Knight Lab Tools & Prototypes

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

Knight Lab provides media innovation through exploration and experimentation to push journalism into new spaces.

Target Customer

Northwestern University students, faculty, and staff; journalists and media-makers; educators and researchers seeking to prototype and deploy new storytelling tools.

Key Differentiator

Open-source, adaptable storytelling tool suite (TimelineJS, JuxtaposeJS, StoryMapJS, Scene VR, SoundciteJS, StorylineJS, Timeline JS, etc.) combined with an interdisciplinary lab + device lab and a strong academic/educational orientation that publishes prototypes and guides for media makers.

Implementation Timeline

Not explicitly specified; tools are described as easy-to-use and suitable for prototyping and education.

Pain Points

1Need for accessible, easy-to-use storytelling tools for journalism and education.
2Desire to experiment with new technologies (VR, data visualization, audio) to improve reporting and storytelling.
3Exploration of sustainable approaches to local news and innovative journalism through prototyping and research.

Key Features

1Open-source storytelling tools: Juxtapose JS, Scene VR, Soundcite JS, Storyline JS, StoryMap JS, Timeline JS.
2Knight Lab Studio: interdisciplinary lab class with student teams addressing real problems at the intersection of storytelling, design, and technology.
3Device Lab: access to new technologies (VR, bots, 3D, etc.) for experimentation and learning.
4Guides and living documents for media education and practice.
5Past and current prototypes/projects (e.g., SensorGrid, City Hall Monitor, Piquote, Pitcha, TweetCast, twXplorer) and a broader project ecosystem.

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1Senior Lecturer, Product, Marketing, and UX
2Associate University Librarian for Academic Innovation
3Associate Professor
4Knight Chair in Digital Media Strategy
5Director of Data Journalism
6Chief Nerd
7Assistant Professor
8Postdoctoral Scholar, Generative AI in the Newsroom Initiative
9Program Director, Data-Driven Reporting Project
10Senior Engineer
11Professor and Knight Lab Faculty
12Knight Professor of Digital Media Strategy
13Lecturer
14Advisor/Director roles mentioned in faculty listings

Client Results

1TimelineJS has been used by more than 250,000 people to tell stories, and is available in more than sixty languages.
2Alumni and fellows from Knight Lab have gone on to work at major outlets such as The New York Times, Vox Media, NPR, Medium, FiveThirtyEight, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, and more.

Competitive Advantages

1Strong academic/educational alignment with Northwestern University
2Open-source, adaptable, lightweight tools for media makers
3Prototyping culture with real-world impact (Local News Initiative, Studio projects, etc.)
4Comprehensive ecosystem including device lab and studio class for hands-on learning
5Proven adoption and global reach for key tools (TimelineJS)

Key Benefits

1Access to easy-to-use storytelling tools

2Opportunities to prototype and test new media technologies

3Educational pathways and hands-on collaboration through the Knight Lab Studio

4Proven tools with broad adoption and real-world impact

Case Studies & Success Stories

TimelineJS adoption and impact

Case #1

TimelineJS has been used by more than 250,000 people to tell stories and is available in over 60 languages.

City Hall Monitor

Case #2

A Knight Lab project described as smart search for city documents.

Piquote

Case #3

A Knight Lab project designed to make picture quotes easy.

Additional Product Information

Product Description

Northwestern University Knight Lab is a team of technologists and journalists developing open-source storytelling tools and experimental journalism prototypes to advance media innovation through exploration and experimentation.

Target Market

Newsrooms, media organizations, educators, journalism students, and researchers seeking innovative storytelling tools and prototyping capabilities.

Unique Value Proposition

A university-backed, open-source toolbox and lab environment that combines journalism, design, and technology to prototype and deploy accessible storytelling tools for a global audience.

Technical Requirements

Not explicitly specified; tools are described as open-source and lightweight.

Pricing Model

Not specified

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