Project Overview:
UX Design, UX Strategy, Web Interface
A quick sprint research explore on discovering opportunity spaces and further enhancing an existing experience. I chose to explore more in the streaming industry, specifically with a streaming group, and how a viewer can further be involved in the community.
Duration
3 weeks (Fall 2022)
Programs
Figma
Instructor
Shawn Hasto
My Role
UX/UI Researcher & Designer
Overview
OfflineTV is an online social entertainment group of content creators based in Los Angeles, California. The group surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic; breaking new records, setting new trends, etc...
Define
Finding the problem space in the OfflineTV community, including the content outputs such as Twitch, Youtube, etc...
Method:
Three qualitative user interviews
Secondary research to discover quantitive information.
Findings
The influx of newcomers only watch one particular type of content while long-time watchers are open to different kinds of content.
Not many newcomers know about their origins and core values causing verbal conflicts between the long-time viewers and newcomers.
Defined Problem Statement
How can we provide an interactive experience for newcomers to learn about OfflineTV and bridge the gap with long-time viewers?
Initial Design Thoughts
An interactive timeline ought to incorporate a narrative aspect akin to the experience of reading a book. I aimed to manifest this concept through a website designed in an accordion style, allowing elements to be stacked and layered, enabling users to flip through them as though turning the pages of a book.
Discover
Finding needs and pain points from users of both categories:
Long-time watchers & newcomers.
User Interviews
With the defined problem statement, I conducted more user interviews to validate my findings and find the answers to open questions.
Subject:
6 users (3 newcomers & 3 long-time watchers) who watch on a consistent basis.
Interview Goals:
1. To understand what it feels like to be involved in an online community.
2. To understand their behavior and pain points in the viewing experience.
3. To understand what makes them motivated to be involved.
Key Insights
It's hard to find content produced more than three months old.
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Twitch removes past broadcasts older than 3 months.
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Youtube mainly just contains short clips and highlights of events that happened.
Past content is so scarce there is no way to view events in chronological order.
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Twitch removes past broadcasts older than 3 months.
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Youtube mainly just contains short clips and highlights of events that happened.
Viewers are involved in the community because the creator they watch is relatable and they don’t want to miss out.
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Twitch & Youtube has a live viewing experience and many people in communities are just trying to find someone they can share their passions with.
Solution
An interactive timeline website collection showing all of OfflineTV’s events in chronological order.
Reflection
Refine, Adjust, Adapt
This project delved into a niche space tailored to a specific demographic rather than a broad audience. Despite these constraints, it challenged me to consider various user interests and devise strategies making the information more easily accessible. Furthermore, it sparked ideas on how future websites could creatively explore historical narratives, offering a unique approach to engaging with history.