Challenge: Transform a presidential policy interview into an engaging digital experience for millennials across three continents.

Impact: 1M views, 150K+ shares, reaching 89% of target demographic.

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🌑 Background

In August 2015, Mic secured an exclusive interview with President Obama to discuss the Iran nuclear deal. This marked a significant moment where the White House chose a millennial-focused digital media platform to communicate directly with young Americans. The interview, conducted in the White House Library, needed to translate complex foreign policy into engaging digital content for Mic's young, politically engaged audience.

🌕 Objectives

• Design an innovative digital experience that would make the Iran deal relevant to millennials

• Create a mobile-first interview format incorporating social media engagement

• Build authentic connection between young audiences and presidential policy

• Generate meaningful dialogue between young people in the US, Iran, and Israel

• Drive social sharing and engagement among 18-34 year olds

🌗 Research and Analysis

Primary: Politically engaged millennials (18-34)

Demographics characteristics:

• 71% mobile users

• Heavy social media consumers

• Prefer video content

• Value authenticity and transparency

• Politically independent

• Globally minded

User Behavior Analysis

Research revealed key behavioral patterns:

• 85% accessing news via mobile devices

• 6-second average attention span for video

• Strong preference for visual storytelling

• High engagement with interactive elements

• Active participation in social discussions

Platform Analysis

Technical assessment focused on:

• Mobile usage patterns

• Social media sharing behaviors

• Video consumption habits

• Interactive content engagement

• Cross-platform user journeys

🌘 Key Findings

The research phase yielded crucial insights:

• Millennials wanted direct, unfiltered access to the President

• Young audiences valued peer perspective over traditional expert commentary

• Mobile-first design was crucial for reach and engagement

• Interactive elements drove higher participation

• Social integration needed to feel organic, not forced

• Video segments needed to be both substantive and shareable

🌑 Design Process

Phase 1: Experience Design

• Developed mobile-first interview format

• Created social media integration strategy

• Designed question submission system

• Planned multi-platform content distribution

Phase 2: Visual Development

• Established visual language for the interview

• Created shareable video segments

• Designed mobile-optimized article layouts

• Developed interactive elements

Phase 3: Social Integration

• Built social sharing functionality

• Created platform-specific content versions

• Designed engagement tracking systems

• Developed hashtag strategy

🌒 Key Design Solutions

1. Interactive Interview Format

• Clean, minimalist interface

• Easy navigation between topics

• Embedded social reactions

• One-tap sharing functionality

2. Video-First Approach

• Short, shareable segments

• Mobile-optimized player

• Auto-captioned for silent viewing

• Vertical video options for Stories

3. Social Integration

• Real-time comment integration

• Cross-platform sharing tools

• Embedded social reactions

• Youth perspective highlighting

🌓 Results

Engagement Metrics

• 1M video views across media platforms

• 150K+ social shares

• 89% mobile engagement rate

• 15 minutes average time on site

• 80K+ question submissions from young people

Social Impact

• Trending topic in 3 countries

• 65% increase in youth awareness of Iran deal

• Significant cross-cultural dialogue between US, Iranian, and Israeli youth

• Featured in major media outlets as innovative political coverage

🌔 Lessons Learned

The project yielded several valuable insights:

1. Authenticity Matters: Direct, unfiltered access resonated most with millennials

2. Mobile-First is Non-Negotiable: Platform-appropriate design drove engagement

3. Cross-Cultural Dialogue: Young people wanted to engage across borders

4. Format Innovation: Traditional interview formats needed digital reimagining

5. Social Integration: Natural, organic social elements outperformed forced viral attempts

🌕 Conclusion

The interview successfully transformed complex foreign policy into engaging digital content for millennials. By prioritizing authentic dialogue and mobile-first design, we created a new model for political engagement with young audiences. This project demonstrated how traditional political journalism could be reimagined for digital natives while maintaining substance and impact. It set new standards for engaging young people in complex policy discussions through innovative design and authentic dialogue.