Re-imagining a video platform
In 30 seconds
The problem
Dailymotion looked like every YouTube-like app while pivoting to premium content from trusted partners.
What I did
We pitched the redesign with proofs of concept, ran five design sprints and designed the new apps end to end.
The impact
A strategic pivot shipped in 2017 on 6 platforms, for a platform reaching 300M users a month.
Dailymotion is one of the leading video platforms in the world, reaching 300 million unique users per month, and now focuses on premium video from trusted international content providers.
As part of a multi-skilled team, I worked on end-to-end experiences focused on user needs and business goals, across iOS, Android, web and Android TV: user interface, motion and branding.
WhyRe-imagining the way we use a video app
In 2016, the Dailymotion app looked like every other video app, a YouTube-like with classic sections:
- Home, with the content you follow
- Browse, to find new content
- Upload, to share your own content
- Search, to find something specific
- Profile, to manage your content
After its acquisition by Vivendi, Dailymotion wanted to stand apart from YouTube by highlighting content from trusted partners rather than user-generated content, and to offer a clean platform any international brand could trust. This work was strategic: a real pivot for the platform.
1. June 2016Proof of concept
The design team I had just joined was very small: two product designers for a very large product. To show the board we had the skills for a redesign, we worked on two key subjects:
- Discovery: as a user, how do I find content related to what I’m watching?
- Onboarding: as a new user, how do I find content I’ll like?
Proofs of concept are unfinished and unpolished on purpose: the goal was to open doors and show many ways to improve the experience.
2. Autumn 2016Design sprints
By September, the team had grown to six product designers. We defined five subjects for the coming months, and ran a design sprint on each:
- Discovery: how do users discover new content?
- Watching: how do users consume videos, interact before a live, and find key moments?
- Re-engage: how do we bring users back, with a daily selection based on their interests?
- Ads experience: how do we introduce ads without breaking the experience?
- Navigation: one space or two?
3. November 2016Principles
From user tests and board feedback, we defined our target: 25 to 49 years old, mobile-first, ad-based premium video, around music, news, entertainment and sports. And three design principles:
- Continuous watching: video queue, mini-player, autoplay
- Personalised discovery: onboarding, recommendation engine, curated content
- One-tap video access: flat content structure, topic-based polymorphic navigation
4. August 2017Release 1.0
The new Dailymotion launched in August 2017 on iOS, Android, tablet, Apple TV, Android TV and the web.
