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VOX MEDIA

Designing a Living Tool for Inclusive Language in Media

Overview

Language, Please is an online, living resource that helps journalists and media professionals make informed, inclusive choices in the language they use when framing stories. I was brought on to design and document the full web experience—turning approved UX wireframes into a fully styled, responsive, and accessible site

Goals

  • Deliver a thoughtfully branded, accessible web tool that journalists can use daily

  • Enhance usability and visual clarity, especially with a challenging brand palette

  • Launch the product ahead of schedule and ensure it's flexible for future content updates

Collaborators

  • UX Designers

  • Editorial and Content Strategy Team

  • Front-End Developers

  • Project Manager & Client Stakeholders

My Role

I was responsible for the full UI design and responsive implementation guidance, ensuring the experience felt both credible and creative. I also contributed UX refinements and built a developer-friendly prototype.

Timeline

  • 3 months total

  • Launched successfully in July 2022, ahead of schedule

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The Challenge

Business Need

​Build a unique, digital-first editorial tool that supports responsible journalism and reflects the client’s bold, modern brand

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User Need

​Journalists need an easy-to-navigate, trustworthy source for evolving language guidance—one they can reference quickly in the middle of their workflow

Problem to Solve

How might we design an editorial resource that’s visually engaging, highly usable, and adaptable while aligning with an unconventional brand palette and the evolving nature of language?

Design & Execution

  • Applied the Language, Please brand to the approved wireframes using a bold lavender and yellow palette—creating a balanced visual system that highlighted key actions without overwhelming users

  • Introduced hand-drawn elements and subtle touches to infuse personality and warmth into the interface

  • Created a cohesive experience that reinforced trust, clarity, and editorial sophistication

Prototyping

  • Built a fully interactive Figma prototype for client review and stakeholder presentations

  • Ensured all key flows and breakpoints were linkable and easy to share across teams

Documentation

  • Created detailed implementation guides for how each component should behave across desktop, tablet, and mobile

  • Ensured consistency and clarity in responsive behavior for a smooth developer handoff

UX Refinements

  • Audited the wireframes and suggested usability improvements, including:

  • Replacing repetitive CTAs with text links and icons to reduce visual clutter

  • Adjusting spacing, hierarchy, and interactivity to improve scan-ability and comprehension

  • Enhancing accessibility and responsiveness throughout

Final Design Highlights

Visual Design & Branding

  • A clean, intuitive editorial tool built around complex, evolving content

  • Responsive layouts and adaptive typography for optimal readability

  • Distinct brand flourishes—including color, linework, and microinteractions—to bring personality to a serious subject

Results

  • Launched successfully in July 2022, ahead of schedule

  • Widely adopted by journalists across the U.S.

  • Received strong praise from the client and notable press coverage from media outlets promoting the tool

  • Continues to serve as a living reference in ongoing conversations around inclusive language in journalism

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