Studio Brief 2 - D&AD Telegraph - Brief Breakdown

The challenge

The Telegraph wants to use digital to prove its appeal to readers of any age. How can you get them to reconsider what it offers? What ideas might turn the heads of open-minded people who are looking for a different kind of news provider? What might inspire them to try a Telegraph?

It's clear from this paragraph that The Telegraph has seen the appeal to transition their physical newspaper to digital. Telegraph appeals to a number of audiences but the majority being older readers. Maybe catering for the loyal readers would be an idea to consider. The best option would be to see what's currently out their and see what the competitors are producing and how they are providing news to their audiences.

Develop an innovative digital solution to get a younger audience to think again about The Telegraph. The solution does not necessarily have to focus on ‘news’ but can look at the broad range of content The Telegraph offers.

The point above is a great indication into what the Telegraph is looking for. They're not looking for a product that just provides news for readers. How can the platform be more unique, using other areas and features of the site that aren't news. This is an area me and Lo are going to be looking into by figuring out how we can think outside the box and think of a unique solution for this consideration

Who's it for?

People of working age who know their own minds. They do what they want, when they want, and are looking for a paper that reflects this attitude.

I feel is extremely important to cater for both audiences. It's clear to see that The Telegraph have an older viewership who are very loyal to the paper. The main point here is to see how me and Lo can create a product that appeals to both young and old users but still keeping the loyal readers in mind. Loyal readers are the ones who have supported the paper since the beginning, so showing a sense of loyalty back would be appreciated. You also have to think about usability within digital. Making sure not to create a complex app or digital solution that is hard for the older generation to use.

What to consider

Community: comments on news sites appeal only to a hardcore audience and are difficult for most users to engage with. How could a news organisation engage with its readers in a more constructive way and create a community around its coverage? How does news gathering change when everyone has a camera and a voice?

Comments are a hard area to crack in my opinion. Comments are often left along by most people due to the unappealing nature of it. They are full of spam and trolls. When looking over this point me and Lo both agreed that the comment section should be completely changed and even removed. Reimagining the potential for comments and integrating it in different ways. Comments have such a great potential for collaborations and important conversation between readers and it's important to use this potential.

Context: most news stories are new twists on long running sagas. How should reporting reflect this? How should it cater for expert readers who know the story inside out and have strong opinions, alongside a reader who is new to it all and wants to get their bearings?

This point above is such a important demonstration of the changing times of news. Everyone has a phone and everyone also has an opinion to share. People have been running their own continuation of story for years already in the form of social media. News companies need to adapt to changing times and cater for people to share their own stories so how can we create a product that will break boundaries of journalism and integrate both users and qualified writers.