0-1 VALUE PROP
TO SUPPORT SUB GROWTH AND PROTECT APP RATING
The Radio Times app launched without a TV listings feature — a critical gap for a brand whose identity is TV listings. I led the end-to-end design of the TV listings product, shipping the MVP in four weeks.
Problem
We released the New Radio Times app without key functionality
Magazine subscribers who engage with the app expected to see a TV Listings feature to serve as digital version of their magazine listings, which hasn't been built.
As a result, customers voiced their disappointment and our app store ratings took a hit within weeks of launch.
"Would like to be able to view a list of what is being broadcast. Useless app."
"Don't download this expecting it to provide a TV Guide – it does not do that fundamental thing"
What do
we build?
Defining our MVP was important to a quick and successful release
Grid and list views were standard across products with TV Listings which left me thinking: what's the value of each format, and what problem is each format solving?
Hypothesis
Defining our MVP was important to a quick and successful release
My hypothesis was was that grid would be the more useful format because it's richer in channel information and is the familiar format to Radio Times web and magazine users.
I ran two studies with different jobs to test this theory:
01
A survey to understand the customer missions and behaviour when using the TV listings — when they watch, how often, and whether they plan ahead or browse in the moment.
02
An unmoderated concept test. Each participant saw both prototypes — a grid layout and a list layout — completed task-based questions on each.
Insights
Two distinct use cases, not one — and the data proved the hypothesis wrong
The dominant use case was evening browsing, not planning ahead — the opposite of what I'd assumed. List won because it served that use case better. Grid was deferred because it served the secondary use case.
Use case 1
74% for finding something to watch in the evening
'What's on now, on the channels I watch
''Easier to scan'
'more modern'
Use case 2
26% for planning ahead across the week
"Should I watch this at 8 or at 9"
"I look ahead and add shows to my Sky Box"
MVP
Delivered in 4 weeks
Focusing on the primary use case of evening browsing we were able to build a lightweight TV Listings expetience that solved key customer mission.
Customers can browse a programme list by channel, with time controls defaulted to the current time so customers can see what is on TV right now and later.
Users could browse 150+ live channels, filter by day and enter and access programme pages with show information see rich programme metadata. Shipped within four weeks.
User flows
Navigating key user missions
User flows showing how customer navigate TV Listings to complete the mission they're on.
What's on tonight and tomorrow evening at 6pm on my favourite channels
What's on now or today on my favourite channels.
Fast follows
Fast follows
Preferences such as regionality, channels, and providers will be delivered in the second iteration.
Deferred features
Grid layout was deferred to a future iteration. The research justified the sequencing: ship list to serve the dominant use case.
Testing and rollout
Before release, I ran a moderated usability test with 10 users on the final design. The test achieved an 80% task success rate, and issues surfaced were resolved in the final week of build.
To de-risk the launch, we ran a phased rollout to 50% of the audience. Engagement metrics confirmed strong adoption, with concentrated use in evening hours, matching the use case the design was optimised for. We rolled out to the full audience after two weeks.
Impact
4X
longer session
App rating
stabilised and customer complaints dropped
