Spectacular fail of beautiful
onboarding flows

TiVo Stream 4K device is a streaming media player that plugs into the HDMI port on the back of your TV. It is bigger than a stick or flash drive, but smaller than the palm of your hand. It has a Google Assistant-enabled remote. TiVo Stream 4K lets you search, browse and create watch lists across all of your apps, all in one place.

Key animation screens

Introductory screen appears in the beginning of the flow, describing three steps user will have to take.

Instructions how to interact with show posters appear first. User can tap on a poster of their choice, the heart icon will appear and the poster will fly off the screen. Simple, engaging and fun way to progress the user through Step 1.

Step 2 with user selecting his favorite shows to be added to My Shows list.

Stream 4K device owners.

Five teams: Business dev, Product, Marketing, Engineering and UX

Team Locations: Romania, India and US

Main Characters

Step 1 of the flow is extremely important because it’s input directly contributes to creating personalized strips, thus if user skips it, the the personalization is not happening. The best alternative solution proposals - will be addressed in the phase 2 of the project.
Settings section may not be available for the launch, thus living users ‘hanging’ in case they didn’t complete the FTUX or want to go back and change their selections.

Constraints

To create an engaging, short, and pleasant FTUX for users who didn’t complete the FTUX on TV screens after the booting flow
‘Gamify’ FTUX flow, enhance engagement, thus improving recommendation algorithms and increasing user satisfaction.
Ensure that users who did not complete the FTUX would not be left ‘hanging’ and could revisit the experience anytime through settings or other features.

Goal

This high-visibility project was a thrilling ride, bringing together five different teams to ensure a seamless experience between TV screen design flows and mobile flows. The mission? To give users a familiar experience across platforms while making the FTUX (First Time User Experience) a dazzling and engaging adventure, all while cutting down the time users spent fumbling with the remote on their TVs.

To make this vision a reality, I conjured a three-step FTUX experience brimming with Lottie animations. These weren’t just any animations – they were lively, gamified elements designed to entertain and captivate. Imagine show posters flying onto the screen like cards tossed onto a table, inviting users to interact with a simple press or long press. It was like turning the onboarding process into a mini-game!

Each step was sprinkled with my ‘mini magic moments’ to keep users delighted and eager to continue. My goal was to make the FTUX intuitive and enjoyable, drastically reducing the chances of users dropping off. And it worked – usability feedback showed a whopping 87% reduction in user drop-out rates.

The excitement was contagious, with every team buzzing to deliver a cutting-edge companion app for Stream users. Besides the onboarding flows, I also designed and documented account creation, sign-in, password recovery, and re-run flows, ensuring a fully immersive experience for both guests and registered users. This project wasn’t just about creating a product – it was about crafting a journey that was fun, engaging, and utterly unforgettable.

The Plot

After 15 sprints of intense design and development, and just days before the planned soft launch, the project was unexpectedly canceled. The reason is that the business has decided to discontinue manufacturing Stream 4K devices, thereby eliminating the need for a mobile app entirely.

This abrupt halt was a significant setback, but it provided a crucial learning opportunity.

The feedback and data collected during the development and testing phases became invaluable assets. They highlighted the importance of adaptability and user-centered design, pushing us to think more innovative about our approach to product development.

Surprised Turn

The cancellation of the Stream 4K FTUX project led to a period of reflection and reassessment. My team and I analyzed the lessons learned from my initial designs and usability tests, which guided TiVo as a company in pivoting towards a more promising direction. This shift ultimately resulted in the development of the TiVo OS product and influenced the success of FTUX in TiVo car screen designs.

The insights gained from our earlier efforts were instrumental in this new venture, enabling the company to create a more refined and user-friendly product. The journey from the canceled project to the successful launch of TiVo OS exemplifies resilience and commitment to innovation as well as proves that my designs in design innovations were a success after all.

Pivoting

The story of the Stream 4K FTUX project is one of resilience, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. What initially seemed like a setback transformed into a stepping stone for something greater. The lessons learned from the initial project played a crucial role in ability to pivot and achieve a breakthrough in product development.

This experience underscored the importance of adaptability and user-centered design, ultimately leading to the successful creation of the TiVo OS product. The journey of my team and I is a testament to the power of perseverance and the continuous drive to improve and innovate in the face of challenges.

In Conclusion

Final wireframes mobile

Intro screen
An interstitial screen describing what to expect in step 1
Step 1: 1st pair of show options
Step 1: 2nd pair of show options
Long press on any poster would show the show metadata
After user is completed first 7 sets of shows he is presented with another interstitial to see more or end Step 1
Step 1: Last pair with a button to finish
Step 2: Select favorite shows
Step 2: Shows selected with heart icon visible over the posters, and the selected posters are slightly dimmed
Step 3: Select favorite streaming apps
Success screen with an action button to proceed to the main screen

Epilogue

As the Product Designer spearheading the high-profile redesign of the Support Hub on TiVo.com, I was presented with a formidable challenge. This wasn't just a facelift; it was a complete overhaul of a system that hadn't seen innovation in over twenty years. My mission was clear: transform this outdated maze into a beacon of help and information for all types of TiVo customers (using an established by me and my visual designer Design System).

I kicked off this journey with the excitement of aligning the Support Hub with the launch of TiVo OS and TiVo Car, a step that would bring the TiVo UI into the homes and vehicles of users across the US, Europe, and Asia. My project wasn't just anticipated; it became a cornerstone of TiVo's commitment to customer service.

With a vision to create a modern, scalable, and seamless experience, I delved into design. My aim was to strip away complexity and introduce a simple, intuitive navigation system. I refined the search function to intuitively surface what users sought, retiring outdated articles that no longer served their purpose.

I didn't stop there; I created a system of scalable templates for mobile optimization, ensuring a smooth experience on any device.

What measures did we take to provide user insights?

Design kitchen

All the research that I used for mobile app designs were based on the research that was done for TV platform by TV research team.
FTUX mobile flow (initial)
Concept Deck
MVP