Free Live TV
Providing customers with a new way to engage with Redbox’s ecosystem.
DURATION
August 2019 - January 2020
PLATFORMS
Smart TV, iOS, Android, Responsive Web
TEAM
1x UX Designer
1x UI Designer
1x UX Researcher
1x Product Owner
1x Lead Developer
TOOLS USED
Sketch
InVision
After Effects
KEY ACTIVITIES
Wireframing & Prototyping
Competitive Analysis
Concept & Usability Testing
High-Fidelity Design
Development Handoff
Background
Due to the proliferation of subscription based streaming and the rise of cord-cutting, Redbox has decided to add an advertising-based video on demand (AVOD) service within their On Demand ecosystem as an alternative way to engage and attract new customers who are already accustomed to receiving great value.
This new product was broken out into two phases: Free Live TV and Free On Demand. I joined the design team in the middle of the design process for Free Live TV. I would take responsibility over the UI design for all of Redbox’s free streaming services starting with Free Live TV then Free On Demand.
My Role
As the primary UI Designer, I collaborated with a UX Designer as well as a UX Researcher, Product Owner and Lead Developer.
My primary contributions were:
Designed high-fidelity concepts.
Co-planned and synthesized research.
Helped define user needs & requirements.
Provided dev-ready deliverables and guidance.
The Challenge
In the early stages of the project, concepts were tested which utilized an Electronic Programing Guide. While the concepts resonated well with users, issues arose when Redbox discovered that the EPG was patented. Due to a limited budget and the desire to launch as an MVP, the team was forced to pivot.
With a large amount of work already completed, I would need to adjust the Free Live TV designs. This was no small feat as the product was set to launch across multiple platforms including iOS, Android, web and smart TVs. In addition, maintaining key concepts and elements from the original designs was necessary as we did not have time to perform user testing again.
The overall goal was to ensure that the MVP fits into the current Redbox ecosystem which then:
Increases current user engagement with the Redbox On Demand platform by providing a free alternative to a traditional paid streaming service.
Converts new customers by bringing them over to the Redbox platform with free content and raising awareness of the paid content Redbox offers.
Designs and research that was already completed. The overall approach was successful and followed the customer’s mental model of a “free live tv” product.
Final Designs
Smart TV (production build)
Web - 1440px and smaller. (production build)
Web – 768px and smaller. The tablet application shares the same UI. (production build)
Mobile application. (iOS production build)
Next Steps
As Redbox continues to expand out their free On Demand services efforts will be made to understand how best to deliver content to customers across all devices / form factors.
Examples of this would be gaining a deep understanding of the customer’s mental models around “channels” and expectations around free on demand content in general.
Conclusion
This project was an enjoyable experience that taught me how best to design for multiple form factors. The “10-foot” experience has a unique set of challenges in comparison to web or mobile form factors. Overcoming those challenges was difficult, but I’m proud of the outcome. Working side by side with development to solve various UI issues was also satisfying and one that I hope to experience again in the future.
Redbox’s Free Live TV service is out in the wild as of early 2020. Check it out here.