My Library (TED App)

Context

First major redesign of TED’s mobile app in 4 years

Objective

Create a hub in the TED app where users can easily access their saved, downloaded and recently viewed videos and podcasts.

My Role

UX Lead

Timeline

8 weeks

Results

Check it out on the app store →

+275% video starts
+150% video completes
+6% app sentiment score

PROBLEM

Users rarely return to the app after setting up their account

Thus, account holders rarely make it to the final stage of the monetization funnel and retention rates lag behind industry averages.

OPPORTUNITY

Super users generate 2x more ad revenue than casual users.

Account holders who use the app regularly are also 2x more likely to start a video and 6x more likely to return.

Features popular with super users are ignored by newcomers.

Superfans are avid users of their Saved, Downloads and Watch-History lists⏤features ignored by new account holders.

SOLUTION

Create a hub where users can easily access their saved, downloaded and recently viewed content.

Boost discoverability of features beloved by super users to keep new account holders in the funnel.

DESIGN GOALS & KPIs

Time-to-Play Start
Decrease time (seconds) from launch to play start (from My Library)

Play Starts
Increase # (from My Library)

Retention
Increase # of sessions per user/month

Saves & Downloads
Increase # per user/session

DETERMINING MVP

Current-state analytics guided MVP functionality, by providing insight into actual usage, at scale.

To determine MVP and realistically quantify the risk of deprecating existing features, I leveraged sequential clickstream data to see how people were currently using the app. I made a running list of research questions and matched each to an analytics query that could help answer. I also cross-checked each question against comparative apps to understand popular mental models for usage.

Watch-History shouldn’t include completed content, since users rarely re-play finished content

Users frequently download content but rarely consume it, indicating Downloads are hard-to-find

Users often tap to sort but rarely make a selection, indicating option they’re looking for isn’t offered

Watch-History used as ‘lazy save’ to avoid account creation⏤users tap play then pause so content saves to Watch-History list

MVP DESIGN

Unified the navigation experience⏤tying Saved, Downloads and Watch-History together for the first time

I made it easier to access these lists by moving them out of user’s profile into their own hub on the universal nav bar.

These changes marked the app’s first major redesign in 4+ years.

Fuss-free routing pages designed for quick glances

Rather than optimizing for browsing and exploration, I designed My Library like a table of contents, allowing users to easily pick up where they left off.

I wanted to display as much as possible above the fold, instead of giving more context about videos/podcasts the user is already familiar with.

For example, I used smaller thumbnails, truncated titles and omitted speaker names.

Prepping for handoff

To communicate path logic to engineers in a self-explanatory way, ensuring accurate translation and implementation of new components across color modes and devices.

Rachel Costas

My Library (TED App)

First major redesign of TED’s mobile app in 4 years

Create a hub in the TED app where users can easily access their saved, downloaded and recently viewed videos and podcasts.

UX Lead

8 weeks

Check it out on the app store →

+275% video starts
+150% video completes
+6% app sentiment score

PROBLEM

Thus, account holders rarely make it to the final stage of the monetization funnel and retention rates lag behind industry averages.

OPPORTUNITY

Account holders who use the app regularly are also 2x more likely to start a video and 6x more likely to return.

Superfans are avid users of their Saved, Downloads and Watch-History lists⏤features ignored by new account holders.

SOLUTION

Boost discoverability of features beloved by super users to keep new account holders in the funnel.

DESIGN GOALS & KPIs

DETERMINING MVP

MVP DESIGN

I made it easier to access these lists by moving them out of user’s profile into their own hub on the universal nav bar.

These changes marked the app’s first major redesign in 4+ years.

Rather than optimizing for browsing and exploration, I designed My Library like a table of contents, allowing users to easily pick up where they left off.

I wanted to display as much as possible above the fold, instead of giving more context about videos/podcasts the user is already familiar with.

For example, I used smaller thumbnails, truncated titles and omitted speaker names.

I wanted to display as much as possible above the fold, instead of giving more context about videos/podcasts the user is already familiar with.

For example, I used smaller thumbnails, truncated titles and omitted speaker names.

To communicate path logic to engineers in a self-explanatory way, ensuring accurate translation and implementation of new components across color modes and devices.

To communicate path logic to engineers in a self-explanatory way, ensuring accurate translation and implementation of new components across color modes and devices.

RESULTS

353%

275%

275%

increase in play starts

150%
increase in video completes

150%

257%

6%

6%

increase in app sentiment score

4%
increase in account creations

4%

Rachel Costas

My Library (TED App)

First major redesign of TED’s mobile app in 4 years

Create a hub in the TED app where users can easily access their saved, downloaded and recently viewed videos and podcasts.

UX Lead

8 weeks

Check it out on the app store →

+275% video starts+150% video completes+6% app sentiment score

PROBLEM

Thus, account holders rarely make it to the final stage of the monetization funnel and retention rates lag behind industry averages.

OPPORTUNITY

Account holders who use the app regularly are also 2x more likely to start a video and 6x more likely to return.

Superfans are avid users of their Saved, Downloads and Watch-History lists⏤features ignored by new account holders.

SOLUTION

Boost discoverability of features beloved by super users to keep new account holders in the funnel.

DESIGN GOALS & KPIs

DETERMINING MVP

MVP DESIGN

I made it easier to access these lists by moving them out of user’s profile into their own hub on the universal nav bar.

These changes marked the app’s first major redesign in 4+ years.

Rather than optimizing for browsing and exploration, I designed My Library like a table of contents, allowing users to easily pick up where they left off.

I wanted to display as much as possible above the fold, instead of giving more context about videos/podcasts the user is already familiar with. For example, I used smaller thumbnails, truncated titles and omitted speaker names.

I wanted to display as much as possible above the fold, instead of giving more context about videos/podcasts the user is already familiar with. For example, I used smaller thumbnails, truncated titles and omitted speaker names.

To communicate path logic to engineers in a self-explanatory way, ensuring accurate translation and implementation of new components across color modes and devices.

To communicate path logic to engineers in a self-explanatory way, ensuring accurate translation and implementation of new components across color modes and devices.

RESULTS

353%

275%

275%

increase in play starts

150%increase in video completes

150%

257%

6%

6%

increase in app sentiment score

4%increase in account creations

4%

+275% video starts
+150% video completes
+6% app sentiment score

I wanted to display as much as possible above the fold, instead of giving more context about videos/podcasts the user is already familiar with.

For example, I used smaller thumbnails, truncated titles and omitted speaker names.

I wanted to display as much as possible above the fold, instead of giving more context about videos/podcasts the user is already familiar with.

For example, I used smaller thumbnails, truncated titles and omitted speaker names.

150%
increase in video completes

4%
increase in account creations