Linkedin Case Study

Project

Redesigning the newsletter onboarding to be easy to use, clear to members, and fit into the Publishing platform

At LinkedIn, I interned with the Publishing team, which oversees creator-related features including newsletters and articles. I was tasked with re-thinking and improving the newsletter creation experience for LinkedIn members and page admins. In this 10-week long project, I conducted research, designed a solution, and collected feedback.

Duration

May 2023 - Aug 2023

Tools

Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Procreate

View prototype

Internship Timeline

Here is the overarching timeline and process I followed to efficiently manage tasks and ensure timely completion of the project.

The Problem

A Cluttered Newsletter Creation Experience

Today, the current newsletter creation experience is a single pop-up modal with many inputs, illustrations, and language making for a disorganized, inefficient experience.

The Problem

How might we re-think this experience to be more clear and efficient to use? How can we optimize this to attract new creators, reconnect with ones’ network, and incentivize engagement?

Phase 1 — Project Kickoff

Why is this important to solve?

This issue affects our target audience: LinkedIn members and page admins seeking to create newsletters. It also supports LinkedIn's vision of empowering users to contribute valuable, long-form content to the platform's knowledge marketplace.

To fuel LinkedIn's Knowledge Marketplace, we must facilitate the creation of high-value "gold content," with newsletter editions being a prime example.

2,000+

Members create newsletters weekly, making this a critical experience and pathway for generating gold content on the platform.

Phase 2 — Research

User Research Methods & Plan

During this phase, I collaborated with a UX researcher and Data Scientist

Audit of the Current Experience

Voice of Members Document Analysis

Competitive Analysis

Phase 2 — Research

Audit of the Current Experience

Today, the current newsletter creation experience is a single pop-up modal with many inputs, illustrations, and language making for a disorganized, inefficient experience.

Phase 2 — Research

Voice of Members Analysis Findings

Collaborating with a UX researcher, I accessed a Voice of Members (VOM) Deep Dive document that provided detailed member feedback, helping me identify patterns of pain points and needs.

Unclear newsletter creation access

Users are not aware of existing entry or access points for creating a newsletter.

Lack of clarity on newsletter purpose and function

Many users lack clarity regarding what a newsletter actually is and how it works, preventing them from engaging with this feature.

Unawareness of growth strategies

Users don’t have knowledge on the current newsletter distribution system or how they can grow their audience.

Feedback Quote

“I am incredibly surprised that there is not one single video walking a beginner through how to set up and write a multi-section newsletter in LinkedIn...”

“How do I make a newsletter and how do I subscribe to my followers or others? I would like to know the step by step of the whole process...”

“Once you hit "publish" for a newsletter, does it automatically go to all your subscribers or just the homepage feed? There is no confirmation...”

Hear it from our members!

Phase 2 — Research

Competitive Analysis

Driven by these user insights, I analyzed creation experiences across platforms to identify successful onboarding patterns.

Phase 2 — Research

Competitive Analysis Takeaways

After gathering key insights on best practices and pitfalls related to personal branding, communication/interaction styles, tone, etc, I considered how to apply these learnings to make LinkedIn's newsletter creation more engaging.

✅ Do’s

Break down the process to make a good onboarding experience
Helpful to use visuals to communicate information
Encourage members to build their personal brand

❌ Don’t

Create a one-step onboarding experience when there is a lot of information to convey
No progress indicators can lead to frustration
Lengthy forms or process can lead to high drop-off rates

Phase 3 — Ideation

Sketching and Rapid Paper Prototyping

My research uncovered a variety of approaches to optimize the newsletter creation experience. Unbound by design system and engineering constraints, I explored various ideas that pushed boundaries.

Phase 3 — Ideation

Flow Breakdown

I expanded the project scope beyond the creation modal to include the entry point, covering three four natural points of the creation flow.

Entry-point

Information

Input Form

Confirmation/Endpoint

Phase 3 — Ideation

Exploration Highlights
After extensive sketching and feedback sessions, here are some high-fidelity exploration highlights for each point of the flow.

Entry-Point

Banner

❌ Decided not to move forward with this because...

Too intrusive; risks user dismissal and distracts from main page focus
Unreliable entry-point → once it disappears, uncertainty on where to find the experience

Card after Publishing Article

❌ Decided not to move forward with this because...

Once the modal is dismissed → the access point is no longer visible
Holds the same visual emphasis as the other recommendations → easy to miss

Leveraging Coachmark

✓ Decided to move forward with this because...

This coach-mark framework shows members where the entry-point exists in this context → giving them the flexibility to access it at their convenience

Information

Value Propositions

❌ Decided not to move forward with this because...

Inadequate explanations; legally required disclosures missing.
Visuals are dominant → want to keep the emphasis on the information

Joining Forces with Content Design

Collaborated with a content designer to adopt a more encouraging tone. Comparison of initial and revised copy:

Input Form

Newsletter Preview

❌ Decided not to move forward with this because...

Too much cognitive load → can achieve the same idea with a lot less
Preview takes up a lot of the screen real-estate

What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG)

❌ Decided not to move forward with this because...

The layout looks similar to the newsletter display, but can be simplified
How can we make it feel more like their newsletter is coming to life? → pushing the WYSIWYG idea further

Refined WYSIWYG Structure

✓ Decided to move forward with this because...

Users see their design choices, helping them visualize the final display
The design adopts a conversational/personal tone to create comfort

Confirmation/Endpoint

Confirmation Modal with Recs.

❌ Decided not to move forward with this because...

The design does not add much value
No option for users to see their newsletter

Land on NL Entity Page

❌ Decided not to move forward with this because...

Overlooks scenario where members start writing an article before newsletter creation

Leveraging Next Best Action Framework

✓ Decided to move forward with this because...

Framework adopts a more positive tone, celebrating success and prompting users to write their first edition

Final Design & Prototype

Here is the final, refined design. It features improved discoverability, clearer information, a simplified input process, and guidance for next steps. The design is scheduled for development and launch in the near future!

Phase 6 — Spec and Handoff

The Process of Speccing

Manually speccing designs with a structured system helped me catch details and refine components. It clarified communication with engineers and improved my understanding of accessibility, particularly the importance of a logical focus order.

Reflection

Takeaways

My internship at LinkedIn has been an incredible opportunity to work alongside talented professionals and significantly develop my design skills. Some takeaways:

Working with a Design System

I learned to work with constraints such as the design system, while also pushing the boundaries during exploration.

Collaborating Cross-Functionally

I had the opportunity to work with a PM and content designer. I was able to gain different perspectives and ways of thinking about the overall product.

Optimizing Figma

I learned how to use the tool Figma more efficiently to design at scale.

See it go live on Linkedin!

I’m excited to see this project get launched and have a large-scale impact on our member’s creation experience.