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02 The reader — case study

DReader

The Drudge Report on your phone.

An ad-free reader that formats DrudgeReport.com headlines for phones. It keeps the original headlines and their order, with larger type and tap targets.

Status
Live
Platform
Mobile web
Price
Free
Field
News · Reading
Ask us about DReader → All work
dreader.app Live
DReader Today
  • Markets close higher as inflation cools for a third month
  • Storm system tracks east; coastal counties brace for surge
  • Rocket lifts off at dawn on second attempt after scrub
  • City council approves plan to reopen the waterfront line
ads · 0 just the headlines
Keep the headlines in order and make them easier to tap. The bet behind it

Why we built it

Three columns are awkward on a phone.

The Drudge Report puts its headlines in three dense columns. On a phone, the links can be hard to read and harder to tap, especially around the ads.

We wanted to keep the selection and ordering of those headlines while making the page easier to use on a small screen.

DReader puts them in an ad-free list with room for your thumb.

What we made Features
  1. 01

    Headlines in a list

    Every link from the Drudge Report appears in a single list sized for a phone screen.

  2. 02

    No ads in the reader

    DReader leaves out banner ads, pop-overs, and autoplay video.

  3. 03

    Built for one hand

    The type and tap targets are sized for phones. You shouldn't need to pinch-zoom to open a headline.

  4. 04

    Light pages

    Keeping ads and extra page elements out reduces what the browser has to load.

Design choices

Keep a quick news check quick.

Keep the editorial order

The Drudge Report's editors choose and order the headlines. DReader preserves those choices.

Let the reading end

DReader has no infinite feed or notification prompts. Once you have read the headlines, you are done.

Keep the scope small

We focused on formatting the headlines for a phone and left out features that would add work to a quick news check.

Further reading from the journal

We wrote about keeping the scope small in In defense of small software — and why we only build things we run ourselves is in Why we only build what we run.

DReader has its own contact page, privacy policy, and terms of use. It is an independent reader and is not affiliated with or endorsed by DrudgeReport.com.

Colophon End of Case Study 02

Read the headlines on your phone.

Drop us a line and we'll point you to the app. We'd also like to hear which other sites are hard to read on your phone.

Get in touch → Next case study: ganttchart.ai →