Red Bull TV Pro-Vision
Using AR to immerse users in their favorite athlete's world
Client
Red Bull TV
Team
Visual Design
UI & UX Design
Role
UX & AR Designer
Timeline
January 2023
Project Brief
Create a new feature for the Red Bull TV app based on user's pain points
Problem Identified
The Red Bull TV app has low user retention in their primary market of extreme sports fans due to a lack of personal, athlete-centric content.
Solution
An in-app AR experience that puts user's favorite athletes in their own environment. The athletes can tell fans personal anecdotes, show off their favorite gear, and give users exclusive athletic tips.
The Brief
To kick off the project, the Red Bull TV design team joined our cohort to walk us through their brief and offered these insights.
Stakeholder Meeting Insights
"Red Bull's goal is enabling people to do what they wouldn't normally do"
The product design team emphasized that they were looking to connect with their users on a more personal level through new features
The team urged our cohort to think about users' full experience with the brand - whether it be sports content, drinks, or the RBTV app.
Quantitative Research
I began my research with a quantitative survey for Red Bull consumers and extreme sports fans, to get an idea of their media consumption habits and preferences.
79%
of participants felt that their recommended content dictated what they streamed.
72%
of participants preferred more polished event recap content over live-streamed events.
72%
of participants spent more than 30 minutes streaming digital content per day, on average.
Qualitative Research
In my qualitative research, I was interested in finding unique touchpoint opportunities that could create a more personal experience for RBTV users.
Study Plan
Red Bull TV users are given a game board-style timesheet with colored pencils and special icons. Participants are then asked to log their typical Monday routine from morning to night using the icons and pencils - starting with non-negotiable activities like school and sleep, and working down to any moment the user scrolls through their phone for more than 5 minutes. While they log each activity, I ask the participant a bit more about their motivations
The Goal
To understand where the Red Bull brand fits into the daily routine of a user or consumer, and what times of day the user or consumer is most likely to either consume Red Bull or engage with the app.
Participatory Study Insights
1
Streaming ruled participants' days. At the gym, school, and work - Red Bull TV users took every opportunity they could to stream their favorite sports.
2
All participants streamed content in bursts throughout the day, and will have watched more than 1 hour of content by the time they go to sleep.
3
Participants cited adding value to their daily lives and interests as the biggest motivation for the amount of time they stream sports content each day.
Part 2 | Qualitative Data Interviews
During my qualitative interviews, I asked participants to share one standout sporting event memory. One particular insight from a participant, David, really stuck out to me in the context of engaging with content that provides value.
"One of the best sports experiences I've had was meeting Jamil Wilson and Jonathan Motley from the LA Clippers. I've always been a really dedicated Clippers fan, but meeting them in person - seeing how tall they were and how they carried themselves created a new personal connection for me as a fan. It motivated me to keep watching and going to games.
Defining the Problem & Solution
With David’s story in mind - I noticed a huge disconnect between users and athletes within the RBTV app. Aside from general video content, it was hard for users to get to know the person behind the board or bike. I then established a problem statement for the brief:
Problem Question
How might Red Bull TV foster valuable connections between fans and athletes with a new, personal feature?
Solution
An in-app AR experience that puts user's favorite athletes in their own environment. The athletes can tell fans personal anecdotes, show off their favorite gear, and give users exclusive athletic tips.
Prototyping
Paper Prototype
Low Fidelity Prototype
Midterm Pitch
Concept Feedback
The key insights I received from the Red Bull TV team:
Now focus on how to make the experience as personal as possible
Figure out what information users want to know about their favorite athletes to create an engaging experience.
Testing the Prototype
After receiving feedback from the Red Bull TV team, I tested my digital prototype with the stakeholder's insights in mind.
Prototype Testing Insights
1
Participants wanted to know more about the athlete's journey - from amateur to pro.
2
Participants wanted actionable tips and takeaways directly from the athlete.
3
Participants preferred to explore their own environment to learn more about the athlete.
AR Prototype
High Fidelity Prototype Design
Augmented Reality Prototype
After gaining insight from both the Red Bull TV team and their target users - I built the RBTV
Pro-Vision experience in Unity, using Vuforia's AR technology.
Watch the video below for a brief preview of the experience.
Final Presentation & Recommendations
Final Presentation
Pitching my product to the Red Bull team was a great way to wrap up the Design for Community Change class. I received positive feedback on the research and concept - and it started a greater conversation about expanding the focus on athletes within the Red Bull TV app.
For future consideration, the Red Bull TV team recommended that I develop more micro-interactions within the AR experience and build upon what kind of personal interactions take place between the athlete and use with tutorials and tips.
My Recommendation to the Red Bull TV Team
With over 500+ sponsored Red Bull athletes in your network, it would be a huge missed opportunity to not create a hub for them within the app. Each of these athletes have substantial and dedicated fan bases, which leads me to believe it would be worth making the Red Bull TV app more athlete-centric.