STV Player – Redefining the Streaming Experience
The Challenge
The market for streaming platforms is highly competitive. Between Netflix, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer and the arrival of Disney+, there is more content available than ever before. Non-traditional entertainment companies are dominating the home entertainment space, leaving traditional broadcasters needing to adapt quickly in order to stay relevant.
With so much quality content available across various platforms, viewers have more choice than time. The real challenge is: how do we convince viewers to spend their limited free time on our platform?
This is a question of branding, marketing, usability and discoverability.
While we cannot give viewers more time, we can make our platform easier, faster and more enjoyable to use. We can also “shout louder” and with more meaning about the content we provide, creating value and increasing engagement.
Our goal was to design for the future by making STV Player a platform that truly values its users and their experience.
Product Statement
STV Player, while functional, was not meeting modern expectations for streaming apps. We had worked towards reaching feature parity with competitors, but realised we also needed to deliver a premium, consistent and modern design to compete on a UK-wide level.
We set out to improve the user experience, fix core issues and elevate the overall product.
Identified Issues
Performance and User Metrics
Low App Store ratings
High bounce and churn rates
Most ad inventory viewed by a small group of top users
Underlying Causes
Incomplete features
Playback issues
Outdated and inconsistent design
Lack of personalisation
Restrictive ad policy
User perception that content is limited
Proposed Solutions
Improve recommendations and content discovery
Introduce personalisation throughout the app
Implement consistent design across all platforms while catering to device-specific needs
Greatly improve accessibility features (for example, audio description can transform shows into audiobook-style experiences)
Strategic Shift
To achieve our KPIs, we needed to re-evaluate our approach to both content and users. We proposed a visual and cultural shift that prioritised the viewer experience above all else.
Investing in Artwork and Copywriting
Our first objective was to encourage browsing and discovery. As the STV Player catalogue grew with more third-party content, it became harder for users to decide what to watch.
We asked ourselves:
Why should viewers care about a programme we recommend?
How can we convince them to watch something new or unfamiliar?
We identified that high-quality artwork and engaging copy are essential gateways to discovery. Good visuals and meaningful descriptions make browsing effortless and help users trust our recommendations.
Research showed that 80% of users discover new content through recommendations from friends. Viewers don’t want to research what to watch; they want to be told what’s good. STV Player should become that trusted friend.
The Discovery page would serve as a central hub for recommendations, using a mix of editorial and data-driven suggestions.
To achieve this, we aimed to:
Create artwork that helps users quickly identify stories that interest them
Write compelling descriptions that hook the viewer
Build anticipation and a sense of hype
Apply accessibility guidelines to imagery
Introduce captivating trailers within the Discovery page
User Insights
Scotpulse Survey Findings (STV Player):
The main reason users avoid Channel 3 content is a lack of appeal and poor promotion of third-party content
Twice as many negative comments as positive were recorded about STV Player
Adverts are tolerated but seen as annoying, especially repetitive ones
53% of users rely on search to find content, highlighting the need for an enhanced search function
The top reasons users choose other platforms are:
No ads
Different programming
Less buffering
Better search functionality
User Behaviour:
58% know what they want to watch
19% like to browse
23% do both
Viewers under 35 are least likely to browse
A New Player – The Theory of Discovery
When designing the Discovery page, we drew inspiration from e-commerce and app store design patterns.
Hick’s Law: Reducing the number and complexity of choices encourages users to make quicker decisions.
Von Restorff Effect: Visually distinctive elements (such as illustrated artwork) are more memorable.
Contextual Calls to Action: Subtle prompts like “Watch Now” or “+ My List” appear as users pause, guiding them without interruption.
Aesthetic-Usability Effect: Attractive interfaces are perceived as easier to use, making users more forgiving of minor issues.
While good design improves perception, it cannot mask genuine usability problems. Our focus remained on balancing visual appeal with function.
Personalisation
Personalisation was designed to enhance content relevance without changing the visual design.
Discover:
Editorially curated content promoted and ordered by user interests.
Homepage:
All rows can be personalised. A “Recommended for You” row is always visible and prioritised. Editorially driven rows remain, allowing flexibility for the Digital Content team.
My List:
Content saved by the user informs future recommendations.
End of Play:
After watching, viewers see up to three relevant recommendations — next episode, a related show, or a live channel suited to their interests.
Categories:
Static genre categories, but content order is dynamic, based on popularity and editorial control.
Search:
Search includes titles, actors and sub-categories. If a non-STV title is searched, we show the closest available content. Search data also helps improve recommendations.
User Testing
Over two weeks, we recruited users to test the prototype. Sessions included interviews about viewing habits, usability tasks and short surveys.
Objectives:
Understand how users find new or familiar content
Evaluate how design changes and new features affect user behaviour
Results:
Users found the new design intuitive with minimal learning required
They appreciated curated and personalised recommendations
Features like Discover, My List and the TV Guide helped users feel in control while receiving helpful guidance
User Quotes:
"I love the editorials, they give a deeper understanding of the show’s tone."
"Interviews with stars feel exciting and insightful."
“Leaving Player Soon alert is very useful as a prompt.”“Collections make it easy to see what I’ve missed.”
“Coming Soon is very useful.”
“I like being able to choose the ad-free service.”
“The Discover page looks great and the trailers are engaging.”
Product Evaluation
Areas identified for improvement before final design implementation:
Add labels to app icons for better accessibility
Implement comprehensive cross-platform search
Clarify search page design (some users did not realise they were on it)
Add search/My List tab to the Discover page for smoother navigation
Maintain consistent button placement
Allow My List follow-through when clicking notifications
Add confirmation when a programme is added to My List
Ensure descriptions appear on Browse pages (where screen size allows)
Design
Key design decisions focused on creating a seamless, enjoyable experience across devices, built around discoverability, personalisation and accessibility.
Prototypes:
