Offline Download: Enhancing Accessibility

Overview

“Offline download viewing” involves downloading video content through the Vision+ application, enabling users to watch the downloaded videos without requiring an internet connection. In such scenarios, users opt to save the videos on their mobile devices while connected to WiFi, allowing them to watch on the go without using mobile data or needing an internet connection, offering them the flexibility

Objective

“Offline download viewing” is beneficial particularly in regions with limited internet access or for individuals who frequently travel. The trend of downloading videos for offline download viewing is growing steadily, driven by the preference of many to watch videos on their mobile devices while on the move. Incorporating offline viewing into the features offered by OTT service providers is strongly advised.

Design Framework

Competitor Analysis

We conducted comprehensive benchmarking with other OTT competitors to analyze the user journey, flow, features, and backend systems related to offline download viewing. We specifically categorized this analysis into segments: “expiration date” and “active download”

Recommendation From Competitor

Show a "download button" on the VOD detail page as the starting point for users to begin content downloads. While users download the content, a loading icon will indicate the progress of the download

The “download page” visually indicates the ongoing download progress of content through icons aligned with the download or content status, facilitating users in effectively tracking their download progress and content status

These “settings” are designed to offer users flexibility and control in managing how they consume content within the app. They take into account factors like downloading only on WiFi, data usage, device storage, and individual preferences. Users can customize their experience according to their connectivity, storage capacity, and preferred content quality

Users can remove the downloaded content to free up the storage space on their mobile device, by incorporating this feature users can efficiently manage their downloaded content and optimize the storage

Providing a “tooltip” as a guide for users to understand the function and purpose of the newly introduced feature, enabling them to quickly explore the new functionality

Planning The Research

The goal behind “offline download viewing” revolves around enhancing accessibility, convenience, and flexibility for users in consuming digital content. Here are the key goals :

1. Provide seamless access to digital content offline, especially in areas with unreliable internet
2. Allow users to download content over Wi-Fi to control and minimize their mobile data usage

Users that were interviewed (which amounts to 15 users) falls under :

• Who/What : 20-29 years old
• Occupation : Early-mid professionals who commutes to work regularly
• Behavior : Very budget conscious

Crafting Research Theme

There are 2 key areas we wanted to focus on in regards to users viewing experience:

1. Stability

Can users access Vision+ contents consistently? Is there any potential issues that may affect the stability of user experience with the app?

2. Cost efficiency

Is there any additional cost incurred via Vision+ from the heavy data traffic? Is there any way for us to minimize the impact?

Conducting The Research

We conduct one-on-one In-Depth Interviews as a research method to explore user preferences, likes, and dislikes in detail. The primary goal is to gather comprehensive insights from users to enhance and refine profile features based on their feedback

Defining The Problem (Research Summary)

Based on the feedback, the common complaints are compiled as such (with the amount of users denoted for each complaint) :

User Flow

Major Design Iterations

1. Downloading VOD Content

The interface design is outdated, and users recommend making the genres and casts sections interactive to enhance movie detail exploration. They also suggest placing the “Download,” “MyList,” and “Share” buttons under the main title to maintain a clear touchpoint hierarchy. On the “Video quality” page, users prefer sorting the options from high to low resolution to start with the highest quality first

1. The “download” button is placed under the main title for easy access, and a “rating” feature should be added to the VOD detail page for direct user review
2. The “genre” section is now interactive, enabling users to browse similar genres in other VOD content. The casts section offers avatars and detailed information, and clicking on a cast redirects users to a cast detail page for a more immersive exploration
3. The “schedule download” feature allows users to plan and set a specific time for downloading content for offline viewing
4. The “video quality page” is now sorted from highest to lowest video resolution, based on the user’s touchpoint hierarchy
5. A “warning pop-up” notifies users connected to mobile data, allowing them to choose whether to proceed with the download using their data or cancel
6. A “notification toast” appears once the content is fully downloaded, alerting users and providing essential information

2. Scheduled Download (New Feature)

Vision+ app offers a “scheduled download” feature that lets users plan and set specific times to download content for offline viewing. Instead of downloading a video or show immediately, users can choose to schedule downloads for a more convenient time, such as off-peak hours or when the device is connected to Wi-Fi.

This feature offers flexibility and control, helping users manage bandwidth and optimize network conditions. It ensures content is ready for viewing as desired, avoiding interruptions and managing data usage efficiently

3. Download Detail Page

1. Most users have difficulty locating the “download” section because it's hidden and nested. A dedicated menu section for downloads would greatly improve discoverability.
2. Users found the "edit" button confusing, as it includes both delete and re-download options. The delete option should be more intuitive to prevent issues when removing or re-downloading content.
3. The placement of the “delete and re-download” options under the "edit" button is inefficient, leading to user confusion and frequent errors because of their close proximity. Many users find themselves confused when presented with these two options, especially when the downloaded content does not seem to have expired, yet re-download option will continue to be visible

1. The “download” section is now separate, reflecting its importance to users. They can easily find it without navigating other sections
2. Users can now “delete” content quickly by swiping and selecting the delete option, avoiding confusion from the previous edit button's unclear deletion function
3. A new “pop-up deletion confirmation” asks users if they want to delete the content, ensuring they understand the decision without navigating away from the current page
4. “Downloaded” content now displays a "download progress" indicator, showing users how long the download took
5. The new "pause icon" allows users to easily pause ongoing downloads with a simple click

Mobile App (Prototype)

Insights

In the process of designing an offline viewing feature, my team and I encountered various challenges and opportunities for growth. Here are some key insights we gained:

1.⁠ ⁠Learning from Competitors

My team and I studied competitors to gather ideas, leading us to improve our feature significantly. For instance, noticing smoother offline playback in competitor apps prompted us to restructured our player interface

2.⁠ ⁠Simplicity is Key

We realized the importance of simplicity in design. By simplifying the download process, we made our offline viewing feature more user-friendly and accessible

3.⁠ ⁠Embrace Revamping

We learned to embrace revamping. After receiving feedback about a cluttered interface, we restructured its design, resulting in a more visually appealing and user-friendly experience

These insights have not only improved our app but also deepened our grasp of user-centric design principles, guiding our future efforts to create innovative and user-friendly experiences for users

Thank You For Reading My Case Study 😊

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