Eurosport – Diana Mundo

Eurosport - Connected TV

Company: Eurosport

Year: 2020

Role: Lead UX

The Brief

To create a lean-back experience for Eurosport on all connected TVs using the new brand guidelines.

Research round 1

Understanding the current product

We kicked off the project with an initial round of research to understand the customer needs for a sports application on TV.

We recruited 10 participants from different backgrounds and technology knowledge, all based in UK. We carried out 1-1 interviews to understand their habits and preferences whilst watching sports on TV.

We grouped our findings into six categories:

Multiple devices: Participants tend to use multiple devices at once when they watch sports. They use them to search for additional information about the game (e.g. betting odds) or to communicate with friends and family.
Live event atmosphere: Participants enjoy watching sports live more than anything else. They like the atmosphere and the excitement it elicits.
Missed events: Participants have little interest in content on demand. If they miss an event they prefer to catch up watching the highlights rather than the repetition.
Social Interaction: There is an important social element associated to watching sports. Most participants mentioned they prefer to watch sports events with family or friends.
Discovering new sports: Participants normally tune in at the start time of the event, so it isn’t easy to find new sports to watch. Participants mainly discover new sports during the Olympics or when their country wins an international competition.
TV channel vs. TV app: Participants still prefer the TV channel due to familiarity. They’d be open to explore TV apps if they offer a significantly improved experience.

Desk research

Analysing the competition

I reviewed four TV applications that are leaders in video content distribution through a lean-back experience: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and All4. I looked into the interaction patterns and usability, UI elements and experience.

Based on the analysis, I produced four areas of focus to guide the design of the Eurosport Connected TV app.

Personalisation: Offer a personalised experience that goes beyond the playlist. We should offer recommendations to deliver a variety of content depending on the user’s profile.
Content: The content (i.e. video) is at the centre of the experience. Every part of the app should work to make it easier to watch the content as soon as possible.
Interaction: The interaction patterns should be clear and consistent across the app to reduce the complexity to navigate the app.
Images: Use big images and contrasting UI elements that make the app look and feel alive and vibrant. Reduce the use of text.

Concept + Design

Designing the experience

I applied the learnings from the research and the competitor analysis to design a new concept for the Eurosport app. I focused on creating an experience that prioritised the content, full of relevant images that helped the user understand what they can watch at a glance.

I simplified the app by defining a single point of focus for the user’s attention: the smart header. With the new interaction model the user sees all the details of only one event at a time which allows them to focus their attention. I used this pattern consistently across the app.

To test the new design I created an interactive prototype that can only be used with the keyboard - this helped me ensure that all the functionality can be accessed using a remote control.

Research round 2

Testing the new design

We recruited 10 participants to do 1-1 interviews to test the prototype.

We learned that the app was easy to use. The participants didn’t have issues navigating using the keyboard. They liked the clean interface and the use of big images. They also expressed their interest on the “Highlights” section.

The feedback was positive for the journeys we tested:

In-App Purchase: All participants went through the in-app purchase journey without major issues. A few users where interested on reading the terms and conditions.
Search: All participants used search without problems. A few users where confused about the language used, specifically with the term “On demand”.
Schedule: Participants liked the functionality and found the interface familiar. There were expectations around playing content and setting up reminders directly from the schedule.

Iteration + Design

Designing the app

We took the insights from research and applied them to improve the experience. At the same time I worked with the visual designer to start creating the look and feel of the app as well as the components.

We worked iteratively to create a prototype we could use to test the final version of the app.

Research round 3

Final test

Once again, we recruited 10 participants to do 1-1 interviews to test the prototype.

All participants found the app easy to navigate and use with their computer keyboard. The alternative login flow we tested seemed like a good alternative, but needed more explanation upfront. Participants didn’t understand a business decision that split the live content into two rails.

Overall the navigation and interaction patterns worked well with the exception of a specific pattern on the Schedule screen - where we hinted to an event starting later in the day.