TOLANI SMITH

Redesigning the Mobile Disney+ Streaming Experience

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): Mobile

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): Mobile

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): Mobile

[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.

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

This project started halfway through my summer internship. I was already working on another project when this idea began. I sketched this (below) on my ipad, and pitched it to my manager. From there, myself and the PM intern on the team traveled through several Disney+ mobile streaming teams.

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 Disney Clips ("Verts" the final name)

While scrolling on another app, I came across short form content, a clip from a movie. I found myself going straight to the comments, found the name of the movie, and went to my laptop to watch the movie. I thought an in-house short form content platform would curate further engagement for new and existing titles on the platform.

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 feedback with designers in one-on-one meetings. Since, this is my first design internship, I took this opportunity to familiarize myself with Figma (VERY ROUGH my my current skills standards 😅)

First wireframe and first iteration of concept

User Journey —>

User is unsure what to watch and clicks the icon on the bottom nav
They scroll through clips of different titles, existing and coming soon, able to sample through a series of different options
**is in awe 🤩**
They could click on the ellipses for more details of the show
User would add show to watchlist or play title
User could also share a link with friends, which would entice others to subscribe or download the app

Final Prototypes:

Made with Figma

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 to support ongoing development after my internship.

This featured launched on Disney+ mobile 3/11/2026 🥳
Learn more about Verts!

Future Iterations for Disney "Verts":

Beyond formulating personalized clips of existing content that exists on the platform, this would be a space to expose subscribers to content that is coming soon
Actors/characters could use this as an opportunity to reach artists in new and engaging ways outside of trailers and clips from titles
This could also be a space to further engage other Disney's children brands (Hulu, ESPN, ABC etc.)

Future Iterations for Disney "Verts":

Beyond formulating personalized clips of existing content that exists on the platform, this would be a space to expose subscribers to content that is coming soon
Actors/characters could use this as an opportunity to reach artists in new and engaging ways outside of trailers and clips from titles
This could also be a space to further engage other Disney's children brands (Hulu, ESPN, ABC etc.)

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.
Successful 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.
Successful transitioning from SWE to design! First Product Design internship 🎉.

Takeaways

I LOVE DESIGN!!!
Designed and pitched an idea and created a product memo for a new feature to enhance user engagement on Disney+ for mobile platforms as well.
Created high fidelity, moving prototypes and mock-ups for final presentation with more than 50 participants including C-suite level management.

TOLANI SMITH

TOLANI SMITH

Redesigning the Mobile Disney+ Streaming Experience

Redesigning the Mobile Disney+ Streaming Experience

Product Design Internship

My Design Process

Audit of Streaming Services

Leveraging Audit Insights for Ideation

Transforming Sketches to Prototypes

Final Presentation & Future Iterations

Challenges

Challenges

Takeaways

Takeaways

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