Flipboard Changing Interactivity As We Know It
In an era where news apps tend to feel and look the same,
Flipboard has changed the way audiences interact with media. The app features a magazine-style interface that promises audiences a curated and immersive way to browse news stories around the Internet.
Within the app are thousands of topics personally tailored to each individual. Users are free to follow the topics they are most interested in (including users, hashtags, etc.), and Flipboards are updated in real time to bring audiences the latest stories. To find this content, users can navigate their For You tab, the Daily Edition, the Trending column, and they can even find more topics by navigating to the Explore tab.
The app even features tools for audiences to control their experiences. There is a Web and Reader View, where audiences can swap between views that suit the device they are reading on. There are even options such as muting and showing less of an article or creator to allow user to tailor their experiences. Audiences are also permitted to report content they see as offensive.
These functions create an app where audiences are able to personalize the content they want to see and how they want to view it.
[How audiences can craft their experience; picture above leads to source.]
The
service states that "sources with a clear political bias are not included in feeds curated by [their] editors." But sources with bias can be found when following other individuals' feeds. The Flipboard team also states audiences may "see [biased news] in algorithmic feeds and in Magazines curated by authors other than Flipboard." These articles can be muted through the carefully crafted user experience listed above or followed depending on what content the audience wishes to see more of.
But how does the app stack up against others?
The Good: What Flipboard Gets Right
Flipboard's biggest strength is its visual design. Instead of scrolling through endless headlines, you can literally "flip" between pages. Big images and smooth transitions create a reading experience that feels more like leafing through a magazine than reading an app.
The app also pulls stories from a wide range of publications, blogs, and social feeds. This variety helps users discover content they might not stumble upon in apps tied to a singular platform. Users may then create their own public or private Magazines by "flipping" these articles into collections, creating a more thoughtful algorithmic result.
Whether individuals are into world news, game development, cooking recipes, fashion, or bookmaking, Flipboard is an app made for the user with a feed created by the user.
[An assortment of hashtags users are free to follow; picture above leads to source.]
Where the App Falls Short
While personalization is a strength, it can lead to
filter bubbles. This means that audiences may be isolated from information and perspectives, meaning they may be missing out on important information. Because Flipboard relies heavily on tailoring individual feeds, audiences may end up unintentionally isolating themselves and narrowing the perspectives they are exposed to. The moment they mark an area of interest, the only way they can balance or diversify their feed is if they manually follow the counter-topic.
Although the news on Flipboard is entirely free, readers do encounter sponsors while in the Web reading mode. Sometimes these ads mimic the regular stories, so they may interrupt the reading flow. This can be easily fixed by changing to the Reader View. But for audiences whose devices don't support this viewing method, they may struggle to read content without encountering these ads.
Below is a snippet of how these two viewing modes differ:
Final Verdict: How Flipboard Carefully Curates
Overall, Flipboard is an excellent app for users who want a curated, visually rich news-reading experience. If you appreciate design, enjoy flipping between interests, or want a discovery-focused approach to news, this app is one of the most enjoyable out there.
Although the app does have a few nuances, the overall visual design and appeal create an app where users are able to find the things that interest them the most and remove the content they wish not to see.
For more information on how the Flipboard app works, please refer to their
website.
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