Read and Manage a Magazine Subscription
Design a digital magazine service that makes issue access, downloads, renewal terms, and reading progress clear.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
Magazine subscribers move between the current issue, archives, saved articles, and offline downloads. Access can change when a subscription lapses or when content is licensed separately.
User context
Helena subscribes to a monthly architecture magazine. She reads on a tablet during flights and wants to know which issues remain available if she cancels renewal.
Product problem
Library ownership, temporary subscription access, download status, and renewal terms are easy to confuse.
Objective
Create the library, reading, offline, and subscription-management experience for one magazine.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Current issue and archive library
- Article reading with issue context
- Offline download management
- Renewal and access explanation
Screens and states
- Magazine library
- Issue contents
- Article reader
- Downloads
- Subscription settings
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Helena opens the latest issue and scans its contents
- 02
She saves two articles and downloads the issue for a flight
- 03
She reads offline and resumes later on the web
- 04
She reviews her renewal date and post-cancellation access
- 05
She turns off renewal and receives a clear confirmation
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Differentiate owned, subscription, preview, and unavailable issues
- Show download size and completion state
- Synchronize reading position while respecting offline changes
- Explain renewal price and access consequences before cancellation
- Keep typography adjustable without breaking editorial hierarchy
Constraints
- Issues can contain large media files
- Some articles are web-only or excluded from offline use
- A subscription may be billed by a third-party store
Reality check
States worth considering
Finish line
What to deliver
- Design five tablet-first screens for library access, reading, downloads, and cancellation clarity.
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.