Year
2017
My Role
As the UX SME for the $50 billion AT&T/DirecTV merger, I was tasked with improving the DirecTV mobile apps, rated 1.3 stars, to 4 stars or higher. Through UX analysis, collaboration, and targeted improvements to performance, accessibility, and usability, I increased the apps' ratings to 4.6 stars in 12 months, showcasing the impact of user-centered design in a high-stakes environment.
Challenge
The DirecTV mobile apps, rated 1.3 stars at the time of the $50 billion AT&T/DirecTV merger, faced major issues: high crash rates, cryptic error messages, poor navigation, and lack of accessibility.
Solution
To address the critical issues with the DirecTV mobile apps, I conducted a comprehensive UX analysis to identify and prioritize key improvements. Solutions included fixing the 30% crash rate by resolving outdated content links, rewriting error messages to be clear and actionable, simplifying navigation to reduce taps, and implementing VoiceOver to meet FCC accessibility requirements.
I collaborated with cross-functional teams to execute these changes, ultimately increasing the apps' ratings from 1.3 to 4.6 stars within 12 months while aligning the product with user needs and business objectives.
Approach
I began with a UX analysis of the DirecTV mobile apps, including heuristic evaluations, App Store reviews, and stakeholder interviews. To foster collaboration, I conducted a listening tour with cross-functional teams. Using data-driven insights, I prioritized improvements in performance, usability, and accessibility, creating a focused roadmap.
Working with design, development, and testing teams, I implemented solutions aligned with user needs, FCC standards, and business goals, driving significant app improvements.
Outcome
Increased Ratings: Boosted app ratings from 1.3 to 4.6 stars within 12 months.
Improved Performance: Reduced crash rate from 30% to industry standards.
Enhanced Accessibility: Achieved FCC compliance by implementing VoiceOver for visually impaired users.
Streamlined Usability: Simplified navigation and reduced taps across key workflows.
Clearer Communication: Rewrote error messages to be actionable and user-friendly.
Positive Business Outcomes: Strengthened AT&T’s digital presence post-merger with a more reliable and user-centered app experience.
The journey began with a call from my SVP, who expressed a critical need to address the poor performance and user dissatisfaction with the DirecTV apps. As someone deeply familiar with both user experience and product strategy, I was asked to step in as the UX Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the merger between AT&T and DirecTV. My SVP emphasized the importance of transforming these apps into competitive, user-centered products that aligned with AT&T’s larger strategic goals.
Recognizing that the issues were not solely design-related but also tied to broader product decisions, my SVP proposed transitioning me from Associate Director of User Experience & Design to Associate Director of Product Management. This shift would give me the authority to work directly with the DirecTV product teams, build collaborative relationships, and implement a clear, strategic roadmap to overhaul the apps.
This new role allowed me to combine my UX expertise with product management responsibilities, empowering me to tackle challenges holistically. I led efforts to define the product vision, create a detailed roadmap, and ensure alignment with both user needs and business objectives. By bridging gaps between teams and focusing on execution, I was able to drive meaningful change that positioned the DirecTV apps for success.
Understanding the Problem
At the time of the AT&T/DirecTV merger, the DirecTV mobile apps for iOS and Android were rated 1.3 stars, signaling widespread user dissatisfaction. To identify the root causes, I conducted a thorough UX analysis that included:
Reviewing User Feedback: I analyzed thousands of App Store and Google Play reviews to uncover recurring themes. Users frequently reported high crash rates, cryptic error messages, and frustration with the apps' usability.
Analyzing Performance Data: Using App Store analytics, I discovered the apps had a 30% crash rate, far above the industry average of 0.1%. This severely impacted users’ ability to engage with the app.
Accessibility Concerns: I identified that the apps lacked VoiceOver support, failing to meet FCC accessibility requirements and excluding visually impaired users.
Complex Navigation: Key workflows, such as accessing Live TV and DVR, required excessive taps, while onboarding involved 12 steps, creating barriers to a seamless user experience.
These insights revealed that performance, accessibility, and usability were the primary areas impacting user satisfaction and engagement. Understanding these issues was critical in developing a targeted roadmap to address user pain points and achieve measurable improvements.
