Client

Nacional News Corporation d.o.o., Zagreb, Croatia

Nacional

Nacional as one of the leaders of independent journalism gave us the opportunity to participate in their growth - mobile application, websites and future projects

The idea had been there for a long time, but it never reached the point of realization. Nacional needed a mobile news app to keep up with the competition, and that request was quite complex because Nacional still has its own specific requirements for a mobile app that are different from others.

Design

Considering the requirements, we first of all started with creating the design because the design is part of the mobile application project or any other IT project that is subject to endless changes. The design of the mobile application is a moment in the project that was primarily created due to possible changes and adjustments along with the presentation to the client.

The design was made in three themes;

  • basic theme - set of colors with white as primary
  • black/white theme - a set of colors emitted by the so-called DARK mob mobile application
  • cream theme - a color set that is popular in journalism and publications
     

Each user can adjust the theme they want to use through personal settings. In addition to the theme or color palette, there is also an adjustment for the visually impaired, so it is possible through the same personal settings to increase the text size as needed, regardless of the default settings of the mobile device.

The rest of the design of the mobile application is made in classic tabs and rows that have the ability to scroll in order to access news categories or specific articles as easily as possible.

Database and application management

Considering that Nacional already has a huge database and management of the same due to the web portal, the logical decision was to use it for mobile applications as well. The task was not at all easy because of the background, which was neither designed nor optimized for a mobile application. It was necessary to adapt the existing API as well as standard procedures for receiving data into the application. We can state that both tasks were completed successfully.

Mobile application

In terms of functionality, the mobile application is closer to the end user, so the following functionalities are available;

  • selection of news categories that you want to be informed about
  • overview of news categories and subcategories and news related to them
  • reading news and related articles
  • search for news by keywords
  • contracting a subscription to the digital or printed edition of the newspaper Nacional
  • login to your user account
  • settings management
  • sharing content on social networks or with friends
  • listening to Radio Nacional

Radio Nacional

In addition to everything else, we also created Radio Nacional’s website, because radio wouldn’t be radio if it didn’t have its own website with a live stream. Radio Nacional is the new brand of Nacional News, which certainly started to leave a strong mark on the area right from the start, mostly due to the impressive radio team.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Nacional need a dedicated mobile app when they already had a web portal?
A news portal and a phone app are two different experiences. Readers expect a fast, native feel on mobile, with smooth scrolling through categories, content they can save and share in a tap, and a layout built for a small screen rather than a shrunken website. Nacional also had specific editorial requirements that set them apart from other news apps, so a generic template was never going to work. The app lets them reach readers who live on their phones and keep pace with competitors who already had one.
Did you build a separate database for the app, or reuse what Nacional already had?
We reused the existing database that already powers the web portal. That was the sensible call given how much content and history already lived there. The catch was that the backend was never designed or optimized for a mobile app, so we adapted the existing API and the data delivery procedures to feed the app cleanly. It took real work, but both the API adaptation and the data flow into the app ended up working well.
What does the three-theme design actually do for readers?
We designed the app in three colour themes so people can read it the way they prefer. There is a basic theme with white as the primary colour, a black and white dark theme for low-light reading, and a cream theme that is popular in journalism and print publications. Each reader picks their theme in personal settings. We also added a text size adjustment for visually impaired users, so you can enlarge the text from inside the app regardless of your phone’s system settings.
What can readers do inside the Nacional app?
Quite a lot. You can choose the news categories you care about, browse categories and subcategories, read articles and related pieces, and search news by keyword. You can log in to your account, manage your settings, and share content to social media or with friends. You can also subscribe to the digital or printed edition of Nacional directly in the app, and listen to Radio Nacional live.
Why did you also build a website for Radio Nacional?
Radio Nacional is the newer brand from Nacional News, and a radio station needs its own home online. We built the Radio Nacional website with a live stream so listeners can tune in straight from the browser. The same live stream is also available inside the mobile app, so the radio reaches people wherever they are.
Which technologies did you use to build the app?
We designed the interface in Figma first, since design is the part of any app project that goes through the most rounds of changes and feedback with the client before a line of code is written. The app itself is built in Flutter, which let us deliver one polished, native-feeling app across both Android and iOS from a single codebase.

Key Results

Multi-theme design
basic, dark, cream
Customizable color palettes
Accessibility features
visually impaired
Text size adjustment
News subscription
digital & print
Contract newspaper editions
Radio streaming
live Radio Nacional
Listen to broadcasts

Technologies

Figma
Figma
Flutter
Flutter

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