IMDbPro Homepage Redesign

IMDbPro

Homepage Redesign

I lead the redesign of the IMDbPro homepage, overhauling what had been untouched for over a decade. IMDbPro is a subscription-based service provided by IMDb, specifically catering to professionals in the entertainment industry, such as actors, producers, directors, and agents.

Problem 1

Fragmentation

Industry professionals faced challenges in staying updated across multiple websites, leading to information overload. Navigating through various sites and subscribing to numerous email digests created a fragmented experience, making it difficult for them to stay current with relevant news. To address this issue, solutions were proposed to streamline information access and provide a more seamless experience for industry professionals to stay informed and up-to-date.

Problem 2

Relevance

The homepage content lacked alignment with user needs, resulting in low engagement and retention rates. Additionally, the structure of the homepage failed to facilitate connections and engagement among members within their professional networks, leading to a lack of relevance. To address these issues, design improvements were proposed to enhance content relevance and foster meaningful connections and engagement among users.

Research and Discovery

I conducted comprehensive research, employing a range of methods and techniques to gain valuable insights. These included analyzing page statistics, conducting contextual inquiries, and engaging in ethnographic studies with entertainment industry professionals. Through these research efforts, I delved into their unique perspectives and day-to-day behaviors, observing and understanding the intricacies of their experiences. This deep exploration provided crucial insights that informed the design process and guided the creation of user-centric solutions tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

Design Process

I spearheaded the redesign process by placing a strong emphasis
on prioritizing essential design principles and tenets.

I spearheaded the redesign process by placing a strong emphasis on prioritizing essential design principles and tenets.

This involved establishing a centralized point of access for personalized data, creating a comprehensive overview with deep dive capabilities, incorporating user engagement features, and ensuring flexibility for A/B testing.

The main objective was to develop a user-centric experience that streamlined data access, encouraged engagement, and facilitated iterative improvements based on valuable user feedback.

Ideation

During the ideation process, I generated multiple hypotheses to enhance the platform. Through ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and iterative refinements, I explored various potential improvements and solutions.

Personalization

These hypotheses encompassed a range of enhancements, such as introducing personalized and dynamic content to the homepage, tailoring modules for customized user experiences, emphasizing updated data to drive daily active users, optimizing the news module for heightened engagement, and integrating customized data to promote regular updates. These iterative improvements aimed to create a more engaging and tailored experience for platform users.

These hypotheses served as guiding principles, informing my decision-making process and driving my creative solutions. By leveraging these insights, I was able to enhance platform performance and elevate user engagement to create a more compelling user experience.

UI Exploration

Throughout my design exploration, I crafted wireframes at varying levels of fidelity to visualize and refine the user interface. This iterative process allowed me to iterate and evolve the design towards more detailed and interactive prototypes. By transitioning from wireframes to interactive prototypes, I was able to simulate the user experience and gather valuable feedback for further refinement.

Lo-fidelity & Hi-fidelity

Wireframe

After multiple rounds of careful layout considerations, the primary focus of this wireframe was to analyze the effects of incorporating mixed content, both with and without media, on the page. The emphasis was particularly placed on evaluating the impact within the news feed section.

Hi-fidelity

Prototype

To elevate personalization within the home feed, I conceptualized a design that curates content based on users' individual interests, tracking preferences, and frequent visits to specific types of pages. This approach aimed to create a tailored and engaging user experience by presenting relevant content that aligns with their preferences and browsing habits.

View prototype

Testing

To ensure the effectiveness of my design approaches, I conducted rigorous usability tests with our primary user group, which represented 85% of our scenarios. These tests were conducted at different stages of the design process and were instrumental in gaining insights into user expectations and desires. With the assistance of a moderator, these tests identified areas requiring refinement before proceeding to the development phase, ultimately enhancing the overall user experience.

Results

By leveraging user interests as the primary information source for homepage content and implementing a robust notification system to enhance page tracking and timely updates, the remarkable outcome was a notable 72% increase in key performance indicators (KPIs) and a weekly average of 160% growth in daily active users (DAUs). These improvements demonstrate the effectiveness of aligning content with user interests and providing a seamless notification experience, resulting in enhanced user engagement and overall platform success.

Reflection

The IMDbPro home page redesign offered valuable lessons in user-centric design, emphasizing the importance of understanding user needs and preferences. Overcoming challenges through iterative testing and feedback loops, future projects would prioritize early user involvement and close collaboration with stakeholders. The aim is to consistently deliver exceptional user experiences by aligning with user expectations and business objectives.

Role

Sr. UXD (Principal)

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