YouNow
Broadcast Viewing Experience
My Role
Product Designer
Timeline
Team
Product Manager
iOS Engineer
Android Engineer
Backend Engineer
How might we modernize an outdated viewing experience to reduce friction, and re-engage users in a more immersive way?
I was in charge of the redesign of YouNow’s broadcast viewing experience by modernizing its outdated UI and adding interaction patterns. The goal was to create a more immersive interface that feels intuitive and up to date.
The broadcast viewing interface hadn’t been updated in years, leading to growing complaints about the cluttering layout and frequent crashes. These issues made it harder for users to stay engaged—especially in mobile and guest-viewing contexts.
I started with a heuristic evaluation and competitor analysis to identify usability issues and benchmark design patterns. By applying Jakob’s Law and prioritizing familiarity, I redesigned to reduce the user learning curve while improving layout clarity, hierarchy, and interactions.
Portrait Mode
Reprioritized controls and simplified visual hierarchy to focus user attention on content and interaction.
Before (the chat was hidden)
After
Landscape Mode
Although the redesign prioritized mobile, the platform’s web-based roots meant many broadcasters were still creating content in desktop landscape mode—so preserving layout clarity across devices remained critical.
Before
After
✅ Decluttered and standardized a consistent UI across both portrait and landscape modes
✅ Reorganized interactive elements for better one-handed use
✅ Cut down on unnecessary visuals to improve clarity and performance
✅ Made the experience more immersive
Hide messages and overall interaction
Remove guest interaction
Complex guest mode layout with mixed orientations
We support up to four broadcasters in a single room, but each user may stream in either portrait or landscape mode—making layout consolidation extremely difficult in mobile view.
What I did:
I explored multiple layout variations, ran a competitor analysis, and collaborated with the team to define a structure that balanced flexibility and clarity across orientations.
Tight timeline + limited engineering resources
The redesign happened during Christmas and Lunar New Year with a reduced engineering team. The scope was broad, and many components couldn’t be shipped in full.
What I did:
I supported PMs by simplifying design documentation, creating annotated specs, and designing temporary, phased solutions for incremental dev. I also made thoughtful design compromises—balancing ideal UX with realistic deliverables.
Post-launch feedback on chatroom legibility
After launch, users reported that chat text felt harder to read—even though font size hadn't changed. The new transparent chat background reduced contrast and visibility.
What I did:
I quickly iterated on UI adjustments, testing new text treatments to restore visual clarity without sacrificing the lightweight visual feel.
Design handoff