BILAL
✺
Amazon Freevee
Building a TV experience for people who hate making decisions
Case study
~12 minutes
An average american consumer spends 45 hours per year deciding what to stream. How can Freevee build a drop-in experience that eases the decision-making process?
Overview ✨
Customer pain-points 🤕
Decision fatigue
An average american takes to decide what to watch next:
per session
per year
7.4 minutes
45 Hours
$7.46
2.5x
“...having to sift through twitter, youtube and tiktok to find what to watch next”
Inspite of advancements in personalisation, people still prefer recommendations from other people regarding what they should watch next.
Recommendation algorithms are getting smarter by the minute. But can they replace human taste? We believe we are still far from that.
With the onslaught of streaming services, customers are having to spend a lot more to watch their favorite shows.
Cost
someone who's 18 will spend 116 days deciding what to watch by the time they turn 81
Cost of each streaming service per month
Number of streaming services per user
Organisational pain-points 🚨
“..but look at Netflix!”
A status quo bias where the current baseline is taken as a reference point, and any change from that baseline is perceived as a loss.
During ideation, most stakeholders were unable to think beyond the familiar UX in the streaming industry.
With hiring good engineering talent being one of the challenges, I designed this pitch to showcase at DevCon 2021
Re-purposing prime video’s tech
The tech leadership was able to ship the MVP across the clients by the virtue of using a lot of prime video’s tech.
But this led to a lot of self-induced UX constraints, making prioritization even more crucial to ensure the customer experience isn’t affected.
Why solve for low-intent? 🤔
Manager
Ashraf Alkarmi
Director, Amazon Freevee🍱
As the sole designer for the platform, I built cross-organizational relationships with Prime Video, Alexa and Amazon shopping to drive alignment to acquire PMF.💎
As of Q2 2022, we clocked a total watch time of 280 million hours per month, with over 65 million MAUs and a revenue of $43 million per month.⛳️
Took from 0→1 in less than 4 months. On Mar 2022, I helped launch the MVP across 7 living room clients, including Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Samsung, LG, and Apple TV.Design Lead (L6)
JAN 2021 - Present
My impact
in a nutshell
Approach
a.k.a UX big bets
Drop-in
Social
Cost
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accolades
reviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Drop-in
01 —
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
Social
02 —
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
Free
03 —
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Future bets
Pushbacks
via experimentation
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)
01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
Pushback
An average american consumer spends 45 hours per year deciding what to stream. How can Freevee build a drop-in experience that eases the decision-making process?
Overview ✨
Customer pain-points 🤕
Decision fatigue
An average american takes to decide what to watch next:
per session
per year
7.4 minutes
45 Hours
$7.46
2.5x
“...having to sift through twitter, youtube and tiktok to find what to watch next”
Inspite of advancements in personalisation, people still prefer recommendations from other people regarding what they should watch next.
Recommendation algorithms are getting smarter by the minute. But can they replace human taste? We believe we are still far from that.
With the onslaught of streaming services, customers are having to spend a lot more to watch their favorite shows.
Cost
someone who's 18 will spend 116 days deciding what to watch by the time they turn 81
Cost of each streaming service per month
Number of streaming services per user
Organisational pain-points 🚨
“..but look at Netflix!”
A status quo bias where the current baseline is taken as a reference point, and any change from that baseline is perceived as a loss.
During ideation, most stakeholders were unable to think beyond the familiar UX in the streaming industry.
With hiring good engineering talent being one of the challenges, I designed this pitch to showcase at DevCon 2021
Re-purposing prime video’s tech
The tech leadership was able to ship the MVP across the clients by the virtue of using a lot of prime video’s tech.
But this led to a lot of self-induced UX constraints, making prioritization even more crucial to ensure the customer experience isn’t affected.
Why solve for low-intent? 🤔
Manager
Ashraf Alkarmi
Director, Amazon Freevee🍱
As the sole designer for the platform, I built cross-organizational relationships with Prime Video, Alexa and Amazon shopping to drive alignment to acquire PMF.💎
As of Q2 2022, we clocked a total watch time of 280 million hours per month, with over 65 million MAUs and a revenue of $43 million per month.⛳️
Took from 0→1 in less than 4 months. On Mar 2022, I helped launch the MVP across 7 living room clients, including Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Samsung, LG, and Apple TV.Design Lead (L6)
JAN 2021 - Present
My impact
in a nutshell
Approach
a.k.a UX big bets
Drop-in
Social
Cost
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Drop-in
01 —
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
Social
02 —
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
Free
03 —
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Future bets
Pushbacks
via experimentation
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
Pushback
An average american consumer spends 45 hours per year deciding what to stream. How can Freevee build a drop-in experience that eases the decision-making process?
Overview ✨
Customer pain-points 🤕
Decision fatigue
An average american takes to decide what to watch next:
per session
per year
7.4 minutes
45 Hours
$7.46
2.5x
“...having to sift through twitter, youtube and tiktok to find what to watch next”
Inspite of advancements in personalisation, people still prefer recommendations from other people regarding what they should watch next.
Recommendation algorithms are getting smarter by the minute. But can they replace human taste? We believe we are still far from that.
With the onslaught of streaming services, customers are having to spend a lot more to watch their favorite shows.
