Designing a better News Experience for Pakistan
The Context
If you live in Pakistan, have turned on the TV, landed on a news channel and immediately found yourself frantically trying to turn it off, you’ll know where I’m going with this.
Almost everyday at breakfast and dinner, my mother turns on the TV news channels, and after instantly being bombarded with multiple red tickers, flashing lights, terrible color correction, shouting anchors and bollywood background music, she turns it off with a disgusted look on her face and a comment that usually goes like, “mere se yeh nahi hota”. (I can’t do this).
While I am not one for news media in general, let alone Pakistani news media, my mother’s resilient hope that maybe the news experience will be better the next day, gave me an idea.
The Idea
In a nutshell: Put together a document that outlines a set of guidelines for the presentation of information on the Pakistani news media.
In a bowl: There is an opportunity to use the power and principles of design to create and foster a better informed community. The news media is a key player in community-building, and my personal opinion is that it is doing a terrible job at it. There is no concept of fair and impartial reporting, or keeping your voice down, or presenting the information so it informs, not attacks your senses. I believe a document that takes apart the current sensationalized methods of presenting information, and suggests an alternative way of the news experience would be a great start towards a better community, and in turn, a better country.
The Call to Action
Given that we are a 2000+ member community of designers of varying levels and fields of study and expertise, I thought it best to share this with all of you.
Just from the top of my head, I need the following from you:
- A product owner to take ownership of this project, work with my rudimentary vision and evolve it into a deliverable;
- A Project Manager to manage the scope and team working on this project. Must be willing to put in time and effort;
- A team of designers, copywriters, news enthusiasts and futurists, all excited about working towards a better community;
The Inspiration
If strangers on the internet can come together and create Reddit Place, then surely we can accomplish this.
I’m going to personally set aside PKR 5,000 for anyone who wants to start and carry on with this project. You can use this money to buy tools to help you, or cover any meal expenses that occur during the brainstorming sessions.
If you would like more funding, or even evolve this into a startup, I’d be more than happy to discuss that too, but obviously after the community sees and agrees on a proof of concept.
