Behind the Scenes of the Design Process
Take a look behind the curtain at how Pigeon News took shape—through constant refinement, creative problem-solving, and a focus on clarity, usability, and impact.
Initial Sketches and Ideation
These early sketches capture the foundation of Pigeon News. From rough wireframes to layout ideas, this phase was all about exploring structure, flow, and core functionality before moving to digital design.
Brainstorming the Displaying of Content for Good Browsing
Designing an app that combines strong UI principles with effortless navigation—especially for something as dense and ever-changing as global news—is no small task.
The goal was to create multiple intuitive pathways for users to explore large volumes of content, making the experience feel fluid and instinctive, not overwhelming or cluttered like many existing platforms.
Pinning Down a Feature for Healthy Discussion
At its core, Pigeon News exists to help people stay informed, think critically, and filter out bias and noise. But being informed isn’t just about reading headlines — it’s about engaging with ideas.
That’s why I created Debates: a dedicated space for users to discuss, share opinions, and engage in civil discourse — without the toxicity often found on traditional social platforms.
However, to preserve the integrity of verified news, I kept the Newsfeed and Debates intentionally separate, so users can clearly distinguish between facts and opinion, without the cognitive burden of sorting through the two.
Exploring Gamification, Streaks, and Rewards
Pigeon News is built to be the solution for how younger generations engage with news. One of the biggest pain points with traditional news platforms is the prevalence of paywalls. For users trying to form well-rounded perspectives by exploring diverse sources, constant subscription prompts can feel discouraging and restrictive.
While news aggregation is on the rise—and Pigeon News fits into that model—we wanted to take it a step further. Instead of locking features behind a typical paid plan, Pigeon News introduces a more engaging alternative: Streaks.
By rewarding consistent use and interaction, Streaks allow users to unlock premium features through engagement, not just payment. This model not only aligns with the habits of younger users, but also creates a sustainable feedback loop where engagement drives value for both the user and the platform.
Under the Hood
Get a glimpse into the inner workings of the Pigeon News prototype made in Figma. This workspace showcases the layered components, complex interactions, and animation logic that bring the interface to life.
Using Variables for Efficiency and Consistency
Variables in Figma helped maintain consistency and speed up the design process. Centralized values for colors, spacing, and typography made global updates effortless and ensured a cohesive visual system across the project.
