Leading design at thebumdiary.com
Strategy, Visual Storytelling
Challenging the stagnant formats of journalist interfaces with unique, user-focused experiences
-> The pure sensation of regularity that you could only find in the bottom of a rum glass — that is the sweet feeling that Bum Diary seeks to capture. Both in its visual storytelling and content.
When
June '24 –– Current
For
Bum Diary
Discipline
Head of Design
Tools
Figma, Framer, Notion
Challenges
Solution Preview
Research + Focus
Before pushing any pixels, our team discussed some of our personal favorites in the digital writing space, inspiring an audit across our top 3.
Hearing Things → Indie Music Blog
Hearing Things is a new home for independent music journalism. They are writers and editors with many decades of collective experience covering music and culture at Pitchfork, The Fader, Vibe, Spin, Gawker, Jezebel, and elsewhere.
Office Mag → Fashion & Culture
Founded as a print magazine in New York City in 2014, office is a global media network designed to subvert convention with an unorthodox approach to fashion and creative culture at large.
No Bells → Underground Music Blog
No Bells originally began in 2021 as a bit of a catch-all for niche music blogging and pieces collecting digital dust. It’s since become a hub of the wider internet underground, looking forwards and backwards at the records that shape scenes and shake our bodies.
Insight –> Independent culture blogs win by pairing strong editorial voices with distinctive, visually led interfaces.
How are audiences reacting today?
Decline in Recreational Reading -> Recent data indicates a significant decrease in reading for pleasure among young people. A survey by the National Literacy Trust found that only 34.6% of eight- to 18-year-olds enjoy reading in their free time, the lowest level in nearly two decades
Increased Reading Among Some Gen Z Segments -> Conversely, certain studies highlight that 35% of Gen Z individuals are reading more than they did two years ago, suggesting a nuanced landscape of reading habits within this generation
Diverse Content Consumption -> Gen Z readers show a preference for genres like humor (27%), self-help/psychology (25%), true crime (25%), and poetry (23%)
Personas of focus
Our objective
Answer this -> How might we use our journalistic foundation to tell nuanced stories of regional identity and the American underbelly—while challenging the stagnant formats of mainstream media through more innovative, user-centered digital experiences?
Solutions
Because our publication values visuals just as much as our writing, our story graphics were leaned to inspire the web direction.
Learnings
The chance the start something from scratch — and make it long lasting — doesn't happen often. This project gave me confident in my product managerial skills whilst giving me the opportunity to build upon an establishing brand.