Method

msnbc.com and NBC News aim to deliver the best political news, insight, and analysis to the nation, wherever and whenever they want it. Beginning with the US 2012 elections cycle, the new NBC Politics brand was looking to develop and launch iOS applications that would put the full power of NBC News into peoples hands.

Challenge
NBC Politics is a new brand from NBC focused on delivering a superior political news experience, beginning with the US 2012 campaign trail. Politics serve such a wide audience, from the devoted to casual follower, that the iOS app had to have utility with various types of users. The goal was to engage and enhance the political news experience for each of these types of users by giving people consumption options while integrating interactive, social, and gaming components.

Approach
Focusing on the US 2012 campaign trail, Method partnered with NBC Politics to design and launch an iPad and iPhone app that could both inform and engage. By allowing users to craft a personalized experience, we were able to design and build an app that allows people to actively participate in political dialogue in real-time, all while providing access to news and custom analytics tools on mobile.

We decided to focus on core features for the first release, including video and news broadcasts, a daily tip sheet of the day's headlines, live election results, Presidential candidate profiles and headlines, social sharing, and an interactive battleground map. The battleground map, distinctive for the 2012 elections, gives users tools to test potential electoral vote outcomes and scenarios, play along with NBC News political exports, and create personalized outcomes as well as view historical battleground information.

Outcome
The resulting NBC Politics app launched on iTunes in May 2012. It is informative and engaging, allowing various types of users to understand, analyze, and participate in the political news cycle. Working closely with the msnbc.com team, this first release is targeted for the 2012 elections, however the app is also designed to scale and transition into a more general politics app post-elections.

"With all eyes on the 2012 election, the NBC Politics app delivers the best political content and reporting, wherever you are. This all-access, easy to navigate resource puts the full power of NBC News in your hands, from the top headlines and stories to innovative features that allow serious political junkies to dig even deeper," said David Gregory, moderator of NBC News' "Meet the Press."