The Challenge

Following an initial audit of existing AVOD and SVOD applications and UX/Design documentation, significant inconsistencies were identified. Fragmented user experiences, stemming from inconsistent design and siloed development, hindered user comprehension and brand consistency, and created confusion regarding access, pricing, and content availability. Recognizing this, I spearheaded a project to establish a unified product foundation by formalizing design principles, standardizing development workflows, and fostering greater alignment between design, engineering, and product management teams, ultimately mitigating future technical risk and optimizing product delivery.

My Role & Approach

As Director of Product Design, SVOD, I led the design efforts for A+E Networks’ subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform. My focus was unifying the user experience, establishing a new design language, and building a robust design system tailored for the SVOD experience. I prioritized cross-functional collaboration and established new processes to ensure consistent outcomes.

• Design System Foundation:  To address long-standing fragmentation across A+E Networks, we collaboratively developed a centralized design system with the AVOD team. This system ensured a unified foundation for both SVOD and AVOD, encompassing clear design principles, reusable components, and comprehensive documentation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:  I fostered strong partnerships with hardware engineering, data science, and product management, establishing regular communication channels and collaboratively defining product roadmaps specific to the SVOD offering. The design system served as a common language and framework for these collaborations./li>
• Process Establishment and Team Enablement: I spearheaded the establishment of new processes across research, design, systems, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT). This included developing guidelines and training materials to educate cross-functional teams, fostering a shared understanding and improving collaboration for more consistent and impactful outcomes.
• Drive Consistency & Scalability: My focus extended beyond immediate solutions to create a scalable foundation within the SVOD product. This included ensuring accessibility compliance and efficient development workflows across A+E Networks.

The Solution

To address the identified challenges, a multi-faceted approach was implemented, centered around establishing a unified product foundation. Key initiatives included the creation of a centralized design system leveraging Figma and Storybook, facilitating a shared language and reusable components across SVOD and AVOD platforms. Development workflows were standardized through the adoption of Agile methodologies, promoting iterative development and improved collaboration between design and engineering teams. Cross-functional workshops were conducted to align product, design, and engineering priorities, fostering a shared understanding of user needs and business goals.

Impact

The implemented solutions yielded significant improvements across the A+E Networks SVOD platform. This integrated approach resulted in a demonstrable improvement in development velocity, a reduction in design inconsistencies, and a heightened sense of ownership across the product organization. Development velocity increased by an estimated 25%, reducing time-to-market for new features. The centralized design system fostered consistency, resulting in a significate reduction in design rework. These improvements strengthened brand identity, enhanced user satisfaction, and created a more scalable foundation for future growth.

Reflection

Moving forward, I would like to prioritize user testing to measure the impact on user comprehension and will review data from the business intelligence team in three months to inform future optimizations. Overall this is a great foundation for new feature designs. I will continue to advocate for cross functional collaboration and data-driven refinement will ensure continued improvements to the user experience.