CTV
Canada’s top-rated TV network, CTV, offers seamless access across desktop, mobile web, and the CTV app, reaching viewers on smartphones, tablets, and Connected TV devices. This multi-platform approach has positioned CTV as a leader in delivering content anywhere, anytime, maximizing audience engagement.
01
The Problem
CTV’s digital presence lacked a cohesive focus on its core value proposition. Historically dependent on cable subscribers, CTV treated its online platform as a secondary offering, prioritizing contests, giveaways, and event schedules over its primary content—video content and programming. This misalignment failed to meet the needs of online users, who were underrepresented in user experience decisions and viewed as less important than traditional cable viewers.
In addition, several CTV specialty channels operated as stand-alone entities with minimal connection to the main CTV brand. Channels dedicated to specific genres, such as comedy, sci-fi, and lifestyle, existed on external URLs, contributing to a fragmented and scattered digital presence. This not only confused users but also weakened CTV's overall brand cohesion online.
02
Objectives
Reposition CTV’s online platform as a central hub, emphasizing its core value—video content—while seamlessly integrating its diverse channel types such as Comedy and Sci-FI. This approach will refocus the platform on delivering primary content, shifting away from secondary offerings like contests and giveaways, and better aligning with user priorities.
Conduct in-depth research to understand the online audience’s preferences, behaviors, and engagement patterns. Use these insights to redesign the platform with a user-centric approach, improving navigation, accessibility, and content discovery, particularly for online viewers previously seen as secondary.
Enhance the user experience across web, mobile, app, and Connected TV platforms. Implement personalized content recommendations and cross-device continuity, ensuring users can easily switch between platforms while maintaining their preferences and content engagement.
03
Solution
To address the underutilization of CTV’s online platform and its growing importance to the brand’s value, the redesign will focus on enhancing the entire experience across web, app, and 10-foot platforms. By conducting extensive primary research, we will gain deep insights into CTV’s online audience—understanding who they are, how they interact with CTV products, and their specific content consumption habits. These insights will drive user-centric design solutions that align with audience needs, boost engagement, and elevate CTV’s digital presence as a core part of its business strategy.
04
Overview
As the Lead UI Designer for web and apps, I was responsible for developing UI components for the CTV MVP. I collaborated closely with the UX research team, leveraging analytical research data to synthesize key user insights. This allowed us to identify user frustrations and align our findings with the needs of Product Managers and Product Owners. Together, we iterated on user-centric solutions based on these insights, ultimately leading to the selection of the final MVP.
05
User Insights
To effectively tailor the CTV platform to its audience, we conducted in-depth research to understand our user base, motivations, and viewing behaviors. This process began with a series of surveys and moderated user studies, allowing us to create a clear picture of who our users are and their content preferences. We explored key motivators driving users to watch CTV and, by analyzing viewing patterns, gained insights into the frequency and duration of their interactions with CTV content. This research revealed that video plays a central role in the CTV experience, with users typically visiting the site to explore specific shows and movies. Additionally, we found that live TV and schedule features were of greater interest compared to articles or contests, and binge-watching ranks high as a preferred viewing style, especially among users who enjoy CTV’s catalog of classic and throwback content.
Key takeaways also highlighted that schedules are most valuable to live TV viewers, while users under 50 are particularly drawn to CTV’s free video content. Building on this foundation, we hypothesized that users seek easily digestible video content that offers a snapshot of the latest shows while also surfacing a broad array of archived content for binge-watching recommendations.
06
Wireframes
In the redesign process, I created wireframes to establish the structure and functionality of the new CTV platform. These wireframes served as a blueprint, focusing on optimizing navigation, improving content discovery, and integrating key features like live TV schedules and binge-watching recommendations. Collaborating with the UX and product teams, I ensured that the wireframes aligned with user insights, offering a streamlined, user-friendly experience across web, app, and connected TV platforms. The wireframes acted as a foundational step, guiding the design iterations and setting the stage for the final MVP.
07
Testing Designs
During the design-phase user testing, we focused on identifying the ideal interface environment to enhance user experience during extended content viewing sessions. We tested various layout options and visual themes, particularly exploring how different viewing modes affected engagement and comfort. An overwhelming 95% of users expressed a preference for a dark "theater mode" when browsing content, citing reduced eye strain and improved focus on video elements. This feedback directly influenced our design direction, leading us to prioritize a dark-themed interface for both browsing and viewing modes, aligning the platform's aesthetic with user comfort and supporting a more immersive, cinema-like experience.
08
Content Discovery
The redesigned interface leverages a streamlined card and chiclet design, making navigation through CTV’s top shows and channels intuitive and visually engaging. Each card presents essential information at a glance, allowing users to quickly browse and select content without unnecessary clicks or confusion. This design approach simplifies discovery, with a layout that highlights the latest offerings and trending shows front and center. Additionally, a scrollable sub-navigation specifically for specialty channels was introduced, displaying each channel’s logo for instant recognition. This intuitive design structure enhances user engagement by making it easy to find both familiar and new content.
09
Results
The CTV redesign successfully transformed the platform into a user-centric experience, delivering substantial improvements across web, app, and 10ft (Connected TV) platforms. Key outcomes of the project included:
Enhanced User Engagement: The streamlined navigation, card-based design, and dedicated specialty channel sub-navigation made it easier for users to find and engage with content, increasing traffic to nearly 50% of its original visitor views online and significantly boosting content exploration.
Dramatic Increase in Viewing Time: With a design focused on content discoverability and viewer comfort, prime-time video viewing surged, reaching close to 1 billion hours per month. This uplift reflects users’ satisfaction with both the redesigned browsing experience and the expanded access to video content.
Cross-Platform Consistency: The redesign provided a seamless experience across desktop, mobile, and Connected TV platforms, enabling users to transition between devices while retaining a cohesive look and feel.
These results underscored the impact of a user-focused approach, effectively aligning CTV’s digital experience with viewer needs and establishing a strong foundation for sustained growth in audience engagement.
