Orbit App Design

Orbit App Design

News does not have to be unapproachable. There are too many news

sources that have an agenda or bias to certain topics, which can

become frustrating for users who just need to consume the information

as it is. Orbit breaks down content as it pertains to you and your

lifestyle, with features such as "Keyword Vocabulary", "Timeline" for current

stories, "Bias Checking" and a "Positive News" tab.

News does not have to be unapproachable. There are too many news

sources that have an agenda or bias to certain topics, which can

become frustrating for users who just need to consume the information

as it is. Orbit breaks down content as it pertains to you and your

lifestyle, with features such as "Keyword Vocabulary", "Timeline" for current

stories, "Bias Checking" and a "Positive News" tab.

Year:

Tags:

2025

UX Research

UI Design

Branding

PROCESS

Logo

Logo

The name ORBIT is a reflection of the way

we keep orbiting the sun no matter what

happens here on earth. The feel of the ORBIT

brand was scientific, friendly and current. This is

different from most news apps that feel sterile

and cold.


An all caps sans serif geometric style fit the

brand narrative of serious while the contrast

between the curves and straight lines are

approachable to the diverse audience.

User Personas and Task Flows

User Personas and Task Flows

Willow: 13 years old, Middle Schooler


Through her American history class,Willow has

discovered she likes staying up to date on current events.

She wants to learn more about economic and political

changes in hopes to one day work in government. Willow

is struggling to find a good news app that explains what

the topics are, who the people are and why all of this

information matters.

John: 47 years old, Electrician


He has been staying up to date with local and national

news for most of his adult life. He has noticed that most

news apps have recently shifted to have more bias and

“clickbait” headlines. John wants to get to the meat of the

news stories so he can stay informed while balancing his

busy schedule

Willow: 13 years old, Middle Schooler


Through her American history class,Willow has

discovered she likes staying up to date on current events.

She wants to learn more about economic and political

changes in hopes to one day work in government. Willow

is struggling to find a good news app that explains what

the topics are, who the people are and why all of this

information matters.

John: 47 years old, Electrician


He has been staying up to date with local and national

news for most of his adult life. He has noticed that most

news apps have recently shifted to have more bias and

“clickbait” headlines. John wants to get to the meat of the

news stories so he can stay informed while balancing his

busy schedule

Willow's Task Flow- Browsing the app and clicking into an article

John's Task Flow- Reading an article from "For You" page

IA Site Map

The ORBIT app would use a hub

and spoke IA model. Each branch has

a linear flow built in that move the user

through the section that they selected.


The freedom to move around at any

point in the app reduces the stress of

getting stuck or lost.

Sketches and Low-fi Wireframes

Home Page

Article Page

Profile Page

Search Page

Mid-fi Wireframes

Home Page

Article Page

Saved Stories Page

Search Page

Search Results Page

Profile Page

Final Key Screens

Final Mockup Prototype

Final Thoughts

Readers deserve more than just headlines, they deserve clarity. Every feature

in the Orbit App was designed with the user's experience in mind: bias indicators

help readers critically evaluate sources, the keywords section removes the

friction of unfamiliar terminology, and timelines place breaking news within the

broader context that gives it meaning. News is intended to be informative and it

is important for it to stay that way.

Let's get in touch

Email:

hesselol@mail.uc.edu

LinkedIn:

Olivia Hesseling

Let's get in touch

Email:

hesselol@mail.uc.edu

LinkedIn:

Olivia Hesseling