Developing The Follow Topic Feature System
Subscriptions Team
Simple share feature for subscriptions
Creating the follow feature
How can we design a follow feature that seamlessly integrates with the existing backend infrastructure, avoiding the need for a complete system overhaul?
Role
Lead Product Designer
Team
Experience Team
Timeline
October 2022-December 2022
Tools
Figma/Visual Studio Code
Project Description
Develop a Follow Topic feature leveraging the existing backend infrastructure. Ensure seamless integration across both web and mobile platforms.
Discovery
Developing a Follow feature is not a new concept; however, our goal was to design an integrated solution that leveraged the existing backend infrastructure. With no budget for third-party affiliate services, the challenge was to innovate within the constraints of our current resources. To address this, I designed three unique UX flows, each tailored to utilize the existing backend architecture. These flows offered varying levels of complexity, providing flexible options based on project timelines and specific requirements."
Creating the follow feature
The team leveraged the existing backend infrastructure used for our newsletter services. As a result, the 'Follow Topic' UX was designed to trigger an email notification system, sending updates about newly published articles on the selected topic based on the user's chosen cadence.
Final Flow
The flow outlined below illustrates the process for all reader types, including signed-in users, subscribers, non-subscribers, and users not signed in. It demonstrates how any user can follow a topic seamlessly, regardless of their subscription status, and outlines the steps for unsubscribing—all without navigating away from the article they are currently reading.
Implementation of Final UX and Design
The follow button is strategically positioned within the eyebrow section, adjacent to the topic on the page. This placement provides a clear and intuitive pathway for users to follow the topic seamlessly, as demonstrated in this light view of the user interaction.
Components
Given that we serve over 40 publications nationwide, the component is designed to adapt subtly to align with the unique design and branding of each publication. This approach ensures consistency while avoiding the need to create entirely new designs for each publication.
Launch Week Insights
The 'Follow Topic' feature was rolled out to select markets, yielding impressive initial results in user engagement and feature utilization.
Key Wins:
Non-subscribers who followed a topic were 3x more likely to convert to subscribers.
Subscribers who followed a topic showed 2x more site interactions compared to those who did not use the feature.