2017 Disney
design thinking, research
Leveraging in-depth user research to design for a global audience
problem
phase 1
During my time at Disney, I was the first IC PM on the DisneyLife team, which was the production proof-of-concept for Disney+. We created a video and music streaming service that launched in the UK, the Netherlands, and the Philippines (areas that allowed us to test the concept without harming contractual content distribution agreements).
After we launched in late 2015, we spent the following 2-3 years iterating on the featureset and design of the product across desktop web, mobile, and tvOS. As part of this, we spent 2017-2018 revving on the core design and flows of the service.
solution
phase 2
I was the PM lead for this user research-intensive redesign of DisneyLife. Tasked with validating key hypotheses and establishing a globally resonant design language, I collaborated closely with visual designers, product designers, and global researchers to build requirements across mobile, web, and tvOS.
Some unique challenges of this project included the vast globalization of Disney’s audience, the different requirements of the various film imprints (Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel), and the desire to make the design language feel uniquely Disney. The deep qualitative research conducted, as well as the thoughtful experiments conducted, made this a success.
impact
phase 3
The UI and UX that shipped with v1 of Disney+ was directly influenced and validated by our work on the DisneyLife team, especially this large user research effort.
One enduring lesson from this project is that while content reigns supreme, delivering a delightful user experience is paramount.
