Smart TV App prototype
Case study
04 of 06
+ Key tags
- User centred decision making
- Rapid prototyping
- Agile scrum
- User experience development
+ Resources
- There are no resources available for this project
+ Overview
Skype’s first ever TV app - due for release in conjunction with all major electrical companies rollout of built in Smart TV apps. The aim was to deliver the app whilst meeting all previous expectations and interactions a Skype customer would experience on any other device. We created a prototype that was later used as a fully functional spec by TV developers in Japan.
+ Background
As a developer I was part of an agile squad made of UX, design and development that created fully functional app prototypes. We were able to push the boundaries of latest browser technology to enhance the final experience whilst keeping a close eye on perceptive speed (by adopting latest google recommendations).
+ Process
The initial prototype build was designed on a mixture of existing Skype product functionalities and design team input. The brief was to build a rapid prototype that could be amended, extended, and reversioned based on a bi-weekly release and user test. Even though this was a prototype we ensured that reusable coding techniques were in place, meaning we could emulate perceived performance and reduce code bloat. We were able to push in-built browser technologies so that load was reliant on client side (animation speed was vital for interaction demonstrations).
Agile...
At the end of each two week sprint user testing commenced. There were 5 different personas from a handpicked selection of existing customers that were studied. Testing was undertaken in a real life environment (living room, cup of tea, feet up etc) where customers were asked to perform a series of tasks using a standard television remote control.
Outside of the physical test environment the squad monitored the customer emotional reaction as well as the navigational behaviours. They identified pain points, interaction difficulties and flagged a list areas for review in the next sprint.
Working alongside the UI team we were able to collaborate and contribute ideas for new features as well as changes to previous features. There were daily co-pairing sessions with developers and designers to identify opportunities where technical enhancements could have been missed.
+ The end
We delivered a fully functional browser application to Hitachi, Sony & Samsung TV developers, who were able to successfully launch the first ever Skype TV App.