Bringing a Legacy Catholic Magazine into the modern digital realm

Platforms

iOS, Android

Deliverables

Product Strategy, UX/UI Design, Development, Marketing Assets

From Legacy Print to Digital Era

America Media stands as a beacon for thoughtful Catholics and those intrigued by Catholic perspectives, offering unparalleled editorial content. With a rich history dating back to 1909, it has become the platform where significant voices—from popes and presidents to Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners—share insights on religion, society, politics, and the arts. Initially serving a predominantly immigrant Catholic community, America Media has evolved alongside its readership, maintaining its status as a critical resource for both practicing catholics and clergy. Facing the digital era’s challenges, it embarked on a transformative journey in 2012, shifting from a weekly print magazine to a dynamic, digital-first multi-platform media organization. Today, America Media continues to lead the discourse on faith and culture, reaching audiences through diverse formats including audio, video, and newsletters.

A User-Centric Digital Reading Experience

America Media seeks to curate its ‘The Word’ column into a convenient and organized digital application to transition into the contemporary digital landscape. We initiated a user survey to inform the design and development of ‘The Word’ app and shape the digital future of America Magazine. Our objective was to provide actionable recommendations in line with the evolving digital media landscape. Through extensive primary and competitor research, we uncovered opportunities to enhance subscriber value, guide a well-informed development course, and elevate America Magazine’s presence in the digital age. Users want a better digital experience, struggle with confusing navigation and finding America’s content across platforms.

Elevating Digital Reading with Customizable Features

In our commitment to enhancing accessibility, we included customizable features like font adjustments and light/dark modes. This thoughtful approach empowers users to tailor their digital reading experience, fostering inclusivity and personalization. By prioritizing accessibility, we not only elevated the value for existing subscribers but also drew in new users seeking a platform that accommodates a variety of preferences.

Calendar-Synced Content Organization

In order to address users’ challenges in navigating diverse content and enhance their experience, we’ve implemented a simplified calendar view within ‘The Word’. This thoughtful addition integrates the Liturgical calendar with the Gregorian calendar, allowing users to contextualize historical events and relate them to the present day. By presenting pertinent content upfront and minimizing cognitive load, we made access to today’s information easier. Detailed  insights into authors’ expertise, clarified taxonomies are making series or content more comprehensive.

Uninterrupted Content Access

By guaranteeing uninterrupted access to podcasts, videos, and articles, we offered users a seamless and continuous experience, even when the phone is closed. This is not just about accessibility, it’s also geared towards fostering deeper engagement. We wanted to create an environment within ‘The Word’ that encourages users to delve into the diverse range of content available, providing an enriching and uninterrupted journey for all who seek  spiritual insights.

Creating a Unified Data Structure for  Content Integration

In working with our clients who hosted their content on Drupal and WordPress websites, we capitalized on the flexibility of both platforms, enabling the creation of public APIs with diverse data. Through collaboration, we meticulously crafted the data structure for the Drupal API, ensuring ease of implementation and usability for the mobile app. Following successful implementation and testing, the subsequent and final phase involved replicating the same data structure for the WordPress API response. By merging these two responses, we ensured a unified and enriched content experience for  our mobile users.

Digital Triumph

In shaping America Magazine’s digital future with ‘The Word’ app, our user-centric approach, rooted in research and feedback, helped us to create a platform addressing content interaction and navigation challenges. Notably, ‘The Word’ achieved a remarkable ascent to #8 on Apple’s Top 10 charts within two weeks of release, underscoring the resonance of our design and commitment to user satisfaction. We are proud to witness the fruition of our hard work with ‘The Word’ and eagerly anticipate its ongoing impact on people.