Reflection point: The Medium Cycle
These days when I am not writing about design, as I am now, I am being sucked into a virtuous(?) cycle of Medium articles on UX, the infinite number of ways to be more efficient, and politics. Whatever you can think of, someone has probably written about it on Medium and what starts of as a humble and doubtful wandering around the site can turn into an afternoon of learning the varied opinions about the latest box office release or universal basic income in Silicon Valley. How does this happen? It’s a user flow that draws you in and keeps you there.
For me, it usually starts with the Medium Digest delivered to my inbox. I try to leave it to the end of the day because I know that if an article piques my interest, I may be on Medium for more than a few minutes. Clicking the featured article in my inbox leads me directly to the article — no detours or stops along the way. This is great; too many other publications and services ask their patrons to log in after sending them a link to an article or other content of interest. If I like what I have read and it is part of a publication, I will click the publication title at the bottom or top of the page to see if there is other content of interest to me. If there is, I read it and at some point may decided that it is time to go to the home page. It does not end there. Articles are featured on the home page tailored to my interest and if not, I can choose to view what’s trending among Medium readers, or special collections of content. I have never had a reason to search for content on Medium — everything seems tailored to me while being an excellent way to engage with diverse topics and opinions.
It’s like a magazine made specifically for me.
One of the most delightful aspects of moving through Medium is that nothing is ever more than a few clicks away. Whether you are reading content or creating it, the user interface and design patterns make Medium feel widely accessible but specifically curated for you at the same time. After creating, tagging and publishing your content, Medium draws you into a familiar flow. It shows you content similar to what you have created and invites you to read it. Moving from content creation to consumption is seamless.
The Medium user flow is effortless — creating a memorable user experience. An experience that keeps you coming back for more. Oh, and the content. Really great content.
