Epaper Article Mode
Improving Readability Without Losing Authenticity
The Epaper is a core feature of the Kompas.id app, representing the digital version of the Kompas print newspaper and a key driver of subscriber value.
I designed Epaper Article Mode, a feature aimed at improving readability on mobile screen while preserving the essence of the print experience.
Impact (post-launch):
+31.1% increase in epaper Adoption Rate
+26.3% increase in epaper Daily Active Users (DAU)
+49.8% increase in epaper Monthly Active Users (MAU)
Role Product Designer
Platform iOS, Android
Year 2024
Problem
Despite its importance, the epaper experience on mobile was not optimized for usability.
User research revealed that:
37.4% of respondents have experienced difficulties when reading epapers on mobile devices
Readers struggled with frequent zooming and panning to read content
The experience felt cumbersome and inefficient on smaller screens
Constraints
The challenge was not to replace the experience, but to improve it without breaking what users already valued.
The epaper format was strongly preferred by the majority of users
It needed to retain the authentic look and feel of the print newspaper
Any solution had to co-exist with the original format, not replace it
Design & Approach
I focused on introducing flexibility into the reading experience while validating decisions through user feedback.
Exploration & Prototyping
Designed 3 distinct prototypes for Epaper Article Mode feature
Each explored different ways to balance readability vs fidelity to print layout
Validation
Conducted usability testing with 13 participants (Kompas.id subscribers)
Evaluated based on:
Task Completion Rate (TCR)
Measures the percentage of users who successfully complete a taskSingle Ease Question (SEQ)
Evaluates how easy the feature is to use based on user feedbackCustomer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
Measures user satisfaction with the feature experience
Decision
Selected the prototype with the strongest usability performance
Collaborated with engineering to bring the solution to production
Prototype - 1
The Epaper Article Mode feature is placed on the epaper index page (separate from the epaper reading page), displaying a list of articles from that day's newspaper edition.
Usability testing result:
TCR: 78.3%
SEQ: 4.1/5
CSAT: 69.2%
Prototype - 2
The Epaper Article Mode feature is placed within the epaper reading page as a button. When clicked, it displays a list of articles from the newspaper page currently being viewed.
Prototype - 3
The Epaper Article Mode feature is integrated directly into the epaper reading page, allowing users to access it by tapping on the text or image area of the epaper.
Usability testing result:
TCR: 88.7%
SEQ: 3.9/5
CSAT: 69.2%
Solution
Prototype - 2 is the prototype with strongest usability performance. So we bring the design to production.
Now epaper users get dual reading experience:
Users can remain in the original epaper view for authenticity of printed newspaper
Or switch to Epaper Article Mode for improved readability
Impact
By introducing Epaper Article Mode feature, resulting in measurable growth in both epaper usage and retention on mobile app.
Adoption Rate
+31.1%
Daily Active Users
+26.3%
Monthly Active Users
+49.8%