As a product designer at Dailymotion, I co-led a transformative project aimed at transforming the way users interact with video content on the Android and IOS app. Collaborating with two other senior designers, we embarked on a mission to revamp Dailymotion's native player, crafting a more immersive viewing experience. This project lasted for a bit more than two years and is part of a broader roadmap and vision to position Dailymotion as a social media platform for the Gen Z audience. This endeavour aligns with several other strategic initiatives in my portfolio, all aimed at driving innovation and enhancing user engagement.
Our overarching goal was to elevate user engagement and significantly increase time spent per session by enhancing the video viewing experience, particularly on the home feed. To achieve this, we set out to transition from the traditional 16:9 video ratio to a more immersive, vertical full-screen experience optimised for mobile devices.
Additionally, we wanted to simplify the steps needed to watch a video. Initially, users navigate through a feed, select a video, and are redirected to another page to fully watch it with all necessary player controls. This is similar to the youtube experience. We want to move away from that and follow our product vision.
Generative AI image prompted via midjourney for this project
The project presented multifaceted challenges, including the need to adapt a vast catalog of landscape-oriented content to a vertical format and address performance issues with our existing HTML5 player on mobile devices. Additionally, we aimed to streamline the user interface while maintaining high standards of usability and visual appeal.
Patience is the key for creative survival: As designers, we need to prioritise user needs while aligning with business objectives. We started sketching in 2020 for a full-screen home feed experience. However, we knew the journey ahead would be challenging due to numerous stakeholders. To navigate this, we took a long-term perspective, organising our efforts into a comprehensive plan and advocating diligently for our vision to different teams.