My TV App
iPad & Tablet App for DTH Service Provider
Project Overview
PROJECT & DURATION
My TV App
1 Week
OBJECTIVE
To create a TV app for iPads and tablets designed for Indian users, offering an easy-to-use experience for everyone. The goal was to ensure smooth and enjoyable viewing by focusing on user needs, simple design, and the trends of that time.
INTRODUCTION
A Vision for Seamless TV Viewing
In 2014, I was entrusted with designing a TV application for iPads and tablets specifically tailored for Indian audiences. My goal was to create a user-friendly app that appealed to all age groups—ranging from housewives enjoying daily soaps to teenagers exploring trending movies and shows.
Through in-depth research, intuitive design, and a keen understanding of user needs, I strived to deliver a seamless viewing experience while adhering to the design standards of the era.
Target Audience
Designing for Diverse Viewers
When defining the target audience, I initially focused on housewives, the primary viewers of daily soaps. From there, the scope expanded to include teenagers, college-going kids, and ultimately, the entire family.
Insight
The app needed to be simple enough for non-technical users while delivering an engaging experience for tech-savvy individuals. The conclusion? A universal design that appeals to every age group.
Personas
These personas highlight the distinct needs and behaviors of two key user groups, ensuring the My TV App caters to a diverse audience effectively.
Movie Buff Teenager
Ganesh
Demographics:
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Age: 17
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Occupation: College Student
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Location: Pune, India
Background:
Ganesh is a college-going teenager who loves watching movies in his free time. Whether it’s the latest Bollywood blockbusters or trending Hollywood action films. He enjoys sharing his favorite movie scenes with friends and follows updates about new releases diligently.
Goals:
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Quickly find and watch trending movies.
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Explore trailers and upcoming releases.
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Access movie recommendations based on his preferences.
Frustrations:
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Struggles to browse and find movies as per his likes.
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Annoyed by TV channels that don’t clearly display featured movies.
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Prefers minimal ads during watching movies on TV.
Motivations:
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Loves being the first among friends to watch and discuss movies.
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Enjoys a visually appealing and intuitive interface that keeps him engaged.
Key Features Ganesh Values in the App:
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Featured Section for discovering trending and upcoming movies.
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Search Functionality to locate specific titles quickly.
Daily Soap Enthusiast
Suneeta
Demographics:
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Age: 38
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Occupation: Homemaker
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Location: Ahmednagar, India
Background:
Sunita is a housewife who enjoys relaxing after chores by watching her favorite Indian TV daily soaps. She prefers watching serials during afternoons or evenings while taking a break.
Goals:
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Stay updated on new episodes and schedules for her favorite serials.
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Watch missed episodes at her convenience.
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Receive reminders for upcoming episodes or season premieres.
Frustrations:
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Finds apps with overly technical interfaces difficult to use.
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Gets annoyed when she miss episodes.
Motivations:
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Watching daily soaps is her way of unwinding and staying entertained.
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Enjoys sharing show updates with her family and friends.
Key Features Sunita Values in the App:
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TV Serials Section with organized episode listings.
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Notifications for show reminders and updates.
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Help Section for easy guidance on using the app.
DESIGN THEME AND COLORS
Balancing Vibrancy and Focus
Challenge
Indian TV is synonymous with vibrancy bright Bollywood movies and colorful daily soaps. My initial instinct was to reflect this liveliness through bright colors in the app’s design. However, these colors clashed with the content, distracting users from the videos.
Solution
I transitioned to a dark color palette. The darker tones enhanced the content's visibility and allowed users to focus on the video, achieving the right balance between aesthetics and functionality.
To maintain consistency, I adhered to iOS 7 design guidelines, ensuring a clean, modern, and intuitive theme.
Reference: iOS Human Interface Guidelines
Structuring the Navigation
The navigation aimed to make content discovery effortless, ensuring every user could quickly find their desired shows or movies.
Also, some additional filters & functions:
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Comedy: Dedicated to comedy movies and soaps.
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Drama: Focuses on drama-based (plays/ stage performances) content.
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Reality: Features reality shows.
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Featured: Highlights special events and movies.
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Notifications: Sends updates about DTH services, app notifications, and show reminders.
Home
Highlights current happenings in Movies and Serials.
Movies
Showcases today’s movies, upcoming releases, and ads
Serials
Lists daily soaps, upcoming shows, and promotions.
Search
Empowers users to find specific shows or movies from Nova.
Settings
Enables users to customize preferences, notifications, etc.
Help
rovides an easy-to-follow guide for navigating the app.
Video Ratio
A Decision Based on Research
Context: In 2014, widescreen TVs had not yet reached every Indian household. Most Indian TV serials were produced in a 4:3 aspect ratio, making it crucial for the app to align with this standard.
Approach•
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After analyzing video aspect ratios, I adopted the 4:3 ratio for videos within the app.
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Converted dimensions: 720 px x 576 px or 10 in x 8 in, which matched the prevalent screen resolutions.
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Applied the same ratio to the design elements, ensuring a cohesive visual hierarchy.
Reference: Aspect Ratio on Wikipedia
Wireframes & User Interface
The wireframes focused on simplicity and clarity, laying the foundation for a visually appealing and intuitive UI.
User Interface
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Dark Backgrounds: Enhanced video focus.
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Clean Layouts: Provided a clutter-free user experience.
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Interactive Components: Used consistent buttons and navigations to guide users effectively.
Highlights
The interface was optimized for quick content discovery and seamless navigation, ensuring users could transition between sections effortlessly
Thank you for taking time and reading my case study!
- Ram Takpere
Designing the My TV App was a rewarding experience that underscored the importance of balancing user needs, technological constraints, and aesthetic considerations. By focusing on user research, thoughtful navigation, and a tailored design, the app achieved its goal of providing a delightful viewing experience for diverse audiences.
This project serves as a testament to how UX design, when rooted in empathy and understanding, can transform how users engage with digital platforms