Role
Interaction Design, Design Strategy, User Research
Explore
Timeline
May - August 2024
Overview
StreamNow revolutionizes streaming with fun challenges to unlock exclusive content, personalized creation tools, and direct opportunities to influence your favorite shows.
This was my thesis project for my Masters of Design in Interaction Design degree at ArtCenter College of Pasadena.
Problem Statement
How might we augment the current streaming experience to increase social engagement and interactions?
Problem Space
According to a study done in July 2023 by Kantar Profiles & Mintel around streaming video, 68% of consumers use a second screen when streaming. But few are using the additional device to enhance the video streaming experience. This creates another distraction for the viewer, one that is in their hand and hard to ignore.
As viewers’ behaviors change, we have to look to engage audiences in non-traditional ways. We have the opportunity to adapt by breaking down the fourth wall, a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience (Mintel 2023).
Research
To better understand the streaming space and what social engagement features currently exist, I came up with three research goals.
Competitive Analysis
Through a direct and indirect evaluation, I found that many applications have explored social engagement in various methods. Some notable features that inspired my ideation were Yelp Elite events, Prime Video IMDB, SoundCloud timestamp comments, Spotify Blend, and TikTok short content.
Insights and Pain Points
By conducting a survey that gathered 40 responses and by performing 5 user interviews, I gained a better understanding of the pain points and desires associated with the overall streaming experience.
Insight 1
Users want to be able to socially interact and engage with content in a centralized place and across devices.
Insight 2
Users want a more interactive experience such as real-time comments and reactions to enable creating and sharing their own content.
User Personas
With the various research through primary and secondary methods, I was able to create two personas based on the research insights.
Define & Ideation
Guided by research insights and personas, I began the early design ideation and brainstormed feature priorities.
Information Architecture
Morphological Analysis & Prototyping
Using research insights, I applied morphological analysis and experimental prototyping to generate a diverse range of ideas for exploration and convergence.
Final Solution
Establish a collaborative program for consumers, ambassadors, and networks.
Onboarding
Users can choose what platforms to sync, their streaming preferences and desired reward redemption preferences.
Sync
Users can sync all of their streaming platforms to access exclusive contextual information generated by StreamNow’s AI technology.
Connect with others
Users can take advantage of social connection features such as timestamp based chat, live rooms, and matching algorithms to connect with old and new friends over favorite scenes, cliffhangers, and more.
Engage to earn credits
Users can engage in various daily challenges to earn credits towards their account. Challenge examples include visiting landmarks from shows and posting content ideas in the community.
Pitch your idea
Users that are at the top of their leaderboards in the specified time period can start a chat with ambassadors to pitch their idea. If the ambassador is interested, they will facilitate a meet and greet for the member and network.
Conclusion
As viewers' behaviors evolve, it is essential to engage audiences in non-traditional ways. We have the opportunity to adapt by breaking down the fourth wall—a performance convention where an invisible barrier separates actors from the audience.
My ArtCenter Journey
I’ve been honing my interaction design skills as part of the second cohort for the MDes of Interaction Design at ArtCenter. Throughout my journey there, I crafted a niche in weaving connections and fostering social engagement within chosen communities, all through the vibrant lens of accessibility, inclusivity, and AI innovation.
Thesis Project Focus
This is a big reason why I decided to focus on the future of social streaming for my thesis project where I was able to create a design proposal centered around social interactions and connection in fandom communities in the streaming sector. Feel free to reach out if you want to learn more about my project or chat about design!