2021 - 2023
UX/UI Designer (Branding, Design system, UX patterns, Userflows, Training, Guidance)
My role
In my role as UX/UI Designer at RTL, I had various responsibilities, including executing a complete redesign, training junior designers, and integrating different RTL products such as RTL Nieuws, RTL Boulevard, and RTL Programma's. Additionally, I conducted user research and developed a complete design system.
My tasks
My main tasks included conducting user research, collaborating with stakeholders and Product Owners to determine the user journey of different target audiences. Additionally, I designed all components, established the complete design system, and clearly communicated all details to iOS, Android, and web developers. We operated according to the scrum method, and I also paid significant attention to WCAG, given that RTL News has a large user group with disabilities.
The assignments
Redesign
RTL needed to align its digital platforms and TV channels more closely with the overall branding of the RTL Group. This necessitated a complete overhaul of the branding for its apps and websites to ensure consistency in the look and feel across all digital properties. By adopting a new branding strategy, RTL aimed to strengthen its brand identity and create a cohesive experience for users interacting with its various online platforms. This initiative involved reimagining visual elements such as color schemes, typography, imagery, and overall design aesthetics to reflect the values and image of the RTL Group. The goal was to create a unified digital presence that reinforced RTL's position as a leading media company while enhancing brand recognition and user engagement across its digital ecosystem.
Design system
RTL needed a design system to ensure consistency and efficiency across its diverse digital platforms like RTL News, RTL Boulevard, and RTL Programs. I set up and designed the design system in Figma as a scalable, multi-brand system, allowing different RTL brands to share the same foundations and components while maintaining their own visual identity.
I created a token-based structure to form the foundation of the system. Shared design decisions such as color, typography, spacing and other visual properties were defined through design tokens, making it possible to adapt components to different brands without creating and maintaining separate component libraries. Components, variants and states were designed to be reusable across products, while still providing the flexibility needed for individual brands.
This approach created a clear separation between shared product patterns and brand-specific expression. It reduced duplication, improved consistency and made it easier to scale the system across RTL's digital products and evolve it over time.
Together with the developers, I documented the design system in Confluence, describing components, patterns, behaviour and usage guidelines. This created a shared reference for design and development and helped translate the Figma design system into its technical implementation, ensuring that design decisions could be applied consistently across teams and products.
Product design
Post the COVID-19 pandemic, users grew weary of news consumption, posing a challenge for the entire news media industry. User research revealed a preference for lighter and more digestible news, with a desire for increased entertainment. Coupled with cost efficiency, as three separate apps are more expensive than one, we decided to consolidate into a single app for both iOS and Android. Due to the large number of unique users of the RTL News App (approximately 1 million), we opted to update this app to the new version and migrate users of the RTL Boulevard and RTL apps to the new app.
Native App
Responsive Web
