STRATEGIC VISION • EXPERIENCE DESIGN
Giving The News Legs
NOS • 2011
The Problem
- — The NOS Achtuurjournaal—the Netherlands' most-watched and most-trusted news broadcast—faced a strategic dilemma in 2011: viewers found the format increasingly stern and dry while commercial competitors offered more engaging alternatives.
- — Their core tension: how do you make the news emotionally compelling without sacrificing the authority and credibility that defined it for fifty years?
My Approach
- — I conducted rapid stakeholder research: structured questionnaires with 10 NOS makers (editors-in-chief, anchors, directors) and a parallel viewer study, synthesizing findings into a strategic design vision.
- — Rather than treating this as a production or journalism problem, I applied our clashing needs framework: viewers simultaneously wanted nuanced, authoritative news and emotionally engaging storytelling. The tension became the design opportunity.
What I Delivered
- — A strategic redesign vision: format follows content—each story's emotional weight reflected in space, movement, and visual presentation.
- — Transform the anchor from neutral "teacher" into a dynamic "travel guide" moving through the studio environment—letting each story's emotional tone shape its visual presentation.
The Impact
Historic Change
NOS embraced our vision and made the most significant format change in Dutch broadcast history
National Standard
The new news format was adopted by major commercial competitors within a year of launch
