Connect the Dots: Expanding Perspectives on Wikipedia
Empowering Gen-Z to Build Informed Opinions by Providing a
Comprehensive, Authentic View of Every Story
My Role
Product Designer
Team
4 Designers
Product Manager, Wikimedia
Category
Product and UX Design,
User Research
Connect the Dots: Expanding Perspectives on Wikipedia
Empowering Gen-Z to Build Informed Opinions by Providing a
Comprehensive, Authentic View of Every Story
My Role
Product Designer
Team
4 Designers
Product Manager, Wikimedia
Category
Product and UX Design,
User Research
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CAPL Outstanding Startup - Impact Award Recipient View Award
CAPL Outstanding Startup - Impact Award Recipient View Award
CAPL Outstanding Startup - Impact Award Recipient View Award
Challenges in Wikipedia's Declining Gen-Z Engagement
Challenges in Wikipedia's Declining Gen-Z Engagement
Gen-Z readers struggle to assess information on Wikipedia - Is it the whole story, accurate, and fact-checked?
Gen-Z readers struggle to assess information on Wikipedia - Is it the whole story, accurate, and fact-checked?
Gen-Z turns to the internet to learn about topics relevant to them, such as civic engagement, voting rights, and politics, often neglected in traditional education. Online, the vast ocean of misinformation complicates the search for reliable information. Picking up on that, Wikipedia now faces skepticism from Gen-Z due to its open-source editing, leading to a decline in readers.
Gen-Z turns to the internet to learn about topics relevant to them, such as civic engagement, voting rights, and politics, often neglected in traditional education. Online, the vast ocean of misinformation complicates the search for reliable information. Picking up on that, Wikipedia now faces skepticism from Gen-Z due to its open-source editing, leading to a decline in readers.
~407M
~407M
Gen-Z Wikipedia users worldwide
Gen-Z Wikipedia users worldwide
75%
75%
Participants avoided Wikipedia for academic purposes
Participants avoided Wikipedia for academic purposes
32%
32%
Gen-Z are interested in civic engagement topics
Gen-Z are interested in civic engagement topics
Understanding Our Audience
Identifying Types of Gen-Z Learners
Understanding Our Audience
Identifying Types of Gen-Z Learners
Learning pathways can vary significantly among individuals. Hence, this step was crucial for understanding the audience we aim to engage with, ensuring that our approach is tailored to their specific learning preferences and needs.
Learning pathways can vary significantly among individuals. Hence, this step was crucial for understanding the audience we aim to engage with, ensuring that our approach is tailored to their specific learning preferences and needs.
Directed Learners
They search with clear goals, know the exact information they need.
Exploratory Learners
Have general topic in mind and browse broadly and follow links to discover.
Serendipitous Learners
They do not have a specific goal and they browse casually being open to discovery.
Exploratory Learners
Have general topic in mind and browse broadly and follow links to discover.
Serendipitous Learners
They do not have a specific goal and they browse casually being open to discovery.
Listening to Our Audience Needs
Including them in Co-design Workshops
Listening to Our
Audience Needs
Including them in
Co-design Workshops
We collaborated with around 100+ peers from Centre for Art and Public Life and our college, hosted 3 co-design events with 20 learners online and offline globally with ages from 12-26. The main purpose was to understand the needs, gaps and resource availability of learners and readers.
We divided the 1-hour long co-design workshop into these 4 sections:
We collaborated with around 100+ peers from Centre for Art and Public Life and our college, hosted 3 co-design events with 20 learners online and offline globally with ages from 12-26. The main purpose was to understand the needs, gaps and resource availability of learners and readers.
We divided the 1-hour long co-design workshop into these 4 sections:
Learning Roadmap: How they learn about
a topic
Learning Roadmap: How they learn about a topic
Learning Stations: Places they go to learn about something
Build your Toolkit:
A learning guide that supports you best
Co-design:
Best Way to Learn Comprehensively
WHAT WE LEARNT AS THE NEEDS OF GEN-Z
CRITICAL THINKING
To navigate and evaluate the ocean of information.
