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There is a new
research-based model for structuring any digital content. 




The "smart story suite" simultaneously presents content as short and long-form to address the varying needs of scanners and readers.

 

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cognitive psychology, journalism, and human-computer interaction reveals more effective ways to engage more 

users with more content for longer periods of time.

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Several things.

The model expands a traditional
"target audience" to larger, diverse

populations with variables to address
 

 "Digital DIETS."

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digital diets
DIET

Digital DIETS include five
"individual similarities"
that ALL users bring

to ANY content.

users1

Demographic
     Influences

Interests &

 motivations

Environments
 
technical & physical

Source

  

users3
users2
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Unlike pages dominated by text, addressing these variables builds "attention momentum" with "SPICE" content.

Time
  limits

SPICE

"SPICE" content attracts users to content they would not typically seek or select. SPICE generates "situational interest"

within a new user-centered interface.

The average engagement time on 54 billion page views was 28 seconds.*

Some users will always spend more time on the content, but the model's goal is to raise that average time.

"SPICE" content means:

Scannable

Personalized

 Iinteractive

Curiosity

 Emotional

* SOURCE: Chartbeat

summary

The Washington Post did with its new unit to serve consumers...

"who feel traditional news is not for them" but still want compelling and accurate news where they are and in the style that they want.”

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This content looks and feels different, and our research shows a statistically significant increase in engagement compared to how content is now presented.

 

It's NOT clickbait, brevity in text, or more video. A page of bullet points is still a page of text to read. The new approach addresse how users seek, select, and share content in the digital environment

We researched how and why social media sustains attention then applied 
some of those variables to the new model.

Last

The Digital Engagement Lab at the University of Maryland works with organizations that want to innovate! 

 

The team is comprised of graduate and undergraduate students from journalism, computer science, psychology, and the human-computer interaction lab. For inquires:

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