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Connect the Dots
Designed a new Wikipedia feature and end-to-end user flow to nudge readers towards exploring more articles and forming an informed perspective.
Collaborating with The Wikimedia Foundation, our team of social innovators explored their ecosystem to identify opportunities for innovation. We discovered a gap in the education system and developed a new Wikipedia feature that promotes exploratory learning, critical thinking, and the formation of educated viewpoints.
Type
Civic Tech
Consumer Facing
End-to-End
Team
Senior Product Manager - US Team
4 Product Designers - US Team
SWEs Europe Team
Developers Europe Team
Contribution
User Research
Product Designer
What opportunities exist within Wikipedia to engage Gen Z?
Wikipedia can evolve beyond an information repository to become a dynamic platform that empowers Gen Z, while maintaining trust in its open-source knowledge ecosystem.
Initial Research/Problem Validation
What are the challenges with the decrease in Gen Z engagement on Wikipedia?
~ 407 M
Gen Z Wikipedia users
75%
Research participants couldn't use Wikipedia for academic purposes
38%
Gen Z considers critical thinking is important
How did we involve Gen Z in the process?
4 Countries
50+ Learners
3 Co-Design Workshops
4+ Months Research
We collaborated with the Center for Art and Public Life, connecting with various institutions like short-term degrees, language and skill-based schools, and many knowledge seekers. This enabled us to host 3 workshops, virtual and in-person with 50 participants globally.
Research and Explanation
Co-Design Workshops: Understanding our users
We partnered with the Center for Art and Public Life to conduct 3 co-design workshops with over 20 learners aged 12-26. Each workshop featured four interconnected activities structured as a narrative. The goal was to identify Gen Z's needs, education ecosystem gaps, and how resource availability impacts their personal learning journeys.
Co-design the best way to learn comprehensively.
Understanding users learning patterns and processes.
Inquiring about the platforms and mediums they instinctively turn to for learning.
Asking them to build a learning guide for others.
Gen Z's Learning Preferences from Our Research
Critical Thinking to help them have a deeper understanding of things they care about.
Finding their voices and forming their own perspectives.
Personalization of information according to their needs.
Well-Rounded Viewpoints to assess available information.
Exposure to help them see the bigger picture.
Autonomy on the information they seek and how they seek it.
Key Archetypes that we identified from our research
Directed Learners
They have clear goals, know exactly what information they need, and use specific search terms.
Exploratory Learners
These learners have a general topic in mind but browse broadly, following links to uncover related information.
Serendipitous Learners
They browse casually, without a specific goal, remaining open to discovering new and intriguing information.
Problem Statement
How might we empower Gen - Z to build an educated point of view using Wikipedia as a tool?
How will Wikimedia help us?
Empowering Gen Z by providing them with multifaceted information and helping them build an informed perspective
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Breadth and Depth of Information
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Multifaceted understanding of information
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Neutral tone
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Critical Thinking
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Exposure
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Personalization
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Autonomy
Testing
Validating our conceptual ideas
This testing aimed to understand how people explore topics and identify their preferred learning methods. We presented readers with three types of articles and prompted them to explore, reflect, and discuss at various points, observing how their understanding evolved and what they sought in the content.
Defining the breadth of a point of view from concept testing
The concept testing helped us define the breadth of forming a point of view and incorporate all sides of the information and discussion elements that cater to all of our key archetypes.
Sparking interest on a topic.
Thinking about the information critically.
Nudge for them to explore further about the topic.
Getting Informed about different aspects of a piece of information.
Making people feel or connect with the information and reflect on it.
What we designed
Connect the Dots helps users navigate related Wikipedia content, making it easier to understand complex topics and form a well-rounded point of view.
01. Connect the Dots - Article Page
When readers click on "Dive Deeper," they see a split-screen view that presents curated information related to the article for quick understanding. This feature allows them to easily explore multiple perspectives with just a click.
02. Timeline and Compiled Resources
We developed an interactive timeline to highlight key historical milestones, aiding users in understanding event chronology. Additionally, we curated essential points from relevant articles into categories, allowing readers to explore all sides of the information and form an educated perspective.
03. Exploring Perspectives - Hubs
The goal was to create a space for meaningful idea exchanges by enabling users to engage in discussions and explore diverse perspectives. Hubs allow individuals to join interest-based groups, fostering pro-discussion environments where they can drive conversations and access relevant articles that inform their perspectives.
Testing and Iterations
Usability Testing: Guiding major design decisions
To identify user experience issues and enhance navigation, we conducted usability testing with 10 users, which helped us identify two major issues: content design and visibility of the new feature.
Changes to improve the visibility of the feature
After 8 iterations, the final feature was designed as a split-screen view instead of a progressive disclosure, making it easier and more seamless for readers to explore and match their expectations.
had content design issues and users could not comprehend what to expect
involved many steps involved to reach the main feature
Did not have a seamless connection with the compare button
Changes in the content design to fit Wikipedia's identity
Designing for Wikipedia required careful content design to preserve the platform's neutral tone. Here's an example of how we refined the feature's name through consultations with Subject Matter Experts and users.
Vague in terms of what to expect
Too agressive for wikipedia
Too agressive for wikipedia
Quite unclear to users
Neutral tonality with an essence of what the feature is about
Problem Statement
Expected Impact of Connect the Dots
Based on our vision to engage and empower Gen-Z readers, we developed anticipated impact metrics using the Google HEART Framework to evaluate the product's effectiveness.
Increase in active Gen Z users
Session time after the feature
Clicks on relevant articles from timeline and compiled resources
Frequency of comments on hubs
Conversation rate on hubs
Decrease in bounce rate from the platform
Repeat users to the platform
Reflections and Learnings
The 8-month Connect the Dots project for Wikipedia involved navigating multiple stakeholders and integrating with an established platform.
Final product feature call with designers across US and Europe
Bi-Weekly calls with the Product Manager
Feature and Concept Testing
Final product feature call with designers across US and Europe
1/6
Key challenges included balancing ambiguity with data overload, exploring uncharted opportunities, and simplifying a complex concept through numerous iterations.
Bi-weekly calls with the product manager and constant alignment with research findings proved crucial in refining the design and addressing the core challenge statement.
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