Stakeholder Collaboration
Transitioning to the DirecTV team as an outsider during a high-pressure merger presented challenges in gaining trust and alignment. To address this, I initiated a "listening tour" to build relationships and establish collaboration with key stakeholders, including:
Product Teams: Partnered with Product Managers to align on priorities and understand existing development roadmaps.
Design & Creative Leads: Collaborated to identify gaps in the user experience and explore design opportunities.
Engineering Teams: Worked closely to understand technical constraints and feasibility for proposed solutions.
Research Teams: Leveraged insights from user research to validate pain points and prioritize improvements.
Accessibility Experts: Consulted with AT&T’s Accessibility Team to ensure compliance with FCC standards and create inclusive experiences.
By fostering open communication and encouraging a shared focus on user satisfaction, I built trust and alignment across teams. This collaboration laid the foundation for executing a cohesive, user-centered strategy to improve the DirecTV apps.
UX Research & Collaboration
To uncover the underlying issues and prioritize impactful improvements, I conducted comprehensive UX research and analysis, leveraging both qualitative and quantitative methods:
Heuristic Evaluation: Performed a detailed evaluation of the DirecTV mobile apps to identify usability issues, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement.
User Feedback Analysis: Analyzed thousands of App Store and Google Play reviews, revealing common complaints such as frequent crashes, cryptic error messages, and a lack of accessibility.
Performance Metrics: Investigated App Store analytics and crash reports, uncovering a 30% crash rate—significantly above the 0.1% industry standard—caused by outdated content databases and broken links.
Accessibility Review: Identified gaps in accessibility, including the lack of VoiceOver support, which violated FCC requirements and excluded visually impaired users.
Workflow Assessment: Mapped user journeys and found inefficiencies in navigation, such as excessive steps for Live TV access, DVR management, and onboarding.
This research provided a clear understanding of the user pain points and informed a prioritized roadmap, ensuring that every improvement was aligned with both user needs and business objectives.
Prioritization & Roadmap Development
With a deep understanding of the issues impacting the DirecTV mobile apps, I developed a clear, user-centered roadmap focused on high-impact improvements. My approach to prioritization included:
Data-Driven Decision-Making: Prioritized fixes based on severity and frequency of user complaints, starting with critical issues like the 30% crash rate and cryptic error messages.
User Impact: Focused on changes that would immediately enhance the user experience, such as simplifying navigation, reducing onboarding steps, and adding Live TV and DVR functionality with fewer taps.
Compliance Requirements: Ensured accessibility improvements, like VoiceOver support, were prioritized to meet FCC regulations and provide an inclusive experience.
Feasibility & Resources: Collaborated with engineering teams to assess technical constraints and ensure proposed solutions could be implemented within the desired timeline.
Business Objectives: Aligned all improvements with AT&T’s goal of restoring user trust and increasing app ratings to 4 stars or higher.
The resulting roadmap balanced quick wins and long-term improvements, ensuring a structured approach to transforming the app experience while maintaining alignment with both user needs and organizational goals.
Design & Prototyping
With a prioritized roadmap in place, I led the design efforts to address key usability issues and introduce new features that aligned with user needs. My approach to design and prototyping included:
Streamlining User Journeys: Simplified navigation for accessing Live TV and DVR functionality by reducing the number of taps required. For instance, Live TV became accessible with a single tap, while DVR workflows were reduced from five taps to one.
Redesigning Onboarding: Cut the onboarding process from 12 steps to 4 by removing unnecessary marketing messages and focusing on key user setup tasks.
Enhancing Content Discovery: Expanded home screen carousels from 10 to 30 items per category and introduced Favorites functionality, allowing users to personalize their experience by saving channels, shows, and sports teams.
Improving Error Messaging: Designed and tested user-friendly, actionable error messages to replace cryptic alerts like “JavaScript Error, B653Q33%.”
Accessibility Features: Developed functional specifications for implementing VoiceOver, ensuring blind users could navigate the app with swipes and taps. Collaborated closely with AT&T’s Accessibility Team to validate designs and maintain compliance with FCC standards.
