Hotstar
Discovering new product opportunities for a leading video streaming platform.
Hotstar (Now Disney+ Hotstar) is a popular streaming platform in India streams sports, international and vernacular TV shows, movies and web series. I created this report as a part of their hiring process, exploring one new product opportunity while documenting my design thinking and process. Considering monetization via ads, subscriptions, etc. to be the primary goal, the three areas I explored were:
1. Distribution Improve existing mediums of distribution and explore new avenues.
2. Content Find new forms of content and how can improve existing content.
3. Live Take live to the next level.
Process overview
Design is an iterative process that involves constant feedback, evaluation and improvement. My process is divided into 7 broad stages. It is however, a dynamic process than a linear one.
1. Ideation-Mind mapping
I jotted down the various forms of content that can be streamed. Ideas need to validation and prioritization as per business goals. For the scope of this report, we’ll keep our focus to a single domain, Music.
2. Data validation: Music Videos
What works:
It’s no surprise that 98 of the top 100 most watched videos on Youtube are music videos. 63% Indians using YouTube watch music videos and the most subscribed Indian Youtube channels happen to be those of music labels. According to EY India, the number of users who stream music online is expected to triple by 2020.
Monetization:
Fresh video content, for eg. new bollywood music enjoys an edge over other content in India. Partnering with production houses for exclusive music releases can be a strategy worth exploring. Other offerings can be: full concert streams, exclusive live performances and sponsored online productions (like MTV unplugged, Coke studio, etc.), weekly top 20 and visual radio on various themes.
What may not work:
The major chunk of revenue goes to music labels and publishers. They also need a large scale investment to fund the operational costs. Moreover, people are accustomed to using Youtube as a source of free music videos. They may not switch to a different platform unless the content offering is unique.
3. User Personas
Creating personas from interviews is a great way to learn about the spectrum of goals and needs of your users. The potential success of a feature can be measured by the number of interviewees who express a need for it. This information can be used to prioritize features to build the roadmap.
. I created 3 example personas the music video streaming offering.
4. Value propositions
Articulating value propositions based on user research and data helps us define the best features for our users. A good way to define value propositions is the following template proposed by Geoff Moore:
For _______ (target user)who _______ (has a need)
our product/platform ________ (what are you offering)
- For people who download bollywood music audio/video, our product provides a one stop and low cost solution to download/consume quality content on all devices.
- For music lovers who love live music productions, our platform provides great content that is not available elsewhere.
- For concert goers who love to see live performances, our platform provides the opportunity to watch artists perform live all over the world.
- For users who pay for too many audio/video subscription services, the product offers both audio and video streaming at no additional cost.
- For explorers who struggle to find new music online, the platform helps them discover fresh music from a number of artists they may not have heard before.
5. UX flows
While designing features, user flows help us chart out how users navigate the website or app. A few things to consider while doing this exercise is the platform you’re designing for (android in this case) and existing navigation patterns.
The new feature should be well discoverable. Basic navigation leading to a song/video, should be short and uncomplicated.
6. Wireframing and UI designs
Adhere to OS patterns, use custom existing patterns users and adhere to the style guide.
7. Testing and Feedback
Designing purely on intuition and assumptions is risky, as feedback is collected only at the end of the release cycle. Testing eliminates pain points that may have been missed, improving product usability.
The process can be broken down 4 stages:
1. Defining protocol
Start with outlining the objectives of the user test. Have clear answers to questions like: “What shall we test?”, “What do we aim to find out?”, “With who will we test?” and “How will we test?”
Testing strategies may differ depending on what you are testing.
2. Creating prototypes
Prototypes are designs that give a sense of the final product. They are great for testing concepts with users. Sketches also can be prototyped and tested to validate ideas. High fidelity prototypes take longer to develop but give a real sense of the product.
3. Conducting user tests
Before conducting user tests, understand the users you’re building the product for. Testing should include people from different backgrounds who fall into the target group. Sometimes I record this exercise as it can be analyzed in the future.
4. Analyzing and implementing feedback
Analyze the tasks that the users have successfully completed and mark the areas where users experienced difficulty in completing a task. This helps in pin-pointing areas of improvement.
Conclusion
As a UX designer, we need to be flexible with the processes employed. There’s no one-process fits all solution. Like our products, our processes also need to evolve over time based on the available resources and product needs. The end goal however, remains the same-to create the best experience for our users.
Avik Dey
UI/UX designer based in Helsinki. Ex-design lead at TinyOwl and Runnr.