ALL-ROUNDED EXPOSURE
To see the bigger picture and understand comprehensively.
AUTONOMY
To have control on what and how they want to learn.
PERSONALIZATION
To align with their expectations and learning preferences.
FINDING THEIR OWN VOICE
To eventually form their independent judgement, unlike traditional schooling.
WELL-ROUNDED VIEWPOINTS
So that they can evaluate, read and asses available information to form an informed view
What role can Wikipedia play?
Wikipedia has extensive resources that provide breadth and depth of information enabling multi-faceted understanding of a topic
Wikipedia has extensive resources that provide breadth and depth of information enabling multi-faceted understanding of a topic
Thus, building a point of view
Translating it into
How Might We
How might we empower Gen-Z to build an educated point of view using Wikipedia as a tool?
How might we empower Gen-Z to build an educated point of view using Wikipedia as a tool?
Testing Our Concept Directions
Steps to forming a view on a topic
Listening to Our
Audience Needs
Including them in
Co-design Workshops
This testing aimed to understand how people explore a topic and to identify the most effective ways people prefer to learn new things. We presented readers with three types of articles and prompted them at various points to explore further, reflect, and discuss, observing how their understanding of the topic evolved and what they sought in the content.
This testing aimed to understand how people explore a topic and to identify the most effective ways people prefer to learn new things. We presented readers with three types of articles and prompted them at various points to explore further, reflect, and discuss, observing how their understanding of the topic evolved and what they sought in the content.
The main learning
The breadth of forming a "Point of View"
The breadth of forming a
"Point of View"
Getting informed
Getting informed
Sparking interest
Sparking interest
Making people connect/feel
Making people connect/
feel
Making people connect/feel
Nudged to talk and explore
Nudged to talk and explore
Thinking critically
Thinking critically
Thinking
critically
Test Insights to Design
Incorporating elements of Progressive Exploration and Discussion in the design.
Incorporating elements of Progressive Exploration and Discussion in the design.
Our Final Solution: "Connect the Dots"
"Connect the Dots" offers different kinds of readers a customizable way to explore a curated collation of information that paints the whole story about an issue. It promotes critical thinking and helps readers develop a point of view.
Our Final Solution: "Connect the Dots"
"Connect the Dots" offers different kinds of readers a customizable way to explore a curated collation of information that paints the whole story about an issue. It promotes critical thinking and helps readers develop a point of view.
1
1
Expanding Perspectives
Contextual Topic Exploration through Split-Screen
Expanding Perspectives
Contextual Topic Exploration through Split-Screen
While users read an article, we display related articles based on various aspects of the topic. This provides immediate context . We implemented a "Dive Deeper" button that, when clicked, activates a split-screen view that shows a broader perspective.
The split screen presents key points from relevant articles alongside associated content. In this, users can quickly grasp the main ideas and see connections between related topics.
While users read an article, we display related articles based on various aspects of the topic. This provides immediate context . We implemented a "Dive Deeper" button that, when clicked, activates a split-screen view that shows a broader perspective.
The split screen presents key points from relevant articles alongside associated content. In this, users can quickly grasp the main ideas and see connections between related topics.
2
2
Comprehensive Exploration
Interactive Timeline and Curated Resources
Comprehensive Exploration
Interactive Timeline and Curated Resources
Timeline: We created a visual, interactive timeline that highlights the historical context and major milestones related to the topic. This helps users grasp the chronological development and significance of events over time quickly.
Compiled Resources: For readers seeking a deeper understanding, this curated compilation organizes key points from relevant articles into categories like "Then vs Now," "Policies," "Criticism," and "Human Impact." This structure helps readers explore different aspects systematically, see all sides of the story, and form their own educated opinions.
Timeline: We created a visual, interactive timeline that highlights the historical context and major milestones related to the topic. This helps users grasp the chronological development and significance of events over time quickly.
Compiled Resources: For readers seeking a deeper understanding, this curated compilation organizes key points from relevant articles into categories like "Then vs Now," "Policies," "Criticism," and "Human Impact." This structure helps readers explore different aspects systematically, see all sides of the story, and form their own educated opinions.
