Designing Headlyne: An AI-Powered News App

Shaheer Malik

Verified

Completed work

Review

Product Designer

UI Designer

UX Designer

Canva

Figma

News & Journalism

AI Powered News Platform

01 — Overview

Headlyne is an AI-powered news app designed to help users consume global and local news in seconds. The goal was to build a fast, modern, trustworthy, and personalized news-reading experience with features like AI summaries, sentiment indicators, category-based feeds, and a unique Junior Mode for kids.

I designed the entire product end-to-end — from UX architecture to visual design, interaction patterns, and scalable design systems for multi-device use (iPhone, iPad, Mac).

02 — My Role

Product Strategy

UX Research & Information Architecture

Wireframing & Interaction Design

Visual Design System

Prototyping & Usability Testing

App Store creative direction

Continuous improvements with user feedback

03 — The Challenge

The news app market is saturated. Users complain that:

News is cluttered

Too long to read

Too much negativity

No personalization

UI is outdated

Too many ads

The challenge was to design a lightning-fast, clean, and AI-assisted experience that solves these issues while still feeling approachable and modern.

04 — Key Objectives

Reduce reading time using AI summaries.

Increase clarity through smarter typography and layout.

Improve trust through mood/sentiment indicators.

Make news accessible for all ages — including children.

Enable personalization without complicating onboarding.

Design an interface that feels premium yet simple.

05 — Research & Insights

What users wanted:

✔ Quick summaries ✔ Less clutter ✔ Cleaner UI ✔ Breaking updates ✔ Ability to personalize fonts, layout, and reading mode ✔ A safe version for kids

What was missing in competitors:

✘ No AI summarization ✘ No junior mode ✘ Poor hierarchy ✘ Overloaded screens ✘ Ads disrupting the reading flow ✘ No emotional / sentiment awareness

These insights shaped the foundation of Headlyne’s UX.

06 — Information Architecture

I created a lightweight but scalable IA:

Home Feed — curated, personalised news

Categories — Sports, Tech, Global, Local, Entertainment, etc.

AI Summary View — bullets or short paragraph mode

Junior Mode — simplified UI for kids

Profile & Preferences — font size, swipe vs scroll, theme, region

Saved Articles

This ensured visual clarity and smooth navigation regardless of user type.

07 — UX Design & Core Screens

1. Home Feed

A clean, card-based layout with:

Headlines

Mood dots (Positive / Neutral / Negative tone)

Time stamps

Fast scrolling

Subtle micro-interactions

Designed for scannability.

2. AI Summary Screen

Users can switch between:

✔ Bullet summaries

✔ Short paragraph summaries

✔ Swipe or scroll reading modes

This flexibility respects user behavior and improves retention.

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What the client had to say

Shaheer is an exceptional designer and has the business outlook behind his designs. Really loved working with him.

Akbar Ali, LARSAM Network pvt Ltd

Nov 1, 2024, Client

Completed work

Posted Nov 18, 2025

It remains one of my strongest examples of designing a content-heavy product with a light, modern, and AI-driven experience.

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Timeline

Oct 24, 2024 - Nov 1, 2024

Clients

LARSAM Network pvt Ltd