Executive Summary

In an era of information overload and emotionally draining news feeds, Global News Map is reimagining the way digital-native users engage with global events. Our student start-up team has developed a personalized, visual-first news platform designed to empower users aged 18–28 to stay informed via AI-generated neutral summaries without feeling overwhelmed.

Goal

Our goal was to address the growing disconnect between Gen Z’s news consumption behavior and existing platforms that fail to provide clarity, emotional balance, or user control. We aimed to build a mobile-first solution that combines a visually engaging interface with personalized filters, local/global navigation, and our own AI summarizer — all centered around an interactive world map.

Methodology

To validate our hypotheses, we combined quantitative and qualitative research. We surveyed over 70 users and conducted 18 deep-dive interviews with our target group to identify key pain points such as fragmented platforms, overwhelming negativity, and low personalization. Based on this, we developed and iteratively tested three prototype versions in Figma, experimenting with different personalization models and display options. The prototypes were evaluated through 18 usability tests, guiding us toward an intuitive UX/UI. Our final approach integrates sliders for interest-level filtering and a dual-layer map interface combining pop-ups and detailed views. Technically, we use Flutter for the frontend, and a SQLite-based backend to support AI-generated news summaries, with plans to scale via cloud infrastructure.

Results

Global News Map offers a much-needed alternative in today’s overwhelming and fragmented news landscape, where staying informed has never been more important — yet increasingly difficult. Our user research and prototype testing confirmed a clear need for a platform that delivers clarity, emotional balance, and user control. We are now developing the first version of our mobile application, combining a visual-first interface, AI-powered summaries, and personalized filters to help users engage with global and local news in a more intuitive and less exhausting way. Based on our financial analysis, there is a clear path to profitability through a freemium subscription model and potential B2B licensing streams. With a validated concept and strong user interest, Global News Map is positioned to redefine how young people interact with the news.

Cooperation Partner

• Global News Map

Contact Person

• Anna Kalugyer - h12313609@s.wu.ac.at

Student Team

• Farmohammadi, Pouya
  Kaiser, Frederik
  Kalugyer, Anna
  Krycha-Weilinger, Alwin
  Puric, Farah Emina
  Schmidradner, Nikolaus
   

Project Manager

• Thomas Pannermayr
  Diana Lauer
  Dragos-Cristian Vasilescu
  Caroline Kunesch