Today we are launching a new look for STV News online.

At its centre is a new app for iPhone and Android. Mobile phones have become vitally important to the way people consume news. More than two thirds of those visiting STV News online last year were using a phone or tablet and that proportion has nearly doubled in three years.

Our online audience is younger than the traditional TV audience (the most popular age group is 25 to 34) and increasingly gets its news from social media on their phones.

So over the past three months, we’ve been using the STV News Facebook page to try out a variety of new ways of telling stories with video. That work has provided us with a lot of data about what people watch and share.

The result is we no longer upload the two-minute broadcast report that you see on the evening news. Every video we now cut has been designed to be viewed on a mobile phone. Our reports have captions so you can watch on silent, the graphics are designed for a smaller screen and we vary the length from 30-second correspondent "instant takes” to eight-minute mini documentaries.

Our most watched report has just reached one million views on Facebook:

We say the new app is "the home of Scottish news" and our focus is a country which has never been more politically engaged.

A recent report from Reuters showed that level of interest in politics in Scotland has risen from 29% in 2013 to 45% - and that increased interest is especially pronounced among the 18 to 24 age group. That change doesn’t mean we have to be inward-looking. Working with ITN’s network of foreign reporters and correspondents means that, for the first time, the STV News app has sections devoted to international and UK news.

Over the next few weeks we'll be adding and extending new strands devoted to sport, politics, commentary and features - as well as new email newsletters. We're looking to showcase a variety of work that reflects the diverse place that Scotland has become.

The STV News app has been built entirely by STV’s in-house development team and should deliver:

So have a look around and let us know what you think. You can contact us on our Facebook page, tweet us or email us launchtheapp@stv.tv. Today is just a start. We’re going to keep learning and improving, so stick around and we hope you enjoy the STV News app.

Matt Roper is digital editor at STV News.