Designing a TV with a ​Magic Remote

I was contracted by a global electronics manufacturer to design interaction ​concepts and patterns for their newest Smart TV.

The Magic Remote remote presented to us was different than a traditional remote in ​several ways, but most notably, it allowed a user to navigate by pointing to different ​areas of the screen to reveal more or make a selection.

This functionality created a new set of constraints, and gave us an opportunity to ​break from the typical frustrations of clunky, slow TV navigation.

What I Did

I led the design, prototyping, and testing phases, working closely with a team of ​animators and visual designers.

I focused on designing the interaction framework, conducting high-fidelity ​prototyping, and iterating on concepts, layouts, and navigation.

A significant part of my work involved developing guidelines and best practices for ​using a "magic remote," which combined traditional remote functions with on-​screen pointing capabilities.

Experimenting with Sketching & Layouts

We spent much of our time sketching and documenting design patterns that work ​for this combination of remote and screen. Through testing, we began to lean ​towards a bottom menu that is activated by hovering to the lower portion of the ​screen.

We created wireframes detailing some common interactions for this Smart TV, ​including accessing apps, saving apps and shows to favorites, and ​browsing/previewing content with minimal obstruction of what the user is ​currently viewing.

Prototyping Interactions for a Magic Remote

I developed concepts, prototypes and usability studies to create a set of guidelines ​and best practices for the Magic Remote.

We developed simple-but-functional prototypes that could be tested with the ​magic remote and various navigation tasks

We experimented and tested various interaction states for the ​magic remote cursor

Through usability testing, we developed a set of best practices for ​cursor states and interactions

Lessons Learned

The biggest lesson I learned was the importance of high-fidelity prototyping, and ​capturing the right feel of the product.

Early in the project, we realized that static screens and basic prototypes weren't ​going to cut it. We had to develop detailed, interactive prototypes to gather ​actionable feedback. Getting the detailed interactions just right, especially with the ​magic remote, was crucial.

Factors like TV screen size, distance, and accessibility concerns gave us a lot to ​consider - especially when it came to the nitty-gritty details, micro-interactions, and ​animations. This project taught me how important it is to refine the smallest details ​to create a clear, intuitive experience.

Biggest Product Challenge

The biggest challenge was to strike a balance between the familiar aspects of TV ​navigation, such as using buttons on a remote, and the new capabilities (and ​learning curve) that came with magic remote.

I’m most proud of

I'm most proud of designing a useful, functional experience from scratch - especially ​given the lack of existing references for the magic remote technology.

We managed to make the most of the technology, and create a better user ​experience by getting resourceful with research, and continuously testing and ​refining our designs.