Reimagine the TV to couch experience for a live stream marketplace.
Role
UX Design Consultant
TImeline
Winter 2023 (8 weeks)
Tools
Figma
Skills
UI/UX Design
User Research
Overview
For six weeks, my team of 2 other designers and I were given the task to imagine a "10-foot" experience for WhatNot for a specific demographic within the WhatNot Users. We chose seniors.
WhatNot provides a unique service for buyers and sellers through a livestream auction experience. WhatNot has previously lived on the mobile app, but the television space is an untapped area for the company.
After our initial research and brainstorming, we decided to explore how we can optimize the experience for seniors.
How might we?
How might we make live-stream shopping simple for seniors in the television space?
02.
Solution
An easy and accessible way to shop on the big screen.
Features:
1. Switch into TV Mode from the App
Users will be able to switch to TV mode from the TV or from the app itself with ease.
2. Bid or Comment
Users can bid on the product using the recommended number or through the custom bidding button. Users can also comment to interact and ask questions to the seller.
3. Switch from stream to stream
Users can switch to previously watched streams or WhatNot recommended streams based on their history with ease.
4. WhatNot TV for All
Our TV Remote features a speak to command feature for hands free convenience. We also have a help section with a glossary for WhatNot TV, including a read aloud and speak to ask questions feature, making WhatNot TV for everyone.
5. Customize WhatNot TV for you
Users can customize their interface to fit their needs, whether its the font size, the display brightness, or the font.
03.
Process
Research:
We started by conducting research into our chosen stakeholder seniors. We found information that helped solidify our confidence in our choice, despite it being an unconventional one.
Statistica
U.S. viewers aged 65 and above watched for over four hours.
For comparison: Viewers aged 15 to 19 watched for two hours.
After confirming that seniors are the largest TV audience, we looked into their usage of online shopping.
Boomers (ages 55-74) are 31% of the online shopping population.
Verto Analytics
We were able to confirm that a large population of seniors participated in online shopping, validating the viability of focus on seniors.
User Interviews
After confirming the validity of the stakeholder group, we moved onto talking to actual users to confirm our hypothesis. We asked questions about their habits with watching TV and online shopping.
Interview Takeaways
I reordered the pages based on importance, removing the repeats from the bottom navigation, which is the most important one. I also made the access to the profile more intuitive. Rather than having a whole bottom tab for profile, clicking on your name is intuitive and saves space. The text size is increased for accessibility.
Products of Interest
clothings and shoes
kitchen tools
cleaning tools
gifts
TV & Internet Usage
watches TV every evening
TV shows and news
browses shopping apps and occasionally makes online purchases
Painpoints
skeptical of livestream shopping
not very digitally literate
mostly uses cable TV
limited use of current devices
Based on these user interviews, we were able to come up with the following success criteria for our final product:
Trustworthy brand or platform with strong social proof.
Simple interface and user experience for quick learning curve.
Easily accessible (limit new onboarding).
Accessibility
The main question we wanted to make sure we understood before we started our design process was how do we improve interaction for seniors? After doing extensive research, we realized that an intuitive platform for seniors had to have these things:
Natural motions: Simple horizontal, vertical, or diagonal movement instead of quick movements.
Clear visual cues: Large UI with labels instead/with icons, buttons that mimic physical buttons.
Ease of use and functionality: Rather than gamification, using ease of use as the main motivation.
03.
Design Iterations
After defining our stakeholder group and their motivations, we moved on to the design phase. Together with my fellow designers, Calix and Nicole, we each created a unique version of the remote, guided by our own interpretations of the guidelines we set.
My initial mocks
Calix's Initial mocks
Nicole's Initial Mocks
We all had very different versions of the remote, but we went back to the guidelines we had set in order to choose how to combine the designs. We loved Nicole's accessibility features, Calix's customizability, and my main interface. From there we made our second iteration of the remote.
Our second iteration
However, after asking for feedback from WhatNot and our users, I started the final iteration, with a focus on a more physical UI, adding a bidding functionality, and considering the entire TV ecosystem.
New Interface
original vs new home design
Bid Functionality
New Bid Functionality
TV Functionality
TV Design
04.
Takeaways
1. Accessibility is vital. Ensuring that a product is usable for all users, especially ones that are a large portion of your audience, is vital. Through this project, I've learned to keep accessibility rules in mind in all my designs.
2. Consider the entire ecosystem. When designing, it's important to think beyond individual components and consider the entire ecosystem. By designing the TV interface along with the remote, we were able to see where our product was lacking and fill those gaps. A holistic approach ensures that all parts of the system work seamlessly together.