Cost
someone who's 18 will spend 116 days deciding what to watch by the time they turn 81
Cost of each streaming service per month
Number of streaming services per user
Organisational pain-points 🚨
“..but look at Netflix!”
A status quo bias where the current baseline is taken as a reference point, and any change from that baseline is perceived as a loss.
During ideation, most stakeholders were unable to think beyond the familiar UX in the streaming industry.
With hiring good engineering talent being one of the challenges, I designed this pitch to showcase at DevCon 2021
Re-purposing prime video’s tech
The tech leadership was able to ship the MVP across the clients by the virtue of using a lot of prime video’s tech.
But this led to a lot of self-induced UX constraints, making prioritization even more crucial to ensure the customer experience isn’t affected.
Why solve for low-intent? 🤔
Manager
Ashraf Alkarmi
Director, Amazon Freevee🍱
As the sole designer for the platform, I built cross-organizational relationships with Prime Video, Alexa and Amazon shopping to drive alignment to acquire PMF.💎
As of Q2 2022, we clocked a total watch time of 280 million hours per month, with over 65 million MAUs and a revenue of $43 million per month.⛳️
Took from 0→1 in less than 4 months. On Mar 2022, I helped launch the MVP across 7 living room clients, including Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Samsung, LG, and Apple TV.Design Lead (L6)
JAN 2021 - Present
My impact
in a nutshell
Approach
a.k.a UX big bets
Drop-in
Social
Cost
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Drop-in
01 —
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
Social
02 —
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
Free
03 —
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Future bets
Pushbacks
via experimentation
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
Pushback
An average american consumer spends 45 hours per year deciding what to stream. How can Freevee build a drop-in experience that eases the decision-making process?
Overview ✨
Customer pain-points 🤕
Decision fatigue
An average american takes to decide what to watch next:
per session
per year
7.4 minutes
45 Hours
$7.46
2.5x
“...having to sift through twitter, youtube and tiktok to find what to watch next”
Inspite of advancements in personalisation, people still prefer recommendations from other people regarding what they should watch next.
Recommendation algorithms are getting smarter by the minute. But can they replace human taste? We believe we are still far from that.
With the onslaught of streaming services, customers are having to spend a lot more to watch their favorite shows.
Cost
someone who's 18 will spend 116 days deciding what to watch by the time they turn 81
Cost of each streaming service per month
Number of streaming services per user
Organisational pain-points 🚨
“..but look at Netflix!”
A status quo bias where the current baseline is taken as a reference point, and any change from that baseline is perceived as a loss.
During ideation, most stakeholders were unable to think beyond the familiar UX in the streaming industry.
With hiring good engineering talent being one of the challenges, I designed this pitch to showcase at DevCon 2021
Re-purposing prime video’s tech
The tech leadership was able to ship the MVP across the clients by the virtue of using a lot of prime video’s tech.
But this led to a lot of self-induced UX constraints, making prioritization even more crucial to ensure the customer experience isn’t affected.
Why solve for low-intent? 🤔
Manager
Ashraf Alkarmi
Director, Amazon Freevee🍱
As the sole designer for the platform, I built cross-organizational relationships with Prime Video, Alexa and Amazon shopping to drive alignment to acquire PMF.💎
As of Q2 2022, we clocked a total watch time of 280 million hours per month, with over 65 million MAUs and a revenue of $43 million per month.⛳️
Took from 0→1 in less than 4 months. On Mar 2022, I helped launch the MVP across 7 living room clients, including Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Samsung, LG, and Apple TV.Design Lead (L6)
JAN 2021 - Present
My impact
in a nutshell
Approach
a.k.a UX big bets
Drop-in
Social
Cost
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Allow the users to engage with the content right off the bat, with a curated playlist of our big-bet.
Whether it is a film-critic’s curated pick or a TV show that your friend strongly recommends, Freevee provides the context for each of the recommendations.
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
awards &
accoladesreviews
Some examples of the nudges that will help provide enough context to the viewers to feel comfortable jumping in with the ongoing content.
nudges
library
Drop-in
01 —
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
A television-centric take on social viewing. Leveraging our smartphones to complement the living room entertainment.
11 of 12 user-interview participants mentioned that they use their smartphones when they are watching something casually.
Social
02 —
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
An emphasis on creative direction and clear guardrails for the advertising assets.
Alexa-enabled interactive ads such as buying your amazon repeat-purchases, adding a soundtrack from the current program to your spotify playlist etc.
An ad experience that thoroughly baked into the app — not an afterthought.
Free
03 —
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Moments
Mood Canvas
Future bets
Pushbacks
via experimentation
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
"…show more of our selection"
Yes, we need to help them find a title to watch ASAP
But, we needn't show titles in excess.
6 weeks roll out
HPC: 27.4 to 30.9 (12.7%)01 —
"…every streaming app has a detail-page"
Yes, we need to aid informed decisions for our users
But, we needn't be confined to a page-based solution
TFS: 3:24 to 3:57
* Time to first (meaningful) stream02 —
"…have the best recommendations for NextUp"
Yes, we may allow users to binge
But, we needn't overwhelm them with options
Decoy Effect: show an option that’s easier to discard
03 —
Pushback
