(Image courtesy of The Newspaper Works)
Not that we needed any further testimony, but a group in the UK gathered three experts with questions about the forces that would shape newsrooms globally in 2016.
I am not surprised that “mobile first” ranked second (360-degree video was first!).
In the US, the Newspaper Association of America reports that 50% of the newspaper digital audience is composed of those who use only mobile devices (smartphones or tablets) for their newspaper digital content.
Mobile first may not necessarily be what a newsroom is ready to jump into as an overall philosophy in 2016—although they should—but it is important to start thinking of mobile first even for a 1.0 version of it.
If a new product is designed, design it for mobile first, even if it will not appear as such at the start. I am applying this principle to my own work on a couple of projects. The client wants a non mobile platform project, which is fine, but I will take it upon myself to do the mobile version and show it as part of the overall project.
It will also be a guiding light as my Spring Semester class at Columbia University gathers in a few weeks. Every design should be for the smallest screens first, then see how it applies elsewhere.
That’s where our audience is. That is where our intentions and most creative efforts should be. In the UK, over half of the audience of five national newspapers is now mobile-only. I am seeing that trend growing from South America to Asia and in between.
Let mobile first become a state of mind with as many in the newsroom as possible, then you will see things begin to happen. This is when time when thinking small may save the day.