App Showcase: Sift - News Therapy

What it does

Sift positions itself as "news therapy." It's a mobile app designed to tackle complex, often anxiety-inducing news topics like immigration, gun control, and climate change. Instead of a constant stream of breaking headlines, it offers curated, long-form interactive articles that provide historical context, data, and multiple perspectives. The goal is to help users feel more informed and less overwhelmed by the news.

Where it shines

Sift excels at making dense topics digestible and engaging. The article on news objectivity (00:50) is a prime example. It breaks up text with interactive polls where users can guess statistics before the answers are revealed (01:11), making data points more memorable. The app also provides optional "deep dives" (01:59) into related topics, like profiles of historical journalists, allowing users to explore further without derailing the main narrative. This layered approach to content respects the user's attention and curiosity.

UX highlights

• Emotional Framing: The app's first interaction after onboarding is a "Check in" (00:15) that asks about the user's feelings toward the news. This immediately reinforces its therapeutic positioning.
• Interactive Storytelling: Static charts are replaced with engaging elements like draggable sliders (01:07) and simple quizzes (01:30), which turns passive reading into active participation.
• Clear Visual Hierarchy: The design uses color, typography, and spacing to clearly separate main content, interactive modules, and contextual information, making the articles easy to navigate.
• Source Transparency: The app makes a point to let users "delve into primary sources" (00:04), and within articles, it shows examples like historical newspaper clippings (01:54) to build trust.
• Mindful Pacing: There are no auto-playing videos or intrusive pop-ups. The experience is calm and self-paced, which aligns with its goal of reducing news anxiety.
• Low-Friction Start: Onboarding is a simple, three-swipe carousel (00:00 - 00:06), getting the user to the core content in seconds without a mandatory sign-up.

Monetization & growth

Monetization is not explicitly shown in the recording. There are no paywalls, subscription prompts, or ads. The primary growth mechanic appears to be an optional email sign-up form (03:42) for "Sift updates." The app also has a system share function for saving or sharing specific content cards (01:17), which could drive word-of-mouth growth.

Who it’s for

Sift is for the "news-avoidant" user who feels overwhelmed by the constant, often negative, 24/7 news cycle. It also appeals to students, educators, and anyone interested in media literacy and understanding the historical context behind current events. It serves users who prefer depth over breadth and a calm, educational experience over a chaotic feed.

Notes & opportunities

The app's core loop is strong, but the purpose of the Bookmarks feature (03:26) feels slightly disconnected. Users can save specific data visualizations as images to their phone's photo library, but it's not clear how they would bookmark an entire article or section within the app itself. Clarifying this functionality could increase long-term engagement and content revisitation.