Industry

Medias

Client

AFP

Role

Product Designer

AFP News, the reference for global information.

How might we give worldwide media organizations, fast, reliable access to all AFP content?

As part of my collaboration with Backstory, I worked with Agence France-Presse (AFP) on AFP News, a platform launched as part of a major transformation of the agency’s business model. The goal was to create a single, unified platform providing worldwide media organizations with real-time access to AFP’s full spectrum of content, including articles, photos, videos, graphics, and multimedia stories.

CHALLENGE

The main challenge was transforming a rich and complex content ecosystem (Afp.com, Afpforum.com, dream viewer) into a simple, intuitive experience. Users needed to quickly locate relevant content, understand its significance, and integrate it into their editorial workflows without friction. The interface also had to reflect AFP’s core values of credibility and reliability while remaining modern, adaptable, and scalable for future enhancements.

USERS

AFP News serves a diverse range of professional users who rely on accurate and timely information every day

01 Professional journalists and editors

who need verified, real-time news to produce accurate reporting.

02 Media organizations worldwide

that use AFP News as a trusted source for comprehensive coverage.

APPROACH

This project followed a structured yet flexible process, from early discovery to final delivery, allowing us to move fast while staying aligned with real user needs. / Discovery — Understanding the newsroom reality : We immersed ourselves in journalists’ daily workflows to understand their constraints, tools, and pain points in high-pressure environments. Key insight: Users need to access the right information instantly, without cognitive overload, while maintaining full confidence in the source. / Definition — Framing the challenge : We translated research insights into clear design goals focused on speed, clarity, and trust. / Ideation — Structuring information : We explored multiple hierarchies and layouts to highlight breaking news and priority content while keeping dense information easy to scan. / Design — Crafting clarity and trust : We refined typography, spacing, and interactions to create a readable, consistent, and reliable interface across all content types. / Validation — Testing in real conditions : We tested with journalists and editors to ensure critical information could be found and used in seconds. / Delivery — From design to product : We worked closely with product and engineering teams to bring the design to production while preserving quality and intent. / Process — Working in agile sprints : The project was run in an agile setup with short sprints, regular rituals, and continuous iteration between design, product, and engineering teams.

IMPACT

The final design established AFP News as a clear and reliable gateway to global information for media organizations worldwide. It provided a strong visual foundation to support editorial workflows, improve access to critical resources, and enable continuous iteration as user needs and platform features evolved. Key outcomes include:

01 Centralized access to all AFP content (text, photos, videos, data)

02 Data-driven insights on content usage, downloads, and feature adoption

03 Expanded reach to new B2B markets, including corporate intelligence and brand content

04 Faster delivery of content and improved user experience via cloud infrastructure

05 Scalable foundation for future content formats, features, and client-driven enhancements

  • people and security on the road
  • bird's-eye view of sitting on bench while discussion
  • woman holding does anything even matter anymore? signage near building at daytime
  • white red and blue striped flag under blue sky during daytime
  • people and security on the road
  • bird's-eye view of sitting on bench while discussion
  • woman holding does anything even matter anymore? signage near building at daytime
  • white red and blue striped flag under blue sky during daytime
  • people and security on the road
  • bird's-eye view of sitting on bench while discussion
  • woman holding does anything even matter anymore? signage near building at daytime
  • white red and blue striped flag under blue sky during daytime