Tracking Video Assets
We had the opportunity to design a blue-sky ideal solution without any constraints, what fun!
Asset Tracker
Problem Statement
The VOD (Video On Demand) team needed a way to monitor videos (assets) from our suppliers (like Disney) to our customer screens, so that problems could be addressed without customers missing any of their favorite shows.
Design Team Goal
Our new-ish design team wanted to prove the value of designing great software, so that executives would prioritize design at the company, increase design influence and allow us to create world-class experiences.
My Role:
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Understand the complex VOD delivery system and terminology
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Collaborate with engineers, content curators, video ops managers and VOD architects
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Run ethnographic & generative research
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Create personas & journey maps
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Create the information architecture
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Prototype and test concepts
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Design/write content
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Lead workshops
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Collaborate with research and visual design
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Create an ideal solution
Discovery and Problem Definition
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I started by learning everything I could about Video On Demand, including crazy amounts of terminology and reading up on complex systems like metadata sources and heavy asset storage functionality. I interviewed end users in various roles to gain understanding. One of them described it on an actual napkin!
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I had the privilege of working with an amazingly talented visual designer who helped bring ideas to life. We worked often together on shared understanding, so we could both solve for user needs.
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I conducted ethnographic and generative research to document the existing experience and identify needs and problems.
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My managers and I held workshops with the experts to generate ideas and define problems.
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We validated that we were articulating the needs and understanding the problems accurately with end users.
One of several personas I created:
User Journeys
Test Concept/Iterate
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I drafted some initial dashboards, created prototypes and tested them with a variety of experts inside the company.
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From testing results, we iterated until we could represent the full VOD delivery system health with statistics, data visualizations and complex filtering using initial wireframes to the satisfaction of our end users.
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Our talented visual designer brought the data to life, making it beautiful and functional too.
Final Solution
The Dashboard
Complex Filter
Asset Detail Open
Results
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Asset Tracker gained influence and respect for the design team as it was shown to executives throughout the VOD ecosystem. The internal apps team is now highly respected at Spectrum.
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This was one of several "blue-sky" ideas which influenced the transformation of the customer service agent experience.
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The existing Asset Tracker application incorporated some of the concept ideas. We were asked for the prototype several times over by their team (even years after) for inspiration and to make iterative improvements within real-world constraints.