TVNZ • WEB • MOBILE • CTV
Search Feature

Feature
The enhanced search feature for TVNZ improves content discoverability by allowing users to filter results by type — Shows, Movies, News, and Sport — and navigate with ease through a redesigned layout with larger tiles, an improved on-screen keyboard, and voice command options.
Role:
User Experience Designer
1. Project Goals
- User Goals:
- Improve content discoverability by allowing users to filter search results by content type, including Shows, Movies, News, and Sport.
- Enhance usability with a redesigned layout featuring larger, more accessible tiles and metadata, along with an improved on-screen keyboard and voice command functionality for easier input and navigation.
- Business Goals:
- Increase user engagement with news clips by making them easier to find, addressing challenges users face when locating news content.
- Improve engagement by enhancing the relevance and accuracy of search results across content types.
- Reduce abandonment by offering an improved search experience to streamline content discovery.
2. Research and Define
- User Research: Conducted surveys and usability tests with TVNZ users to uncover pain points in the existing search experience, notably the need for more refined filtering options and accessible design.
- Competitive Analysis: Reviewed search functionalities on comparable streaming platforms to identify best practices for layout, filtering, and input methods, specifically for CTV devices.
- Insights: Users sought more control in refining search results by content type and preferred a design with larger tiles and better input options for easier navigation.
3. Ideate and Prioritise Solutions
- Concept Development: Explored design ideas to address core issues, including adding a content type filter, a larger tile layout, an updated keyboard interface, and voice command integration.
- Prioritisation: Decided to prioritise content filtering and layout improvements, focusing on making tiles easily scannable and improving input methods for efficiency.
4. Prototyping
- Prototype Creation: Built high-fidelity prototypes displaying the new search layout with larger, content-type-specific tiles. Integrated filter controls, an updated keyboard design, and voice command functionality to simulate a comprehensive search experience.
5. User Testing and Feedback
- Testing Sessions: Conducted usability tests to observe user interactions with the new search layout, filters, and input options. Assessed ease of navigation, filtering effectiveness, and satisfaction with the enhanced tile size and layout.
- Key Findings: Users appreciated the content filters and found the larger tiles more navigable. The updated keyboard and voice command options reduced friction in the search process.
6. Refinement and Iteration
- Refinements: Made layout adjustments to ensure filter options were easily accessible and the on-screen keyboard and voice command functions were intuitive and responsive.
7. Implementation
- Development Collaboration: (Development in-progress) Currently collaborating with developers to implement the improved search feature, including filter tabs and voice command capabilities for compatible devices.