The UX/UI design process is the first phase of any successful platform implementation, where new ideas and platform goals are created, user journeys are mapped out, and your brand is moved forward on a digital level in collaboration with platform implementers like PT SportSuite.

This week: User Experience …

PT believes in keeping simplicity and the fan in mind before making any design calls, but also making sure that any design decision takes the user on a digital journey that excites and encourages engagement and loyalty within your branded ecosystem.

Here are the key factors …

NAVIGATION

Navigation should always be intuitive and user-friendly, allowing users to find content with a minimum of fuss – whether that’s an upcoming live stream, highlights on demand or premium programming. A clear and intuitive navigation structure can help users quickly find what they’re looking for, reducing frustration and increasing engagement.

Offering effective tools and features for content discovery is key.

Navigation should also allow for a certain level of personalisation – including personal playlists, favourite videos and team or player specific content – which has proved to increase retention and ultimately satisfaction.

VIDEO QUALITY

Users expect nothing less than high-quality video streams with minimal buffering and lag – regardless of device. A seamless and high-quality viewing experience is essential to meeting user expectations and avoiding frustration leading to user drop-off.

The quality of video also has an impact on brand perception – high-quality video can enhance the brand’s reputation, while poor video quality can damage your brand’s image. 

Make sure you partner with a platform implementer like PT SportSuite that can leverage world-class cloud infrastructure like that offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to ensure your platform scales effortlessly for increased demand and high volume periods.

By leveraging AWS technology, PT SportSuite can deliver the highest quality rendition of streamed video content that viewers can watch given their bandwidth constraints, while also saving on outgoing streaming costs by up to 30% by implementing Quality Defined Variable Bitrate (QVBR) technology over more traditional methods.   

USER INTERACTION

Encourage user interaction and engagement through gamification features such as match predictors, player-of-the match voting, match day fan challenges, leaderboards other community building tools.

Create a destination where engagement begins long before kick-off and long after the final whistle has sounded, where fans can visit 24-7 to engage with your brand and find value.

ACCESSIBILITY

By making sure to focus on platform accessibility for a broad range of users and that user experience is consistent across multiple devices, will massively benefit your subscriber acquisition strategy – while also meeting accessibility laws and regulations such as those in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Prevailing consumption patterns of fans make it critical that maximum accessibility to big screen viewing is considered and catered for – whether via Chromecast or other screen casting technologies.