MFA Alumna Vidya Nayak Leads FOXNews Digital to Rich Media Adoption

She already had the technical skills, but Vidya Nayak wanted to sharpen her creative side – which is why she decided to pursue an MFA degree at Academy of Art University. As the lead user experience & web designer at FOXNews Digital, where she drives the ongoing redesign for FOXNews.com, standardizing the site structure and interface with new technologies and rich media features. The first phase was launched in January 2009; Nielsen reported that page views skyrocketed 50 percent as a result.

Vidya is also in charge of the FoxBusiness.com redesign. “We’re moving towards robust portal sites, focused on providing a comprehensive user experience and a content rich site. This also includes the launch of video players and custom applications for iPhone and other mobile devices.”

With the launch of Fox’s hulu.com under her belt, Vidya understands how to deliver broadband content on demand.  Hulu.com is a free online video service that offers TV show, movies and other clips legally from the top networks. The flash-based interface is extremely user-friendly and the streaming videos are high quality. Vidya worked on the network and page promos focusing on Fox News and worked on a page for Bill O’Reilly’s Talking Points segment on Hulu.

“I think it’s a very amazing interface,” she said. “It is easy to use and is intriguing for the users.”

Vidya received an undergraduate degree in business and another degree in marketing while she was living in her home country of India. She decided to come to San Francisco, CA to study at Academy of Art University’s School of Computer Arts New Media to expand her skills in a new direction. The comprehensive design curriculum in the MFA Program was exactly what Vidya was looking for.

“I enjoyed my two years because I got to experiment a lot with all three avenues – especially the web,” she recalled.

Before she started working for Fox, Vidya worked for the publishing company Rodale after graduation. She worked on the restructuring of WomensHealth.com and redesigned Bicycling.com, MensHealth.com, and Prevention.com.

Some of this story was excerpted from the Academy of Art University News Features.