Elevating Perception, Driving Playbacks
Tubi Mobile Asset Detail Redesign
Tubi offers free, ad-supported streaming—but in a world of sleek, premium experiences from Netflix and Max, our mobile app wasn’t measuring up. The content library was evolving rapidly, with more premium titles being acquired, but the mobile experience felt outdated and cluttered, particularly on the Title Detail Page—the critical screen where users choose to start watching.
With mobile engagement stagnating, I partnered with the Mobile PM to reimagine this experience, aiming to boost usability, increase play conversions, and give users the sense that Tubi was a premium product—even without a subscription fee.
The Problem
Our core hypothesis: Users were reaching the Title Detail Page but not following through with playback.
Through data analysis and user research, we found:
- The play button was visually lost among 5 similarly styled actions.
- The interface lacked hierarchy or focus, creating confusion.
- Users were bouncing without watching, a red flag for engagement and retention.
- We saw a clear opportunity: Redesign the layout to prioritize playback, streamline actions, and add delight through micro-interactions—making the entire experience feel elevated and modern.
Role & Responsibilities
- Principal Product Designer
- Visual Design, Prototyping, Motion
- Design Strategy and experimentation planning with Product & Engineering
Design Goals
- Increase clarity of core actions: Emphasize “Play” as the main CTA.
- Modernize the UI: Apply new brand guidelines to elevate the visual experience.
- Introduce interaction delight: Use motion and micro-interactions to make the experience feel tactile and refined.
- Test incrementally: Honor Tubi’s philosophy of experimentation, using iterative design changes to validate hypotheses.
Design Solutions
We moved from a flat, button-heavy layout to a focused and emotionally driven experience:
Primary CTA Hierarchy:
- The “Play” button became visually dominant and anchored in a fixed position.
- Secondary CTAs—“Like,” “Add to List,” and “Share”—were refactored into smaller, animated icons with subtle haptics and micro-interactions.
Motion & Micro-Interactions:
- Tactile animations made interactions feel responsive and intentional.
- These small design touches helped users feel more in control and emotionally connected to the content.
Refreshed Visual Design:
- We applied the new Tubi brand guidelines—cleaner typography, spacing, and layout principles—to support a more premium look and feel.
Progressive Enhancement:
- The design was rolled out in stages, A/B tested against control versions to measure impact without major engineering overhead.
Obstacles & Overcoming Pushback
Initially, mobile was not seen as a strategic priority. Engagement was low, and the assumption was that desktop and TV were more important platforms.
- Executive Resistance:
Some executives questioned the value of improving the mobile detail experience. But we made the case that small wins on mobile could have ripple effects across user engagement and brand perception. - Turning “Side Project” into Flagship Work:
With a few quiet sprints on the roadmap, the mobile team was eager to explore. We used this downtime to test small layout changes and capture early wins. - Proving Value with Data:
After several successful experiments, we showed a ~30% increase in title plays from the redesigned layout. That data shifted internal perception—eventually gaining support from executive leadership, including the CEO.
Reflection
As both a designer and a mobile user, I believed in the potential of a premium experience in a free product. By focusing on clarity, delight, and smart UI hierarchy, we helped users feel like they were getting real value—despite the ads.
What started as a side project became a turning point for mobile at Tubi. This experience reinforced how small, strategic design bets—combined with cross-functional trust—can lead to real impact. It’s a lesson I carry into every project: test small, think big, and design for emotion.
Outcomes
📈 ~30% increase in Play conversions on mobile
🔁 Increased user retention and reduced bounce rate from title pages
🎯 Executive buy-in to elevate mobile as a core platform
🔧 The new layout has since become the foundation for continued iteration and innovation on mobile