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3
Topic-Centric Conversation Spaces
Engaging Discussion Hubs
Topic-Centric Conversation Spaces
Engaging Discussion Hubs
We encourage users to engage in discussions, recognizing that meaningful conversations with like-minded individuals are key to shaping informed opinions. Rather than creating a social media platform, we focused on fostering pro-discussion environments. Users can join topic-centric groups where they drive conversations and explore relevant articles connected to them.
We encourage users to engage in discussions, recognizing that meaningful conversations with like-minded individuals are key to shaping informed opinions. Rather than creating a social media platform, we focused on fostering pro-discussion environments. Users can join topic-centric groups where they drive conversations and explore relevant articles connected to them.
How We Designed for Gen-Z
Guiding Design Principles
How We Designed for Gen-Z
Guiding Design Principles
Immediacy and Instant Access
Immediacy and Instant Access
Get out of the way, get to the point.
Get out of the way, get to the point.
Think Canvas,
Not Corridors
Think Canvas,
Not Corridors
Can explore flexible pathways.
Can explore flexible pathways.
Spaces for Intimate Connections
Spaces for Intimate Connections
Narrowcasting and personalization.
Narrowcasting and personalization.
Highlighting Authenticity
Highlighting Authenticity
Build trust beyond the surface.
Build trust beyond the surface.
Errors, Learnings and Changes
How Usability Tests Shaped our Product
Errors, Learnings and Changes
How Usability Tests Shaped our Product
We conducted two rounds of usability testing, involving 8 Gen-Z users globally. This helped us assess feature discoverability, content expectations, and whether it encouraged exploration. Based on feedback, we shifted towards the most-fitted solution.
We conducted two rounds of usability testing, involving 8 Gen-Z users globally. This helped us assess feature discoverability, content expectations, and whether it encouraged exploration. Based on feedback, we shifted towards the most-fitted solution.
A major challenge was getting the content right in a way that it aligns with Wikipedia's neutral tone, ensuring it resonates with Gen-Z and builds trust. We avoided terms that could be oppressive or triggering, focusing instead on language that supports a positive and inclusive experience.
A major challenge was getting the content right in a way that it aligns with Wikipedia's neutral tone, ensuring it resonates with Gen-Z and builds trust. We avoided terms that could be oppressive or triggering, focusing instead on language that supports a positive and inclusive experience.
Envisioning Impact
Envisioning Impact
8 sets of iteration, 2 rounds of feature testing and user testing and weekly stakeholder calls - led us to the final product. With the vision of engaging and empowering Gen-Z readers that we started, at the product ends these are the anticipated impact metrics that we gathered using the Google HEART Framework:
8 sets of iteration, 2 rounds of feature testing and user testing and weekly stakeholder calls - led us to the final product. With the vision of engaging and empowering Gen-Z readers that we started, at the product ends these are the anticipated impact metrics that we gathered using the Google HEART Framework:
Session Duration
Session Duration
Increase in average time spent on the articles.
Increase in average time spent on the articles.
Gen-Z Traffic
Gen-Z Traffic
Growth in Gen-Z users and the retention rate.
Growth in Gen-Z users and the retention rate.
Bounce Rate
Bounce Rate
Decrease in readers leaving the platform.
Decrease in readers leaving the platform.
Return Visits
Return Visits
Increase in number of Gen-Z returning users.
Increase in number of Gen-Z returning users.
The best validation of our impact was being the Proud Winners of the CAPL Outstanding Startup Impact Award.
The Team Behind the Success
4 Rockstar Designers and a Great Wiki Partner
The Team Behind the Success
4 Rockstar Designers and a Great Wiki Partner
Bi-weekly sync-up calls with the core product team and the Wikipedia product manager.
Final Product Pitch Call with 30 Wiki members.
Final Product Pitch Call with 30 Wiki members.
Always ready to talk - let's connect!
Email me at ruchirabiswas97@gmail.com
Drop a text +1 628-358-1287
Always ready to talk -
let's connect!
Email me at ruchirabiswas97@gmail.com
Drop a text +1 628-358-1287
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