understand context first

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Advocate for all users

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Advocate for all users

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Advocate for all users

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Make ideas real

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Make ideas real

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Make ideas real

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

41. Platform Design at NPR
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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

43. Platform Design at NPR
@creativenewman #SNDCLT
AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

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@creativenewman #SNDCLT
AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

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@creativenewman #SNDCLT
AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

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AUDIENCE-CENTRIC RESEARCH & DESIGN
Engage directly with users

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@creativenewman #SNDCLT
The mission of NPR is to work in partnership
with Member Stations to create a more
informed public — one challenged and
invigorated by a deeper understanding and
appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.
To accomplish our mission, we produce,
acquire, and distribute programming that
meets the highest standards of public service
in journalism and cultural expression …
partnership
with Member Stations a more
informed public
public service
in journalism and cultural expression

53. Platform Design at NPR
@creativenewman #SNDCLT
The mission of NPR is to work in partnership
with Member Stations to create a more
informed public — one challenged and
invigorated by a deeper understanding and
appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.
To accomplish our mission, we produce,
acquire, and distribute programming that
meets the highest standards of public service
in journalism and cultural expression …
partnership
with Member Stations a more
informed public
public service
in journalism and cultural expression

54. Platform Design at NPR
@creativenewman #SNDCLT
Meeting the highest standards of public service
in journalism and cultural expression .
SERVICE TO
JOURNALISTS
public service
in journalism and cultural expression

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Internal users are users too

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Internal users are users too

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Internal users are users too

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Internal users are users too

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Internal users are users too

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Content, not chrome

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Content, not chrome

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Content, not chrome

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities

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SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities

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Call it the opposite of the Dean’s list.
The department of education is…
SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities
High-performing story intros
(low skip rates)

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Plastic bags are serious business. And seriously divisive.
Last year, California passed a law…
SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities
High-performing story intros
(low skip rates)

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And let’s listen to the voices of climate change skeptics.
“Climate is changing naturally…”
SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities
High-performing story intros
(low skip rates)

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Here at Morning Edition, we try to help you
start your day with the news you need…
SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities
Low-performing story intros
(high skip rates)

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In December, NPR reported that nearly
one in five nursing home residents…
SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities
Low-performing story intros
(high skip rates)

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This week, NPR has been exploring what life is like for…
SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities
Low-performing story intros
(high skip rates)

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We have an update from our colleagues on NPR’s Planet
Money team, who have been playing the stock market.
SERVICE TO JOURNALISTS
Answer storytellers’ curiosities
Low-performing story intros
(high skip rates)

73. Platform Design at NPR
@creativenewman #SNDCLT
The mission of NPR is to work in partnership
with Member Stations to create a more
informed public — one challenged and
invigorated by a deeper understanding and
appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.
To accomplish our mission, we produce,
acquire, and distribute programming that
meets the highest standards of public service
in journalism and cultural expression …
partnership
with Member Stations a more
informed public
public service
in journalism and cultural expression

74. Platform Design at NPR
@creativenewman #SNDCLT
The mission of NPR is to work in partnership
with Member Stations to create a more
informed public — one challenged and
invigorated by a deeper understanding and
appreciation of events, ideas and cultures.
To accomplish our mission, we produce,
acquire, and distribute programming that
meets the highest standards of public service
in journalism and cultural expression …
partnership
with Member Stations a more
informed public
public service
in journalism and cultural expression

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@creativenewman #SNDCLT
Working in partnership with Member Stations .
COLLABORATION WITH
LOCAL STATIONS
partnership with Member Stations

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Going beyond skin deep

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Going beyond skin deep

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Going beyond skin deep
News… Information… Culture…
KPCC… California sensibility

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Fostering loyalty and donations

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Fostering loyalty and donations
Hello, ear bud. Thanks for choosing KPCC
as your home station on NPR One.

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Fostering loyalty and donations
And, because you’ve been listening,
we hope you’ll support us.

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Fostering loyalty and donations
We’ve made it super easy. See that big old button on your
screen that says “donate”? Now, see your finger?

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Fostering loyalty and donations
Tap your finger on that button to get started.
Go ahead; do it now…

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Fostering loyalty and donations
Excellent! Thanks, and keep enjoying KPCC on NPR One.

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Fostering loyalty and donations
Over 90% of NPR One email addresses
were new/previously unknown
according to a July 2016 PMDMC presentation

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Fostering loyalty and donations

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Engaging in co-creation

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COLLABORATION WITH LOCAL STATIONS
Engaging in co-creation

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Audience-centric research & design
+
Service to journalists
+
Collaboration with local stations
Our recipe for success:
Platform Design at NPR
@creativenewman #SNDCLT

90. Thank you.
Dan Newman
Deputy Creative Director
@creativenewman
dnewman@npr.org