Nota: Helping Newsrooms Make ContentMore Accessible, More Efficiently

A full-service SAAS suite of AI tools, expanded over time to help journalists and media outlets stay competitive.

ROLE

Product Manager

User Research

UX/UI Designer

Prototyping & Testing

TOOLS

Miro

Rive

Figma

Webflow

DETAILS

Duration: 8 months

Company: Nota

THE PROBLEM

During the initial phase of Nota, I worked on designing AI-powered tools to help newsrooms and content teams speed up their content conversion processes. We started with a few core tools to streamline workflows and added additional capabilities over time, creating a platform that allowed teams to generate, adapt, and distribute content more efficiently.

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Problem Statement

Existing content creation workflows for news outlets were time-intensive and fragmented. Key user personas experienced the following challenges:

Editors and writers struggled to convert raw content (audio, video, or notes) into polished articles efficiently.
Content managers needed to maintain consistency in style, tone, and formatting across multiple channels.
Social and newsletter teams required rapid adaptation of content for diverse distribution formats.
Corporate PR teams struggled to create and distribute content across multiple channels while maintaining brand consistency and efficiency.

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Impact of these Problems

Long production times delayed content publication
Inconsistent formatting and messaging reduced engagement
Teams were underutilizing AI capabilities, limiting productivity gains

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Opportunity

Designing Nota’s platform gave me the opportunity to create a user-centered experience that streamlined content workflows, integrated AI tools thoughtfully, and allowed teams to maintain high-quality, consistent output while reducing production time.

RESEARCH

User Research to Inform Kindest’s New Website

I led research initiatives to understand how non-profits, program managers, and potential partners interacted with Kindest’s website and accessed their services, using insights to guide the redesign.

Interviewing Executives

I worked with CEO Josh Brandau to conduct interviews with executives at top media outlets, uncovering strategic challenges and key pain points in content production.

Observing Editors and Writers

I shadowed editorial teams to see how they converted raw content into polished articles, identifying friction points and opportunities for AI assistance.

Analyzing Corporate PR Workflows

I mapped how PR teams adapted and distributed content across multiple channels to ensure our design supported efficiency and consistency.

Evaluating Competitive Tools

I reviewed other content creation and AI-assisted platforms to identify best practices, UX patterns, and gaps that Nota could address.

Ethnographic Observations of Small-Scale Journalists

I conducted in-context observations and interviews with independent journalists and small media makers, learning how they managed content creation and workflow challenges in real-world settings to inform more practical and user-centered design solutions.

Leading Feature Prioritization Workshops

I facilitated workshops with stakeholders to prioritize AI tools and interface features based on user impact and business goals.

Observations I Gathered

EFFICIENCY

Where Time Was Wasted

I determined where journalists and PR teams need streamlined workflows that reduce repetitive tasks and accelerate content conversion without sacrificing quality.

ACCESSIBILITY

Flexible Tools

I learned that tools must be intuitive and flexible, supporting both large media organizations and small independent creators to ensure broad usability.

AI ETHICS

Leading with Ethical Transparency

I identified the importance of designing AI features that are transparent, explainable, and give users control, fostering trust in the recommendations and outputs.

IDEATION AND DESIGN

Working with CEO Josh Brandau and the Nota AI development team, we determined the best user-centered content structures aligned with Nota’s mission of helping newsrooms and corporate PR teams create, convert, and distribute content efficiently while maintaining quality and consistency.

Business Strategy Alignment

Tailored to newsroom and small publisher workflows – Ensure content supports real editorial and corporate processes

Accurate and trustworthy – Maintain high-quality output, preserving brand voice and factual integrity

Relevant to user needs – Avoid overwhelming users with unnecessary steps or tools

Actionable guidance – Provide clear next steps for content conversion, adaptation, and distribution

Distinctly Nota – Deliver content and interface language that reflects the platform’s AI-assisted productivity focus

Content Structure Approaches

Problem/Solution – Frame common pain points in content workflows and present AI tools as solutions

‍Feature/Benefit – Highlight each AI tool or workflow enhancement and explain its direct value

‍Workflow Comparison – Enable users to understand trade-offs between manual and AI-assisted processes

Implementation

Content pillars – Define key areas: content conversion, collaboration, AI assistance, and distribution

Hierarchical organization – Structure modules and dashboards with clear sections and sub-sections for intuitive navigation

Detailed outlines – Specify information architecture for each tool and workflow stage to guide development and ensure consistency

Wireframes & Prototypes

I started by creating low-fidelity wireframes on paper, mapping out the core workflows for content conversion, AI tool integration, and distribution. I then moved these sketches into Miro, collaborating closely with the CEO and CTO to refine flows, clarify hierarchy, and ensure that each tool addressed real newsroom pain points within the capabilities of the team’s AI tools. This collaborative process allowed us to validate assumptions and align on a flexible structure before building interactive prototypes.

Once wireframes were validated, I built low-fidelity Figma prototypes that brought the workflows to life. The engineering team rapidly added new AI tools and capabilities, so I iterated on the prototypes repeatedly, testing interactions, navigation, and layout to ensure each feature fit seamlessly into the overall workflow. This iterative approach helped us integrate complex AI functionality while keeping the platform intuitive, efficient, and actionable for both large and small content teams.

Design and Development

After validating the low-fidelity prototypes, I built high-fidelity designs in Figma, defining every element of Nota’s AI tools, including interface components, interaction states, and responsive layouts. I created detailed design notes and documentation specifying how each AI feature should behave, from content conversion suggestions to adaptive workflow tools. These specifications ensured the engineering team could implement the features accurately while preserving usability and consistency. Once finalized, I handed off the Figma files and documentation, providing a clear reference that guided development and supported the seamless integration of Nota’s AI capabilities into the platform.

CONCLUSIONS

The Nota product design project allowed me to shape a platform that helps content teams work faster, smarter, and more confidently using AI tools. By grounding my design decisions in user research, I focused on creating intuitive workflows, actionable features, and transparent AI interactions that addressed the real needs of content creators.

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Key Outcomes

Through a user-centered approach, I designed interfaces and AI-driven workflows that streamlined content conversion, improved efficiency, and reduced cognitive load for users. Iterative testing and feedback ensured each tool delivered immediate value while remaining flexible enough to incorporate new AI capabilities over time.

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Impact on Users

My design work helped users gain confidence in leveraging AI, making complex tasks like content transformation, adaptation, and organization more manageable and accessible. By prioritizing clarity, actionability, and transparency, I enabled teams to adopt AI tools without feeling overwhelmed or uncertain.

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Impact on the Organization

The streamlined and elegant design and expanded AI tools helped Nota secure over $3 million in funding from Microsoft and other investors. Today, the Nota SAAS platform supports media outlets covering the majority of the United States and reaches millions of news consumers daily, demonstrating both commercial and societal impact.

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Strategic Value

Beyond improving day-to-day productivity, this project demonstrates how thoughtful design of AI tools can enhance trust, usability, and user empowerment. By aligning design principles with the evolving capabilities of Nota’s AI, I set the foundation for a platform that scales efficiently while remaining user-centered and ethical.