YiTV (Yahoo interactive TV)

Purpose

People are turning their attention to the Internet from TV, where they watch content that is unilaterally provided at a set time, to YouTube or Twitch, where they can watch content they want and videos of stars.
Yahoo wanted not only to provide users with the content they wanted but also to provide a platform where they could communicate with the stars and fans they love. We have created an online place that allows you to enjoy and communicate with people who have the same interests, therefore they feel like you are in the same space. The YiTV is a new video player that allows users to tune into live-hosted content for each content, such as Beauty, Sports, and Music. One example of a live broadcast for sports would be if a commentator came online to talk about a highlight reel. While he's talking, the audience could chime in and ask questions via a chat window.

Roll & Challenges

I was responsible for: the UX, UI, and visual design of Yahoo interaction TV, not only on desktop but also on mobile. In order to provide users with an easy way to focus on the video and communicate, various ideas were prototyped and feed packs were received from customers. There were many users who were accustomed to passive participation by leaving only comments, but they were very interested and happy to be able to express their feelings and hear the answers to their questions directly from the stars. We created a way to communicate emotions with only facial expressions so that users can participate in communication without feeling burdened.

Multi-channel and platforms

The layout was made flexible so that it could be embedded in various channels and platforms of Yahoo. You can easily access customers' live shows and videos from anywhere and enjoy the related content of each channel at the same time.

Tumblr Experience

Yahoo, which acquired Tumblr, created an SNS channel for stars and fans to communicate on the Tumblr platform. Stars' own space was provided so that they could update their videos and various contents. Through this, users can easily move between diverse platforms provided by Yahoo and enjoy various content in various ways.

Mobile Experience

Express Emotions

Although we didn't expect a pandemic, in 2016, I and my best engineer developed the idea of a way for singles living alone to watch movies or games together and connect with their emotions. People's facial expressions were classified, and each expression was created by a character. By mapping people's facial expressions and characters, it was possible to express users' emotions through their screens in the digital world. Users could feel like watching a movie together and feel like cheering for the same team together.