Role
Content & Product Design Intern
tools
Figma, FigJam, ZeroHeight, CMS platform, Jira, Confluence
Areas of design
Visual Design, Content Design, Product Design, User Research
Project description

With CNN receiving over 100 million monthly unique visitors, content consistency is vital to instill familiarity for the users. However, with content design being a relatively newer subsection of design at CNN, there is no set documentation for CNN designers & developers to rely on.

This leads to differing voice/tone/etc. in CNN’s public facing digital platforms, leading to misalignment in content and potentially driving away users. In this internship, I completed intensive user research and ideation to create CNN’s content design guidelines. I utilized these guidelines to ideate content on customer-facing content on TV applications, the CNN website, and app.

Additionally, I contributed to the product design ideating process for the CNN election center to establish a balance between user needs and business goals.

SUMMER 2024 (11 WEEKS)
☀️ Summer Internship Recap

During my internship as a Content & Product Design Intern at CNN, I took on a core challenge: ensuring consistency and clarity in how CNN communicates with over 800 million viewers worldwide across TV, mobile, and web platforms.

Rather than focus solely on visual design, my role centered on integrating a unified content voice into CNN’s digital products. By conducting user research, collaborating with designers and developers, and iterating on real-world use cases, I helped shape content guidelines that enable CNN’s teams to deliver cohesive, engaging, and trustworthy experiences to audiences around the globe.

MY IMPACT
1. Established CNN’s First Content Design Guidelines
  • Conducted extensive user research, including interviews with stakeholders in 7 different departments, to uncover pain points and needs.
  • Analyzed existing brand resources and competitor content guidelines to develop 6 key recommendations around structure, tone, hierarchy, and presentation.
  • Produced a single source of truth to guide CNN’s designers and developers on creating consistent, user-friendly content.
2. Enhanced Product Design for CNN Election Center
  • Joined the team mid-project to design and iterate on responsive layouts (for web, mobile, and TV apps) across different stages of the election cycle (e.g., 30 days out, 2 weeks out, etc.).
  • Presented design rationale to engineers and product leaders weekly, refining my communication skills and solidifying buy-in for user-centered changes.
  • Balanced user needs with business objectives, ensuring CNN’s key election coverage goals aligned with what viewers genuinely wanted to see.
3. Drove Cross-Platform Consistency
  • Collaborated closely with Smart TV, mobile, and web teams, ensuring design and copy consistency across multiple user touchpoints.
  • Streamlined the voice and tone for CNN’s digital presence, helping unify the user experience across devices.

‍

LEARNINGS

Overall, my summer at CNN underscored the power of clear, consistent content to foster trust and engagement. By shaping robust content design guidelines and contributing to high-visibility products like the CNN Election Center, I discovered how purposeful copy, user-centered layouts, and strategic collaboration can transform the way millions of viewers experience news—on any device, anywhere in the world.

1. Holistic Collaboration

Working with brand, marketing, and engineering teams taught me to keep a wide lens on company goals. Aligning multiple stakeholders ensured that content design changes resonated across CNN’s entire ecosystem.

2. Resourcefulness on a Lean Team

From scouring non-public guidelines to synthesizing internal feedback, I learned to maximize limited resources. This meant creative problem-solving—digging into interactive design teams where needed, or tapping into outside research for content standards.

3. Balancing Diverse Needs

CNN has its own editorial priorities, but user expectations may differ. Navigating these tensions helped me find the sweet spot between promoting vital news and delivering the content audiences value most.

3. Iterating in Fast-Paced Environments

Frequent updates to the Election Center showcased the need for rapid prototyping and feedback loops. I sharpened my ability to adapt quickly and push iterative improvements in a high-stakes, live environment

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