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brand Flipboard
tagline Stories for you. Curated by people who care.
category Content & Media
website https://www.flipboard.com

Information Architecture — Flipboard

Overview

Flipboard is a magazine-style news aggregation platform known for its signature flip animation (page-turn gesture) and visually rich content presentation. The IA centers on Magazines (user-curated collections), Storyboards (editorial narratives), and Smart Magazines (AI-curated topic feeds). Content is sourced from RSS, social media, and publisher partnerships, then presented in a beautiful, lean-back reading experience that mimics a glossy magazine.

Site Map

flipboard.com
├── Home (For You feed)
├── Explore
│   ├── Topics
│   │   ├── Technology
│   │   ├── Science
│   │   ├── Politics
│   │   ├── Business
│   │   ├── Design
│   │   ├── Food
│   │   ├── Travel
│   │   ├── Sports
│   │   └── ... (100+ topics)
│   ├── Smart Magazines (AI-curated)
│   ├── Community Magazines (user-created)
│   ├── Storyboards (editorial)
│   └── Publisher channels
├── Following
│   ├── Followed topics
│   ├── Followed magazines
│   ├── Followed publishers
│   └── Followed people
├── Magazines
│   ├── My magazines
│   ├── Liked magazines
│   └── Magazine detail
│       ├── Cover image
│       ├── Description
│       ├── Curator
│       ├── Article list
│       └── Flip-through view
├── Storyboard
│   ├── Narrative layout
│   ├── Mixed media (text, images, video, tweets)
│   └── Author / curator
├── Article View
│   ├── Full article (in-app reader or linked)
│   ├── Flip to related stories
│   ├── Like / Comment / Share
│   └── Flip into magazine
├── Profile
│   ├── Bio & avatar
│   ├── Magazines curated
│   ├── Storyboards
│   ├── Liked articles
│   ├── Followers / Following
│   └── Activity
├── Notifications
├── Flipboard TV
│   ├── Video news
│   └── Channels
├── Help
│   ├── Getting started
│   ├── Reading
│   ├── Curating
│   ├── Privacy
│   └── Contact
├── Publishers
│   ├── Partner program
│   ├── Content integration
│   └── Analytics
├── Legal
│   ├── Terms
│   ├── Privacy
│   └── Community guidelines
└── Auth
    ├── Log in
    └── Sign up

Navigation Model

Level Type Details
App Bottom tab bar Home, Following, Explore, Notifications, Profile
Web Top nav Logo, Home, Following, Explore, Notifications, Profile, Search
Article Gesture-based Flip up/down (swipe) to navigate between articles — magazine page-turn metaphor
Magazine Cover + scroll Visual cover, then flip through articles
Explore Topic grid Visual topic cards, magazine covers
Profile Tab sections Magazines, Storyboards, Likes, Activity

Key pattern: The flip gesture IS the navigation. Vertical swipes page through articles like a physical magazine. This gesture-driven nav replaces traditional lists and is Flipboard's signature UX.

Content Model

Entity Key Attributes Relationships
Article title, source/publisher, author, body (or link), cover image, published date, likes, comments, flipped-into count → Feed, → Board, → Source
Magazine title, description, cover image, curator, articles, followers, topic tags, public/private has Articles, belongs to Curator
Smart Magazine topic, AI-curated articles, auto-updating, follower count has Articles, belongs to Curator
Storyboard title, author, narrative blocks (text, image, video, embed), cover image has Articles, belongs to User/Team
Topic name, related topics, Smart Magazine, follower count has Smart Magazine, has Articles
Publisher Channel name, logo, articles, followers, verified flag has Articles, belongs to Publisher
Profile name, avatar, bio, magazines, followers, following has Magazines, has Followers

User Flows

5a. Read & discover

Open Flipboard → Home "For You" feed (personalized) → Flip through articles (vertical swipe gesture) →
  Tap article → full view (in-app reader or original source) →
  Like, comment, or flip into a personal magazine →
  Explore tab → browse topics → follow new topics for more content

5b. Curate a magazine

Tap "+" → create new magazine (title, description, cover) →
  Browse articles → "Flip into" your magazine → Arrange article order → publish →
  Share magazine link → followers can subscribe → Magazine grows as you continue adding articles

5c. Create a Storyboard

New Storyboard → title + cover image →
  Add blocks: text paragraphs, images, video embeds, tweets, articles →
  Arrange narrative flow → preview → Publish → appears on profile and can be shared

5d. Follow & personalize

During onboarding → select interests (5+ topics) → Flipboard curates Home feed based on selections →
  Follow specific magazines, publishers, and people →
  "Following" tab shows chronological updates from followed sources →
  AI refines recommendations based on reading behavior

URL / Route Structure

/                               → Home (For You)
/explore/                       → Explore topics
/topic/{topic-slug}/            → Topic Smart Magazine
/@{username}/                   → User profile
/@{username}/{magazine-slug}/   → User magazine
/storyboard/{slug}/             → Storyboard
/article/{slug}/                → Article view
/search?q={query}               → Search results
/publishers/                    → Publisher program
/help/                          → Help center
/tv/                            → Flipboard TV
/@{username}/storyboards/      # User's storyboards
/@{username}/likes/             # User's liked articles
/@{username}/followers/         # Followers list
/@{username}/following/         # Following list
/notifications/                # Notifications
/settings/                     # Account settings
/settings/profile/             # Profile settings
/settings/interests/           # Manage interests
/about/                        # About Flipboard
/terms/                        # Terms of service
/privacy/                      # Privacy policy

Search & Filter

Feature Behavior
Global search Search articles, magazines, topics, people, publishers
Topic browse Visual grid of 100+ topics
Magazine search By title, topic, curator
Following filter Filter by magazines, topics, people, publishers
Smart Magazine Auto-curated, no manual filtering needed
Sort (implicit) Home = algorithmic, Following = chronological
  • Storyboard search: Find storyboards by title or author
  • Publisher search: Find publishers and content partners
  • History: Recently viewed articles for re-discovery

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoint Adaptation
Desktop (≥1024px) Magazine-style layout, multi-column, click-to-flip, full Storyboard view
Tablet (768–1023px) Optimized for flip gesture (iPad is the signature Flipboard experience), landscape + portrait
Mobile (<768px) Vertical flip, full-screen articles, bottom tabs
App (iOS/Android) Native flip animation, offline reading, push notifications for breaking news
Web widget Embeddable magazine widget for blogs/sites

Platform-Specific UX

  • The flip gesture (vertical swipe) is the core navigation metaphor — replaces scrolling
  • Magazine cover design follows glossy print magazine aesthetics
  • Smart Magazines are AI-curated and auto-updating based on topic algorithms
  • Storyboards combine text, images, video, and social embeds for editorial narratives
  • Publisher partnerships provide verified channels with analytics access
  • Flipboard TV offers video news consumption in a dedicated section
  • Content is sourced from RSS, social media APIs, and direct publisher integrations
  • The "Flip Into" action is the primary curation gesture — adds articles to personal magazines
  • Topic following during onboarding seeds the personalization algorithm

Access Control

Role Access
Visitor Browse public magazines, articles (limited), topic pages
Logged-in User Personalized feed, create magazines, follow, like, comment, Storyboards
Curator Public magazine with followers, editorial influence
Publisher (Partner) Verified channel, analytics, content integration, monetization
Flipboard TV Contributor Video content submission, channel management
Editorial Team Smart Magazine curation, featured content, Storyboard promotion
Internal Content moderation, recommendation engine, publisher relations