Improving the mobile video discovery process for a major news media organization.
details
lead product designer
livefront
mobile
context
During my time at Livefront, I worked with a major media client that operates dozens of local news station apps that share one codebase and design system.
I led the design of the Watch hub for their consumer mobile apps, a place where users can go to find video content.
Details and designs for this project are limited due to confidentiality agreements in place. Feel free to reach out to learn more!
overview
Analytics showed that users spend the most time in the app watching news videos.
Product quickly shifted focus toward expanding video content, leading to the idea for a dedicated Watch hub.
As a relatively new app, it was the natural next step for content discovery.
key constraints
Two constraints shaped this project:
I had to work within the existing native design system
I had just two sprints to conduct research and deliver design, requiring lots of trade-offs.
what I did
Identified user pain points throughout the video experience.
Usability studies I conducted showed plenty of users struggling to find livestreams from the home page, and consistently mixing up short-form and long-form videos.
Carefully broke the design system by designing in dark mode for an immersive viewing experience.
Drawing on my streaming design experience, I made the case for a dark mode watch hub.
Stakeholders approved it after I tied the decision to viewing comfort and supported it with competitive research.
Explored layouts and prototyped interactions with AI tools to move fast on a tight timeline.
With no existing Watch page to build from, I used Claude Design to test layout directions and prototype autoplaying video previews.
Given the tight deadline, this was a life saver for getting stakeholder approval.
Designed new schedule and picture-in-picture functionality for the entire app.
To improve users' general video experience, I designed a new livestream schedule and introduced a picture-in-picture concept that, while ultimately descoped, established a vision for future functionality.
what i learned
Constraints can help drive better design choices.
Despite the many constraints on this project, I was still able to deliver something that addressed user pain points and felt true to my design style.
Having research and quick prototypes to back up my design choices definitely made this process easier.
