NZZ Labs launches stream experiment
The NZZ wants to respond to changes in user behavior and will begin testing a stream on Wednesday that offers an alternative, responsive view of the content on Nzz.ch.
The way information is consumed on the Internet has changed significantly in recent years. According to the NZZ, three developments in particular can be increasingly observed:
- an increasing spread of the layout metaphor of the "stream", which is familiar from social media offerings such as Twitter and Facebook and which has recently also been adopted by several news sites (for example Reuters or Quartz)
- a need for information offerings that are more tailored to one's own interests - also a pattern that is strongly influenced by Facebook and Twitter, but a desire that is also regularly expressed by our readership
- an increase in display diversity, which is often met with a responsive design that adapts to the respective device and thus also meets mobile and touch-based forms of use in particular.
According to the NZZ, these developments are not yet reflected in the layout of many news sites: As a rule, all readers see the same, static entry page, regardless of their personal topic preferences. Responsive design that adapts to the access device used is still the exception rather than the rule. Against this background, the NZZ Lab We have been thinking about how NZZ content can be played out in line with new user habits. The first result of these considerations is NZZ Stream. NZZ Stream is an alternative view of the content on Nzz.ch, which displays an overview of all articles chronologically, updates itself automatically and can be personalized with a department filter. The present version 1.0, available at Stream.nzz.ch, was implemented in the sense of a "minimum viable product" with the aim of testing the concept under real conditions and thus gaining insights into the acceptance, benefits and use of such a presentation. In addition, the NZZ is interested in the direction in which this offer could develop further from the readers' point of view.
The findings from the experiment will help us to tailor current and future information offerings more precisely to the needs of our readers. Via a Form feedback is collected via the stream.
