Matt Raw: Balancing legacy and innovation at The New York Times

49 snips

Aug 6, 2025

Matt Raw, Interim VP of Design at The New York Times, discusses the intricate balance between tradition and innovation in a century-old institution. He highlights the unique challenges his team faces in maintaining editorial integrity while navigating rapid changes in technology and reader habits. Raw emphasizes the role of deep listening in design collaboration and how even minor interface details can uphold institutional trust. The conversation also touches on the impact of generative AI in journalism and the importance of user-centered design in enhancing content discovery.

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INSIGHT

Information Architecture Beyond UI

Information architecture applies not just to digital spaces but to people and process structures.
Precise vocabularies and frameworks improve communication and career growth.

ADVICE

Leverage Metadata for Navigation

Use metadata effectively to categorize content for better findability and navigation.
Introduce navigation elements that expose users to the broad product offering.

ADVICE

Balance User Needs and Business

Align business needs with user experience by clearly communicating value before asking for subscriptions.
Let users access some content freely before encouraging subscription upgrades.

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Matt Raw, Interim VP of Design at The New York Times, and his team have a tough job. Their work is seen by millions every day who come to the Times website and apps for information they can trust, presented clearly, across platforms, striking a stylistic balance between tradition and innovation. Somehow they approach the pressure of their work with grace.

n this episode, we talk with Matt about what it means to design for a mission-driven organization in a time of profound technological and cultural change. Matt shares how his team is navigating the tension between tradition and evolution, how they balance experimentation with editorial integrity, and why even the smallest interface details can carry the weight of institutional trust.

We also explore how the Times is adapting to new reader habits, the impact of generative AI on journalism and design, and why listening deeply to colleagues and readers remains a superpower for their team.

If you missed it earlier this month, Matt also interviewed us for an AMA at the Times’ headquarters in Manhattan.

Also, stay tuned after our conversation with Matt (or listen to the embedded audio below) for a special with the Australian design agency Noize uses Wix Studio to create amazing sites for top brands.

Bio

Matt Raw is a product design leader with over 15 years of experience creating user-centered digital products and services. As interim Vice President of Product Design Culture and Operations at The New York Times, he helps product designers thrive, runs design operations, and oversees the shared design studio. He has built and led teams of designers, managers, and leaders who deliver exceptional work spanning strategy to execution. Raw also teaches advanced UX fundamentals to MFA students at the School of Visual Arts, focusing on insight-centered problem definition and rapid validation through lightweight prototyping. His mission is empowering product designers to craft meaningful experiences for millions of users worldwide.

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