StreamIt

Four Main User Goals

The DirecTV team tasked us with addressing four key goals that users typically have when navigating account management features. These goals guided our design decisions and helped ensure the experience aligned with real user needs.

Competitive Analysis

We conducted a competitive analysis of three similar services based on the following criteria:

• Visibility of system status
• User control and freedom
• Error prevention
• Flexibility and efficiency of use
• Cognitive load and simplicity

The services we reviewed shared several design patterns, including card-based layouts, toggle interactions, and clear confirmation steps. They all used the term “Add-ons” and relied on long vertical scrolling to suit mobile users.

As-Is Task Flows

Before proposing new solutions, we mapped out the existing user journeys to understand pain points and opportunities for improvement in the current experience.

Upgrade or downgrade the base package

Provide users the flexibility to move their core subscription tier up or down, ensuring their package always matches their viewing needs and budget.

Add or remove premium content from the base package

Allow users to customize their base package by easily adding or removing premium channels, sports packages, or subscription services based on their preferences.

Cancel a package

Provide users a way to cancel their current base package

Low-Fi Prototype

We began with low-fidelity grayscale prototypes to explore the core interactions of our proposed design. These early versions were used to conduct our first round of usability testing, wireframe walkthroughs, and design critiques, helping us quickly gather feedback and iterate with purpose.

Design Focus Groups

We conducted focus groups with representative users to gather feedback on our low-fidelity prototypes, helping us validate key ideas and shape the overall design direction.

In the design focus groups, participants used sticky notes to mark areas of the prototype where they had feedback. They were given different categories of notes such as positive, constructive, questions, and ideas to encourage a variety of input and thoughtful discussion.

Through usability walkthroughs and design critiques, we identified several key opportunities to improve the experience. We introduced clear visual cues to show when packages or extras were added or removed, helping users track their changes more easily. We also added concise text descriptions to each TV package to support better decision-making. Additionally, based on user feedback, we replaced the traditional cart model with a simpler, more intuitive solution that better aligned with user expectations on mobile.

Mid-Fi Prototype

Based on insights from our focus groups, we developed mid-fidelity prototypes that incorporated user feedback and refined our design solutions.

The mid-fidelity prototypes allowed us to test more refined interactions and visual design elements before moving to high-fidelity development. We incorporated a cleaner layout, improved information hierarchy, and more intuitive navigation based on user feedback from earlier testing sessions.

Usability Testing Setup

We conducted comprehensive usability testing with 12 participants who informed us they had used a streaming service similar to DirecTV. Each session was structured to evaluate specific tasks and gather both quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback.

Usability Analysis

Our usability testing revealed specific insights across the four key tasks we evaluated. Each task provided valuable feedback that informed our final design decisions:

Task 1: Find package information & switch packages

85% Success

What Worked Well

• Clear initial language and buttons
• Information present met user expectations
• Users had no issues comparing packages

Pain Points

• State changes did not meet expectations
• Cancel terminology confused users
• Non-uniform graphical elements

Click to enlarge

Task 2: Adding/removing channels (add-ons/extras)

95% Success

What Worked Well

• Users navigated here easily
• Finding the channels was efficient
• Visual feedback when items were added

Pain Points

• Unclear where the channels originated from
• Cards do not match the package card designs
• Users expected changes to take place as soon as the pop-up confirmation was completed

Click to enlarge

Task 3: Compare changes made in the system

90% Success

What Worked Well

• Users unanimously liked the color coding and strikethrough to see changes
• Clear language and understanding from users

Pain Points

• “View Update” button remains even when viewing update
• Unclear when these changes would be enacted (dates/times)

Click to enlarge

Task 4: Review & Commit to Changes

100% Success

What Worked Well

• Users felt this step followed convention
• No users had problems navigating this task

Pain Points

• Users were unsure if this would commit the changes
• Unclear when these changes would be enacted (dates/times)

Click to enlarge

High-Fidelity Prototype

Based on our usability testing insights, we refined our design into a high-fidelity prototype that addressed user pain points and incorporated visual design changes to make the product feel more aligned.