Kollega.se
UX/UI
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Kollega is the independent journalistic branch of Unionen – Sweden’s largest union. In addition to their monthly magazine, they run an online newspaper with fresh articles published daily. I was brought in to lead a complete redesign of the site, with the added challenge of ensuring the new design worked seamlessly with an archive of more than 20,000 articles.
Design approach
The visual direction was intentionally subtle, putting editorial content in the spotlight. Since Kollega frequently covers sensitive topics such as discrimination and workplace misconduct, it was essential to establish a professional and trustworthy tone while still keeping the site approachable and easy to navigate.
Article pages
To improve long-form readability, I used a soft light grey background with slightly off-black text to reduce eye strain. Body copy columns were set to an optimal width, keeping line lengths between 60–75 characters. At the end of each article, editors can insert hand-picked recommendations, while infinite scroll automatically surfaces another article tailored to the reader’s interest, encouraging deeper engagement.
Typography
The main typeface is Newsreader, chosen for its classic serif form that enhances readability and gives the publication a distinct journalistic character. It’s used in two variants: a standard cut for body text and Newsreader 60pt, with stronger contrast, for headlines. To balance this, Fira Sans was introduced for UI elements, buttons, and fact boxes, adding a modern counterpoint to the editorial style.
Designing with old content in mind
Kollega’s archive of 20,000+ articles was a key consideration throughout the redesign. Together with the development team, I analyzed a wide range of older content to identify structural patterns. This research informed design decisions that ensured all existing material remained visually consistent and accessible post-launch. Thanks to this approach, the entire archive was imported automatically without requiring any manual reformatting.