UX Case Study

Redesigning tvtime.com

Introduction

Overview

TV Time is a multi-platform application that allows users to track, discover, and discuss their favorite shows and movies. While the existing website (tvtime.com) provides essential functionalities, user feedback and evolving design trends suggested the need for a comprehensive redesign to stay competitive and meet the expectations of modern users. The redesign aimed to create an intuitive, visually appealing and engaging interface that encourages users to track their favorite shows and movies effortlessly.

Role

  • Lead designer (UI/UX)

  • Rapid prototyping (user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity prototype)

  • Usability testing

  • Product strategy

Website screens before the redesign

The Problem

Problem Statement

Limited engineering resources resulted in tvtime.com falling significantly behind, lacking both aesthetic and functional alignment with the TV Time mobile apps. Key considerations included maintaining interface familiarity for existing users, implementing responsive design for cross-device consistency, and prioritizing website performance optimization. Addressing these issues was critical to ensure a successful redesign that not only catered to user expectations but also aligned with modern design and usability standards.

Goals

  • Improve user engagement and retention

  • Enhance the discoverability of shows and movies

  • Streamline the user journey for adding and tracking shows

Discovery

Understanding the Problem

I began by conducted a heuristic evaluation of tvtime.com that revealed that the website did not adhere to many usability heuristics. Improvements could include faster page loading, enhanced error prevention, and more informative contextual messages. Additionally, better integration of accessibility features and improved feedback for successful actions would enhance the overall user experience.

I proceeded to conduct a competitive analysis of three of TV Time’s notable competitors to provide insights that informed strategic planning, marketing efforts, product development, and customer engagement strategies. The insights revealed that tvtime.com was missing key features in addition to lacking functional and aesthetic parity with TV Time’s mobile platforms.

Heuristic evaluation

Key Findings

  1. Complex Navigation: Users find it challenging to navigate through the current website due to a lack of clear information architecture.

  2. Inconsistent Visual Design: The visual design lacks consistency, impacting brand perception and overall user satisfaction.

  3. Mobile Responsiveness: The current website is not fully optimized for mobile devices, hindering the user experience on smaller screens.

Solutions

  1. I reorganized the site's information architecture to simplify navigation.

  2. I developed a cohesive design system with consistent typography, color palette, and iconography.

  3. I ensured a responsive design that adapted seamlessly to various screen sizes, with a focus on mobile usability.

Ideate

With the initial research findings, I created a site map with high priority features for important tasks flows used by users. After I developed the user flows, I began to create wireframes for each of the tasks. Throughout the design process, I adapted a responsive design to ensure an optimal viewing experience on various screen sizes.

Wireframe screens

Prototype

After completing the wireframes and defining the task flows, I created a working high fidelity prototype of the designed screens. The task flows observed in the prototype were:

  1. Sign up and log in

  2. Site navigation

  3. Finding content using filters

  4. Adding content to watch list

Prototype screens

Test and Iteration

After completing the prototype, I conducted usability testing of TV Time’s redesigned website. The goal of the test was to assess effectiveness of navigation, user satisfaction, learnability, task success, and gather feedback on user’s preferences and suggestions for improvement.

The usability test was conducted via a moderated remote setting. The findings helped identify key areas for improving user interaction and identify error states. The prototype was further updated to address the findings.

Moderated usability testing of high-fidelity prototype

Results and Takeaways

The tvtime.com redesign not only met its goals but also exceeded expectations in terms of user engagement and satisfaction. The iterative design process and user-centered approach were crucial in achieving these results.

Next Steps

  • Continuous monitoring of user feedback for further improvements

  • Implementation of additional features based on user needs

  • A/B testing to optimize specific design elements

Website screens after redesign