CNN Presidential Elections

Designing a Real-Time Experience That Boosted Traffic and Revenue Initially brought on to standardize CNN’s global templates under a centralized CMS, I was quickly appointed UX Lead for the network’s digital coverage of the U.S. Presidential Election — a mission-critical event known for driving record-breaking traffic and ad revenue. Key Contributions: Led the redesign of CNN’s election platform by translating user behavior data and past election trends into an omni-channel, stats-driven experience. Brought cross-functional teams together — including editorial, TV production, and the DC politics bureau — to align priorities and deliver a unified digital strategy. Developed a real-time content system that emphasized urgency and drama: day-parting, breaking election news, primary nights, and Election Night narratives. Conducted extensive interviews with internal stakeholders and user testing to shape layout, interaction patterns, and live update mechanics. Balanced editorial storytelling and sponsor visibility to optimize both engagement and ad performance across the CNN digital ecosystem.

EXPLORATION

VALIDATION

We did a series of internal and external user testing 1:1 moderated to uncover strengths and weaknesses of the concepts. As the strategy was rolling out , we testing the strength of content and modules using a mix of A/B testing live - and we did retros on the content after each major surge (Caucuses, Primaries by State - and the General Election.

RESULTS

An average of 16% increase in pageviews per day within the election center (compared to 2008)

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