Streaming App

See This. Skip That.

The Streaming App, a 12-month Incubator-style Research and Development project, emerged as a versatile cross-platform application. It aimed to streamline the 'What to Watch' dilemma. The app's three main objectives were to uncover new and engaging viewing options, offer reliable recommendations, and facilitate swift choices for immediate or later viewing. Designed to help users find quality and fresh releases, this project offered an elegant solve for modern viewing convenience.

My Roles:
User Research, Stakeholder Alignment, Vendor Management, Wire framing, Prototyping, UI/UX, Product Management, Founding Designer

Platforms:
Web, TV OS, iOS

Tools:
Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Mirro, Surveys

The Team:
Corporate Executives, Executive Team, Technology Vendor

Assumptions and Requirements

Defining The Problem

Audience Struggles

Difficulty in finding and deciding on new streaming releases.
Limited access to truly new shows and unreliable information on their quality.

Pain Points

Users feel restricted to rewatching their favorite shows.
Lack of show options leads to excessive scrolling on streaming services.

Industry Standards

Relied on bloated algorithms to guess user preferences.
Limited reliable sources for assessing worthiness of new releases.

Mapping Out The Challenges

Discovery

Enable users to easily find new shows that match their interests.

How might we simplify the process of discovering new shows?

Trust

Assist users in determining which programs to watch and which to skip, reducing time and frustration.

How might we provide trustworthy recommendations for a reliable show selection?

Convenience

Enable users to make immediate choices or save shows for later.

How might we enable users to make instant or future viewing choices effortless?

Research

User Insights

I surveyed folks from all walks of life and learned how they stream content. These learnings help shape a potential feature list based on personas.

Competitive Audit

By thoroughly analyzing and studying similar tools and platforms in the What to Watch landscape, I gained a comprehensive understanding of the current market and competitive landscape.

Archival Lessons

By delving into the historical context of the What to Watch problem, I explored traditional resources such as pre-digital TV Guides, uncovering valuable lessons and insights that could be applied to the solution.

Industry Specific Knowledge

Leveraging my connections with editors and journalists, I gained insights into the process of writing reviews and understanding the factors that contribute to authenticity and building a reputation as a trusted source.

Progressive Enhancement

To expedite decision-making, I utilized knowledge gained from the research and created wireframes which showcase potential solutions. The initial explorations focused on primary user and use cases.

Annotated Wires

With executive alignment on core features, I prepared and presented concepts to corporate stakeholders. The goal was to introduce and narrow down concepts into actionable blueprints before proceeding to a prototyping phases. The meeting greenlit the project for further exploration.

Refined Wires

Once we aligned on annotated wireframes, I proceeded to showcase components with real content. By intentionally excluding the brand voice, we were able to objectively evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of features without any distractions. This approach allows for a focused and insightful assessment of the user experience.

Prototype

Created interaction prototype for executive stakeholders' feedback.

Developed and presented functional prototype to corporate stakeholders.

The prototype successfully garnered corporate investment. The entire process, from start to this milestone, took less than three months.

Vendor collaboration

I took the lead in creating a data dictionary for our tech vendor, guiding the sourcing of information for features from the APIs or CMS. This ensured a consistent understanding of terms and data elements, streamlining communication and implementing accurate features for a cohesive user experience.

Design System

I developed a system that allows seamless adjustments to typography, navigation, and colors across different applications in Figma.

Versatile design system supporting open web principles and easy adjustments.
Components with flexibility for future branding decisions.
Continuation of engineering progress during pending corporate decisions.

Branding

Following stakeholders' decision not to spin off the project independently, I provided simplified style directions aligned with the the organization’s entertainment review franchise. I leveraged prior component work for seamless style adjustments.

Calendar View

The calendar view successfully met the objective of enabling users to filter content by date, genre, service, and rating, while the toast convenience feature provided effortless screen switching for users.

Discover new releases
Trust in the critical lens
Convenience via filtering

Lists and Shared Lists

Users could add releases to My List from the open web experience to populate their Apple TV companion app. Permission lists provided valuable insights as users shared and created playlists.

Content Templates

Users could effortlessly scan reviews, enabling them to swiftly decide to watch now or drill down to trailers or individual seasons. The TV experience enabled users to watch trailers and get valuable insights on where seasons are available.

Key Takeaways

Innovate with patience, adaptability, and a user-centric mindset. Overcome roadblocks by prioritizing objectives and user needs.

Create components to ensure consistency in accessibility, visual style, and naming conventions for a cohesive user experience.

Leverage frameworks to expedite progress from ideation to implementation, providing a solid foundation for product development.