TOLANI SMITH

TOLANI SMITH

Creating Captivating Displays for Upcoming Titles for Disney+

Creating Captivating Displays for Upcoming Titles for Disney+

Problem Statement:

How can we enhance user engagement, create stronger emotional impacts, and identify storytelling opportunities through Disney+ ?


Problem Statement:

How can we enhance user engagement, create stronger emotional impacts, and identify storytelling opportunities through Disney+ ?

Problem Statement:

How can we enhance user engagement, create stronger emotional impacts, and identify storytelling opportunities through Disney+ ?


Product Design Internship

Role: Product Design Intern


Timeline: May 2024 - August 2024 (12 weeks)


Tools: Figma, Canva, Keynote, ProtoPie


Location: Los Angeles, CA


Team: Content Experience


Device(s): Web

Role: Product Design Intern


Timeline: May 2024 - August 2024 (12 weeks)


Tools: Figma, Canva, Keynote, ProtoPie


Location: Los Angeles, CA


Team: Content Experience


Device(s): Web

Role: Product Design Intern


Timeline: May 2024 - August 2024 (12 weeks)


Tools: Figma, Canva, Keynote, ProtoPie


Location: Los Angeles, CA


Team: Content Experience


Device(s): Web

[This is one of two projects during this internship]

Completed a competitive analysis for over 7 different streaming platforms, assessing Disney+ across web, mobile, and living room devices. Identified core strengths and areas for improvement by benchmarking Disney+ against leading competitors.

My Design Process


Audit of Streaming Services

I completed a competitive analysis of over 7 different streaming platforms, assessing Disney+ across web, mobile, and living room devices. My goal was to identify core strengths and areas for improvement by benchmarking Disney+ against leading competitors.

Completed a competitive analysis for over 7 different streaming platforms, assessing Disney+ across web, mobile, and living room devices. Identified core strengths and areas for improvement by benchmarking Disney+ against leading competitors.

Rated the highlights and lowlights 

Trophies indicated what each team member preferred in our own viewing experience

  • +1: Netflix and Paramount+ Tile Looking

  • +1: HBO has audioless videos which is great for web!

  • -1:  Starz has a really choppy UI in the details page

Rated the highlights and lowlights 

Trophies indicated what each team member preferred in our own viewing experience

  • +1: Netflix and Paramount+ Hero tiles look great, accessible

  • +1: HBO has audioless videos which is great for web!

  • -1:  Starz has a really choppy UI in the details page

Leveraging Audit Insights for Ideation

Since this was my first design internship, I experimented with various team ideation methods (Crazy 8's, Worst Possible Ideas, Storyboarding) and adapting my approach through each session. During this stage, I ideated, refined and converged concepts into two feasible project directions.

  • Leveraged insights from the competitive analysis to brainstorm improvements for Disney+ on web.

  • Experimented with various team ideation methods (Crazy 8's, Worst Possible Ideas, Storyboarding) and adapting my approach through each session.

  • Refined and converged concepts into a couple feasible project directions.

Concept Motivation for Coming Soon Row

Disney had just announced the release of sequels for Frozen, Moana, and Toy Story. I thought a great way to build and maintain excitement for this new titles would be to remind users of a story they know and love, allowing them to rewatch familiar titles in anticipation of the new title release.

Accomplished by breaking up the standard row layout with an enlarged row that to spotlight an upcoming show and promote the franchise or series in a fun exciting way 🤩

How this concept addresses the problem statement

✅ Native place to maintain engagement for upcoming and current titles

✅ Allow audiences to relive excitement for "coming soon" content and reconnect with beloved stories

✅ Promotion for Disney media within the platform

Transforming Sketches to Prototypes

Here, I transformed initial sketches into low-fidelity diagrams in Figma, iterating with team feedback. I developed high-fidelity designs using tools like Figma, Canva, and ProtoPie. Collaborating with engineers and designers to refine and finalize key concepts was a highlight of this stage.

First wireframe and first iteration of concept

First wireframe and first iteration of concept

User Journey —>

  1. User is scrolling through and sees a broken view from the standard rows

  2. They stops to watch trailer for upcoming movie (either from recognizing characters/elements of the story, or from fascination with the animations)

  3. **is in awe 🤩**

  4. User would add show to watchlist

  5. User could engage with "Watch While You Wait" shows in anticipation for title to be release!

Final Prototypes:

Made with ProtoPie, with help from Motion Designers @ Disney

Made with Canva (free version, not the premium 🫣)

Made with Canva

(free version, not the premium 🫣)

Final Presentation & Future Iterations

Finally, I prepared a product memo and presented mobile prototypes to 50+ stakeholders, including managers, designers, engineers, and executives. I delivered comprehensive Figma handoff materials to support ongoing development after my internship.

Future Iterations of Coming Soon Row:

  • The row animations would appear more fluid on the page and would be less confined to the space in the row

  • The trailer could take up more space, add-on tiles could appear after the trailer 

  • With my new Figma and Photoshop skills I would flesh the prototype out some more (specifically the Descendants movie example)

  • For shows or movies that are not apart of a series, the "watch while you wait" would be filled with

Future Iterations of Coming Soon Row:

  • The row animations would appear more fluid on the page and would be less confined to the space in the row

  • The trailer could take up more space, add-on tiles could appear after the trailer 

  • With my new Figma and Photoshop skills I would flesh the prototype out some more (specifically the Descendants movie example)

  • For shows or movies that are not apart of a series, the "watch while you wait" would be filled with

Challenges

Challenges

  • Creating prototypes, from low to high (Figma), for the first time!

  • Prioritizing ideas that increase user engagement and retention by incorporating business goals and objectives into my design process.

  • Transitioning from SWE to design! First Product Design internship 🎉.

  • Creating prototypes, from low to high (Figma), for the first time!

  • Prioritizing ideas that increase user engagement and retention by incorporating business goals and objectives into my design process.

  • Transitioning from SWE to design! First Product Design internship 🎉.

Takeaways

Takeaways

  • I LOVE DESIGN!!!

  • Spearheaded competitive analysis and ideation sessions, collaborated with cross-functional design and engineering teams to prototype new content and experiences for Disney+ on web.

  • Created high fidelity, moving prototypes and mock-ups for final presentation with more than 50 participants including C-suite level management.

Next Post →

Interactive Design Project

Next Post →

TOLANI SMITH

💬 Let's chat:

🌐 LinkedIn

📧 tolanism@umich.edu

© Tolani Smith

TOLANI SMITH

💬 Let's chat:

🌐 LinkedIn

📧 tolanism@umich.edu

© Tolani Smith

TOLANI SMITH

💬 Let's chat:

🌐 LinkedIn

📧 tolanism@umich.edu

© Tolani Smith 2026