Monica Jory
Service Design | CX | Innovation
WEB3
DAO
FUTURES DESIGN
Welcome to the future of news
A human-centred approach to news production using web3 technologies - rebuilding public trust in journalism through a decentralised, community-governed platform.
ROLE
Design Lead, Researcher
TEAM
3 designers
CONTEXT
Emerging Tech studies
University of Sydney
OUTPUT
Manifesto, Roadmap, Digital Engagement Framework
01 - OVERVIEW
Framing the right problem
Trust in mainstream news is at an all-time low. Audiences have moved online to non-mainstream sources where fake news, opinion and commentary blur the line between fact and fiction.
We were asked to explore whether emerging Web3 technologies could help rebuild trust in news and media organisations - and what a credible, community-governed alternative might look like in practice.
"How might we create a completely different news service to solve for the problem of distrust?"
02 - RESEARCH
Challenging our assumptions
We combined desk research, competitor analysis and online ethnography to understand what audiences actually need from a news source they can trust.
KEY INSIGHTS
Proliferation of content
The sheer volume of information available makes it harder for audiences to stay well informed.
Distance from news sources
Non-mainstream platforms act as intermediaries, separating readers from the original reporting.
Confusion of news & opinion
Commentary and analysis are increasingly indistinguishable from primary news reporting.
Fake news at scale
Coordinated disinformation campaigns have eroded the public's confidence in institutions.
THREE CORE NEEDS SURFACED
CLOSENESS
PARTICIPATION
KNOWLEDGE
03 - SOLUTION
Proximity News - a DAO for journalism
We proposed a Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO) where journalists, designers and the public co-create a credible news ecosystem. Editorial decisions, funding and accountability all live on-chain - visible, verifiable and shared.
The deliverables included a manifesto for the platform, an implementation roadmap, and the strategic principles needed to onboard newsrooms and audiences without alienating either.