How MTC Fellows Apply Rapid Iteration to Transform Newsrooms
“We have to not let perfection be the enemy of the good.”
August 5, 2025
In an industry where disruption is the norm and resources are tight, there’s rarely time for perfect. That’s why Media Transformation Challenge (MTC) fellows are embracing a mindset of experimentation known simply as “Design/Do.” More than a strategy, it’s a discipline—one that empowers newsroom leaders to turn bold ideas into measurable outcomes.
“Design/Do is actually my favorite tool,” says Salt Lake Tribune Chief Content Officer and MTC Coach Danyelle White (’22), “because it allows you to think of a way to achieve your goal and then test it.”
At its core, Design/Do is about moving quickly and learning as you go. It reframes the traditional prototyping process as a cycle of action and reflection—less polish, more progress.
“Design/Do is all about incremental progress and incremental measurement on the way,” says Northwestern’s Mackenzie Warren (’19).
“It’s small steps, learning, repeating, and even more learning,” adds Süddeutsche Zeitung’s Senior Editor for Digital Strategy & Innovation, Hannes Vollmuth (’24). “Getting things done, getting things out, instead of designing to death.”
So what does that look like in a newsroom?
Take a team at a metro daily exploring how to increase engagement among young readers. Instead of launching a full new section, they might “Design/Do” a single Instagram Q&A feature targeted at local high schoolers. If it gets traction, they iterate and expand; if it flops, they adjust. The point isn’t perfection—it’s momentum. One test fuels the next, building a case for bigger investment or a shift in strategy.
“You can take something small, design a Ward A, and test to see if your idea will work,” Vollmuth explains. “If you see success, then the logic is you will see success on a larger scale.”
“And then you can double down on what is working, or reroute around what isn’t,” Warren continues.
This isn’t just trial-and-error; it’s strategic validation. A small win isn’t just a nice outcome; it’s evidence.
“We all know this in our lives: if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” Warren says. “Yes, we fail. But also in design, we succeed. And so we can tout early success. And then you can go back to investors or patrons or the boss or the partner and say, ‘Look, we have early signals of success. We want to do more and better with this.’”
“It helps prove your case,” White adds. “So if you succeed at the smaller scale, you will be able to increase your odds of success at a larger scale.”
That’s the magic of Design/Do. It gives leaders permission to act before every outcome is known—and a structure for making each step smarter than the last.
As Warren puts it, “We have to not let perfection be the enemy of the good.”
At MTC, Design/Do is more than a catchphrase. It’s how transformation happens—one bold experiment at a time.
Start your transformation today by applying to join the MTC Fellowship Class of 2026 now.