Balancing Editorial Needs and User Experience: The Seattle Times Homepage Redesign

Overview

The Seattle Times owners and board members consulted with our team (UX Manager and Sr UX designer) to redesign their homepage, which was no longer effectively representing the breadth and depth of their news coverage. The goal was to modernize the layout, improve content discoverability, and better align the homepage with user expectations and editorial priorities.

Process

To inform the redesign, I began with a competitive audit of leading news websites across the U.S., U.K., and Australia. This research helped identify common patterns, innovative approaches, and opportunities for differentiation. I presented findings to stakeholders through a series of working sessions, pairing competitive insights with wireframes that showed how The Seattle Times’ content could be surfaced through modular homepage sections.

Over the course of several months, we iterated through five distinct homepage concepts. Once these versions were refined, I developed a usability test plan and facilitated user testing sessions to evaluate which design resonated most with readers and to identify any friction points in the experience.

Insights from the testing phase informed our final design recommendation. I then collaborated closely with the visual design and development teams to implement the solution. Many of the core elements I proposed in the wireframes remain a central part of the current Seattle Times homepage—reflecting a lasting impact on their digital experience.