Prototypes were created in close collaboration with stakeholders and tested iteratively to ensure usability, technical feasibility, and alignment with business objectives. These designs set the foundation for a significantly improved user experience.
Accessibility Implementation
Ensuring the DirecTV apps were accessible was a critical priority, both to meet FCC compliance and to create an inclusive experience for visually impaired users. I led the effort to implement VoiceOver functionality across iOS and Android platforms with the following approach:
Collaboration with Accessibility Experts: Partnered with AT&T’s Accessibility Team, including blind employees, to gain firsthand insights into their needs and challenges when using mobile apps.
Functional Specifications: Created a detailed spec outlining swipe and tap workflows for VoiceOver navigation, ensuring blind users could seamlessly access content, manage DVRs, and use other key features.
Design Validation: Iteratively reviewed and tested designs with the Accessibility Team to ensure alignment with best practices and real-world usability.
Team Alignment: Worked closely with engineering to integrate VoiceOver support while ensuring all accessibility features adhered to FCC standards and passed rigorous testing.
This implementation not only brought the apps into compliance but also expanded their usability to a broader audience, reinforcing DirecTV’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity.
Collaboration with Engineering
Effective collaboration with engineering teams was essential to implementing the prioritized improvements for the DirecTV apps. My approach included:
Crash Rate Resolution: Partnered with engineers to diagnose and address the root cause of the 30% crash rate, which stemmed from outdated content databases and broken links. Worked together to test and deploy fixes that drastically improved app stability.
Clear Functional Specifications: Provided detailed specs for new features, including Favorites functionality, Live TV access, and VoiceOver support, ensuring clarity in design intent and technical feasibility.
Iterative Development: Collaborated during sprints to refine and adjust features, balancing user needs with development constraints. For example, navigation improvements and onboarding reductions were fine-tuned based on real-time feedback.
Accessibility Implementation: Guided the integration of VoiceOver functionality, working closely with engineers to translate user requirements into actionable code while maintaining compliance with FCC accessibility standards.
Transparent Communication: Maintained open communication through regular syncs and updates, ensuring alignment across design, engineering, and testing teams.
This close collaboration enabled seamless execution of the roadmap, translating design improvements into tangible, high-quality outcomes for users.
Testing & Iteration
To ensure the success of the DirecTV app improvements, I implemented a rigorous testing and iteration process that prioritized user feedback and continuous refinement:
User Feedback Loops: Collected input from internal stakeholders and user testing sessions to validate design changes and identify areas for improvement.
Crash Rate Monitoring: Worked with QA teams to track crash rate data post-implementation, verifying stability improvements and addressing any new issues that emerged.
Accessibility Testing: Conducted usability testing with the AT&T Accessibility Team, including blind users, to ensure VoiceOver functionality met real-world needs and FCC compliance standards.
A/B Testing: Leveraged A/B testing to optimize changes, such as error message clarity and content carousels on the home screen, ensuring measurable user engagement improvements.
Iterative Refinement: Continuously improved features like onboarding flow reductions and navigation enhancements based on testing results and user insights.
This iterative approach ensured that each enhancement not only addressed user pain points effectively but also delivered measurable improvements in performance, usability, and satisfaction.
The Top 10
The improvements implemented across the DirecTV mobile apps resulted in a significant transformation of the user experience. The apps’ ratings increased from 1.3 to 4.6 stars within 12 months, reflecting a dramatic shift in user sentiment. Performance enhancements, such as resolving the 30% crash rate and simplifying navigation, directly addressed the most critical pain points, leading to greater reliability and ease of use.
Accessibility upgrades, including the implementation of VoiceOver, ensured compliance with FCC standards while making the apps usable for visually impaired users. Streamlined workflows, such as one-tap access to Live TV and DVR, improved efficiency, while the introduction of Favorites and expanded content carousels enhanced personalization and content discovery. These changes not only increased user satisfaction but also strengthened DirecTV's position as a leader in digital entertainment during a critical merger transition.
