Client
YouTube
Overview
YouTube was developing a way to manage multiple videos playing on various devices, called the MediaHub. As a last-minute replacement for someone on maternity leave, I was tasked with executing the agreed upon design for an MVP.
Client
YouTube
Industry
Entertainment
Service
Product Design
Design Thinking
Team leadership
Content
Duration
6 months
The Challenge
However, the design had significant problems. As a contractor with limited sway and the only design voice on a PM-led team already fully on track to deliver, I had to figure out a way to bring the team on board by pausing their engineering work and taking the time to design a proper experience.
The Solution
Instead of stalling the project over an inherited design, I identified practical failures. The transfer button was both confusing and non-compliant with accessibility guidelines (needed to be 48px). Additionally, MediaHub’s UX allowed users to land on nested pages without visiting the parent, misaligning with Google’s ecosystem and causing engineering issues. To address accessibility, I consulted with the Accessibility Team, who guided our direction. For the transfer issue, I explored alternative designs and shared iterations with the team to highlight critical flaws. With executive approval, I reimagined the design from scratch, proposing solutions from inline expansion to a single-tap UX, acknowledging potential re-engineering but ensuring long-term success.
The Result
The design proposed was a complete rethink of what I had inherited and what the team had signed off on. The design went up to the Directors of YouTube and was signed off. An MVP was delivered and has been a success, saving the eng and pm functions work in the long term and ensuring that the project will launch.
