TAPZIN
Korea's leading App-based Magazine & Content Distribution Platform
OVerview
Role : Head of Product
Company: Next Paper Media
Team: 2 Designers, 2 Editors, 4 Developers, 1 Marketer
June 2011 - August 2014
Tapzin is Korea's largest multi-platform distribution service for magazines. Started as the first employee with two founders (1 BD & 1 Tech), I oversaw product - from solidifying concepts & defining specs to product launch in app stores. As a product lead, I communicated directly with publishers and advertising clients while managing the internal teams.
Over a period of three years, Tapzin grew into 1 million+ active users with 200+ magazines.
VERSION 1.0 PROTOTYPE
I led user experience design and strategy across the entire product lifecycle and managed the iterative process of product development: analyze user behavior, aggregate data-based feedbacks from users and publishers, develop strategy, deliver to internal team and redesign the UX, improve the product, and release again.
Visual Design Variations To Explore Layout And Graphical Treatments
VERSION 2.0 WIREFRAME
Here are some part of the information architecture and detailed wireframes that I designed for developing Tapzin v.2.0.
Sign-Up / Login Screens
My Library Screens
Banner placement
TROUBLE-SHOOTING
How To Increase The Number Of Magazine Downloads?
Large thumbnails include a title and description & Magazine preview
It was challenging for indie or less known magazines to get traction as the number of magazines increased. So I designed the main page that providing special thumbnails which show a title with brief content description so that users can get some sense of a magazine and draw their attention. Also, we add preview section in each magazine landing page that provide preview of 5 pages every issues that people might enjoy and be curious about. The number of magazine downloads increased almost 15% after update.
How Can Encourage Users Mention #Tapzin In Social Media?
Capture Selected Area And Share Via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Etc.
We decided to provide the function that user can capture any selected area where they want to keep and share via social medias. We were able to increase Tapzin facebook page likes while users share images from Tapzin tags and links and promote to their friends.
What's the efficient way to place advertising without bothering users ?
Place Ad Banners For Right Target & Play Pre-Roll Ads While Downloading Magazines
As our service gets traction, we were able to receive lots of advertising request. In order to not bother users as much as we can, I tried to place ad banners in a seamless way targeting right users by placing ads in different categories depending on a brand and tried to adhere to consistent look and feel. Also, playing a pre-roll ad while users downloading a magazine was efficient way to engage users to ad.
KEY FEATURES
PERFORMANCE
Ranked No.1 in both App store and Google Play
Tapzin had been ranked as no.1 in iOS App Store book category and Google Play News & Magazines category and still always in the top 3 in Korea after multiple competitors showed up including Flipboard from US.
3rd FIPP Asia-Pacific Digital Magazine Media Conference
Selected as one of the conference keynote speakers, shared our case studies as the leading product in the digital content market in Korea.
THE IMPACTS
It wasn't easy to convince publishers to provide magazines for free to start, and to share the advertising revenue when users grow. However, once our service gets traction, the executives of traditional media publishers started thinking about our service differently, especially the ones who are the most conservative and famous, some of which we have been persuading for almost two years. Finally my cofounder and I made a contract with more than 200 publishers that include multinationals such as Cosmopolitan Korea, Men's Health, Elle Korea, Esquire and etc.
EXPANSION OF BUSINESS
THROUGH USER FEEDBACK
We had B2B product line initiated by suggestions from loyal users who later turned into clients. What happened was, various people who were not magazine publishers loved Tapzin, and wanted us to help them with their content for their businesses. So I worked with our CEO and CMO, and proposed that Tapzin could expand into B2B. We released multiple white-labeled product such as standalone application for specific magazines, digital brochures for sales teams, investor relations reports, and digital menu book for fine dining restaurant. This unexpected expansion is especially meaningful because it proved our passion was delivered to users strongly enough that they came up with the new use. It also helped me practice to design our platform as a product itself. In fact, we are the first Investor Relations application in Korea. Video demos : B2B Products (Password: b2b)