Profiles on Sky Q
Making TV more personalised by introducing profiles cross platform.
My Role: Product Design (UX/UI) | Tools: Sketch
Challenge
As customer numbers grew on Sky Q, It became clear that more families and multiple individuals were using the same account without a way to separate personal preferences.
This lack of separation led to frustration, particularly in features like "Continue Watching," where multiple people’s viewing habits would mix, creating confusion. The issue was compounded by the inability to personalise the experience for different users sharing the same account.
Who I worked with
Design Director
Product Owner
Technical Lead & Engineers
Solution
Based on user research and benchmarking against services like Netflix, I designed a profile management system that allowed multiple users to have separate profiles within a single account.
Each profile had its own preferences, history, and personalised recommendations, ensuring a unique experience for each user. This allowed families and other shared users to maintain their own content and preferences without interfering with others' usage.
Benefits
Design Director
Product Owner
Technical Lead & Engineers
Design Process
-
Collaborate with stakeholders to clarify business goals.
Catch up with engineers and developers, to keep them well informed from the very beginning of the process.
-
I dive into understanding the problem and user needs through user research, competitor analysis, and gathering qualitative data.
Benchmarking also plays a key part
-
Next I would brainstorming solutions. I create wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes to explore potential layouts and features.
During this phase, I also collaborate with stakeholders to generate and refine ideas.
-
I create prototypes and conduct usability testing to gather feedback from users.
I iterate based on this feedback to ensure the design is intuitive and user-friendly.
-
Iterations & High Fidelity UI
Design Critique & Feedback
Collaboration with developers to ensure smooth handoff
Delivery & Design System sync
Presentation
My approach
I began by conducting qualitative research to gather insights on how users were interacting with their Sky accounts, particularly in households with multiple users.
It became clear that the absence of personalised profiles was causing frustration, especially for families sharing the same account, as content recommendations and the "continue watching" feature were becoming muddled.
To address this, I turned to benchmarking similar services, with Netflix being a prime example. Their approach to multiple profiles served as a valuable reference point for designing a seamless user experience.
I then focused on designing the flows for adding new profiles across both mobile and TV platforms, ensuring consistency while taking into account the unique interaction methods on each device.
This included steps such as adding a name for the profile and selecting personalised content recommendations for each user.
What was my strategic thinking behind my design decisions?
Since the look and feel of each profile wouldn’t change drastically, the focus was on designing an intuitive flow for adding new profiles. This needed to work seamlessly across both TV and mobile platforms.
The interaction methods varied between the two, but I ensured the process was straightforward—users would enter a name and then select shows for personalisation. This ensured the content recommendations catered to individual tastes without overcomplicating the interface.
Usability testing & UI
I presented prototypes to stakeholders in Germany at Sky for feedback, which helped refine the user flow further. We tested both the mobile and TV flows to ensure users could easily navigate the process of adding and managing profiles. The testing revealed that the flow was clear and easy to follow, providing a smooth experience for users across both platforms.
Outcome
Despite receiving positive feedback and validation for the personalised profiles feature, the project faced significant organisational and technical challenges. The primary obstacle was the introduction of Sky Glass and Sky Stream, which led to a shift in company priorities. As a result, the personalised profiles feature was not implemented, even though it had been well-researched and designed.
Learnings
The experience taught me the importance of adaptability in the face of changing business priorities. Even with well-received designs, external factors such as shifting resources and product launches can impact implementation. It was also a valuable reminder of the need to stay in tune with larger organisational goals while ensuring that design solutions remain flexible for future use.
Key Results
Successfully designed and validated the personalised profiles feature, which received positive feedback from stakeholders and end users.
Provided Sky with a well-researched, data-driven design for future implementation when priorities allow.
The research and design work served as a strong foundation for future personalisation initiatives within the company.
Like what you’ve seen?
Feel free to reach out, and let's see how I can help meet your design needs or fit into your team. Let's chat!
