- 2016
- São Paulo
Creating a new product for long-form articles
Created in 1996, UOL is a pioneer in the production of news content. Reaching 7 out of 10 Brazilian internet users each month, it is the world's largest content website in Portuguese.
Challenge
UOL's special content template was outdated, as the available modules did not work well with long texts. As a result, the product was primarily used as a link hub to other articles rather than for publishing in-depth content. In addition to that, the visual language of the product was outdated and not aligned with other parts of the portal.
The new product should address all these issues, functioning as a long-form content template and providing greater freedom by allowing various possibilities for publishers.
My role and responsibilities
As the designer responsible for the product since its inception, I collaborated closely with an information architect and three engineers. My responsibilities ranged from proposing, designing and evolving new and existing templates to providing support for editorial teams. Additionally, I also developed a hi-fidelity prototype using HTML and CSS, which played a key role in presenting the product and future vision to main stakeholders.
Outputs & outcomes
- 20+ Templates delivered
- 400+ Long-form articles launched in 2016
- 7+ Years that the product continues to be widely used
Starting small
With several different templates and functionalities proposed, the product was launched in the simplest form possible. Through regular deployments and constant collaboration with publishers, the product has been widely adopted across all UOL content sections. It played a significant role in covering major events that shaped 2016, including the Rio Olympic Games, Brazilian presidential impeachment, and the American elections.
Cover
One text
Text / horizontal image
Text / vertical image
Two texts
Video / image background
Quotes
Lists
Native ads
Due to the product's success and widespread adoption across all UOL news departments, UOL Content_Lab decided to make minor adaptations in order to begin selling native advertising using the long-form template. Brands such as Meta, Samsung, TikTok, Microsoft, Disney, Coca-Cola, and others have already utilized the format.
Art direction & training
As the designer responsible for the product, I took on the task of assisting publishers with their initial experiences after the product's launch. This involved sharing best practices and explaining how the templates interacted with each other.
Although it was outside my role, I also had the opportunity to contribute to the art direction of select publications. These were projects deemed particularly significant by the editorial team, with greater potential to reach larger audiences.