Video Push Alerts

OTT app feature

Client/Employer:

CBS News

When:

Circa 2019

My Role:

Designer, prototyper

Colophon:

Sketch, Hype, Coda/Nova

After the 2019 redesign of the OTT apps launched, I continued to work with the same Product person on a new feature: Video Push Alerts.

In this case study:

Final Mocks Case Study

Here are static mocks of the final designs, one version for tvOS, and a more basic version for less-powerful systems like Roku:

Final design mockup for the CBS News OTT app Video Push Alert feature on Apple TV.
Final design mockup for the CBS News OTT app Video Push Alert feature on Apple TV.
Final design mockup for the CBS News OTT app Video Push Alert feature for Roku.
Final design mockup for the CBS News OTT app Video Push Alert feature for Roku.

Prototypes Case Study

Below are screen recordings of several prototypes I built for us to visualize and evaluate various VPA concepts.

This first is my own preferred interaction model, where a new alert would push back the currently-playing live feed or VOD clip, and the user could use the remote's arrow keys to select between the currently playing video or any of the available alerts. This would have been possible on high-powered Apple TV devices, but likely not on almost any other platform. I think I was alone in liking this concept.

Video Push Alerts: pushback concept

The below prototype demonstrates a horizontal panel that is initiated by either a new alert being delivered, or the user manually clicking the left arrow on their remote (or swiping left on an Apple TV remote):

Video Push Alerts: horizontal interaction, with panel

Below is a screen recording of the close-to-final version of the feature:

Prototype screen recording: Video Push Alerts: horizontal interaction

A quick variation of the above, exploring how it would work if it was tied to the remote's "up" button:

Prototype screen recording: Video Push Alerts: vertical interaction

I also produced at least one non-interactive prototype, to demonstrate the delivery of a new alert which the panel was open, and the expiration of an existing one. Screen recording:

Video Push Alerts: new alert delivered, and another expires