FT Labs

FT Labs is an emerging web technologies team at the Financial Times. Collaborate with us at

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

The successor to Experimental Amy lives on in the FT App. Look for "Read it to me" via the Experiments page.

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

In an emotionally traumatic conclusion to the long-running "Experimental Amy" FTLabs Project (automated narration of FT articles), we captured the following audio output as the final few systems were switched off...
https://t.co/r72UucrdrC

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

Our best ever graph, resulting from a foray into the heady world of myFT follows/unfollows: https://t.co/fStOafqv5t

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

An assortment of User Research roles have opened up as the Product Team tools up for some serious Product Discovery-driven productivity in 2020.
https://t.co/QGnWLKlAKg

[Monica Todd @MonicaMonica1]

Are you passionate about quality journalism? We’re on the lookout👀for seasoned user researchers to help grow and retain the FT’s global membership through continued innovation across https://t.co/tPXgqpnoLs & app.  Learn more here👉  https://t.co/C9at5wHTx0 #userresearch

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

Are *you* keen to shine a light where our users do not fear to tread?

[Monica Todd @MonicaMonica1]

📣We're looking for an exceptional Head of User Research to nurture and lead a growing team of researchers, inspiring empathy and action at all stages of product discovery/ development for https://t.co/tPXgqpnoLs & app. Learn more here👉https://t.co/dKHyVykKBT #userresearch

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

@TeuchterSocial @lifeatFT @lucykellaway Hi. Experimental Amy currently only on https://t.co/ppPXilbjbG only for a subset of users, but is available to everyone on the App via the main menu --> Experiments page: 'Read it to me'

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

@mediamasters_fm @khalafroula @FT For more context: a @NiemanLab interview with @rkapkap (Head of Audience Engagement of @FT)
“If the Financial Times were a person, it would be a man.” Here’s how the paper is trying to change that.

https://t.co/gSfXqMaoWm

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

JanetBot got a mention in this @mediamasters_fm interview with @khalafroula (Deputy Editor of @FT), as part of the wider initiative to address the under-representation of women in its pages.
For a look behind the scenes of JanetBot, read https://t.co/Bl7ROOiWpz

[Media Masters podcast @mediamasters_fm]

Listen here: https://t.co/vFAWbZ9kx6

[Chris Gathercole @upthebuzzard]

FT Hackathon 2019 Stats:
192 days notice to book room
60 participants
27.5 hrs hacking
17 teams
15 tables
7 prize trophies
5 in largest team
4 mins per team presentation
3.5 avg team size
3 judges
2 audible "Oh god, no", or equivalent, from the judges
1 winner (all of us :-)

[Life at FT @lifeatFT]

What happened when @lucykellaway discovered our automated voice Experimental Amy narrating her articles? The @FTLabs team give us the low down https://t.co/OGQNkckryS

[cantlin @cantlin]

Just sent the email: FT are combining UX and Design and seeking an awesome new Director of Product Design in London. Ping me if you have any questions or know someone who’d fit 💡

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

Looking back on the start of our investigations into artificial voices.
https://t.co/vEtXHE7s3o

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

Introducing MetaCrowd, 'a commenting system specifically focused on translated content', the @FT (et al) team's entry in the recent @bbc_connected/@BBC_News_Labs #newshack.
https://t.co/PYC9ahFKgm

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

The 'Tools for multilingual newsrooms' #newshack, June 11-12, 2019, organised by @bbc_connected & @BBC_News_Labs, was a very enjoyable event, with some awesome catering at the Tanner Warehouse in Bermondsey, London.

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

Four fine folk from from three different @FT teams have combined to tackle the 'Tools for multilingual newsrooms' #newshack organised by @bbc_connected & @BBC_News_Labs:

@lily_2point0, @jamiebrownco, @joannaskao, @MHA_076

(https://t.co/lUkLbB9O3e)

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

With a polished presentation which finished *within* the allotted 4 mins, the Metacrowd team included a working demo, and started by getting right to the point...

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

Can they beat last year's Comments-via-Voice-Device-with-added-Swear-Jar?
https://t.co/W85w2Mrktq

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

FT Conversation: a project from a recent @BBC_News_Labs #newsHack, to enable users to dictate their comments on articles, with added swear jar. https://t.co/HpjTm4JENZ

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

Feedback for the FT App team for the Experimental Page and its options is welcome via the options in the app, or as comments in the app stores.

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

The fab FT App team have added Experimental Amy to the app (via the Experiments page via the menu hamburger top left). Select 'Read it to me' and then go to an article to see the new audio player. Click play and Experimental Amy will do your reading for you.

[FT Labs @FTLabs]

The additional option on the Experiments page, 'Audio Player', is specifically for podcast audio, and lets you keep playing the podcast while continuing to navigate round other parts of the app. The intention is to hook up this feature to the Experimental Amy player as well.