A proposal for the mobile TV and streaming app that organizes featured content around three situations: resume, reach a live event or discover something to watch.
The problem
The brief described people browsing and leaving without watching. My diagnosis: the home is designed as a catalog. And a catalog is deliberately even. A catalog optimizes for completeness; a home that aims to turn visits into viewing has a different job: helping people decide what to play.
From the brief
I open Flow knowing I want to watch something, but I never know what. I end up scrolling for a while and closing it without watching anything.
The app has a lot of content, but it doesn’t show it in a way that catches my attention. Everything looks the same.
Analysis · Current Flow mobile screens
Three symptoms of that hierarchy: playback lacks prominence, live timing is hard to recognize, and an overlay competes with content already started.
010203The outlined Play button loses prominence against the artwork.
Live-program times sit in small text below the cards.
The floating Trends button covers part of Continue watching.
Usage situations
Two fictional personas created for the exercise. They represent entry intentions, not validated user segments.
Low urgency
“I want to watch something, but I don’t know what.”
He opens the app without a title in mind and browses, hoping something will catch his attention. The more he searches, the harder it becomes to decide.
Fewer, better-explained options.
Germán · 38
High urgency
“It’s already started and I’m missing it.”
She opens the app when something has a scheduled time. She is not there to explore: she needs to know in seconds whether it is available, whether it is live, and how to access it.
Visible timing and a direct way in.
Sofía · 29
Designing only for Germán sidelines live content; only for Sofía turns the home into a TV guide. The real problem is supporting both without one taking over.
The proposal
One dominant recommendation makes priority visible, but concentrates the risk of getting it wrong. That is why other options remain accessible below.
I started with the first opportunity to play. Giving several alternatives equal weight, as in a carousel, cancels out priority. The proposal chooses one featured item according to the available signal:
There is a relevant live event about to start
Live takes priority. Its value depends on the moment — there is nothing to postpone.
There is an unfinished session
What was started takes priority. The choice has already been made; all that remains is to resume.
No live event qualifies and there is no session to resume
Most watched takes priority, with the recommendation reason visible. It is an aggregate signal, not a personal preference.
The rule
There is almost always something live on Flow: its existence alone does not justify permanent priority. To take the featured spot, it must therefore meet two conditions: proximity and relevance.
Gate 01
when
The event is about to start or has just started. If it is still a long way off, it is not a decision yet.
Gate 02
for whom
It belongs to a competition or channel that profile has already watched. An event’s existence alone does not make it relevant.
The tie-breaker
live + unfinished session
Live content wins, and “Continue watching” becomes the first row of the scroll. What loses priority is not lost.
From structure to interface
The layout keeps its height and structure. What changes is the featured content, its action and the first row below.
The system
Each block is ordered by how much the person must decide before playing: what is urgent, already chosen, still to discover, or needs comparison. The proposal does not invent new rows: it defines how to prioritize existing ones using available signals.
Cómo entrenar a tu dragón, 22 minutes remaining
Live now
16:9Trending
16:9Continue watching
16:9Because you watched Cómo entrenar a tu dragón
2:3Most watched on Flow today
2:3This week’s releases
2:3Subscriptions that enhance your experience
blockDiscounted rentals
2:3Racing vs. Flamengo, live
Continue watching
16:9Live now
16:9Trending
16:9Because you watched Cómo entrenar a tu dragón
2:3Most watched on Flow today
2:3This week’s releases
2:3Subscriptions that enhance your experience
blockDiscounted rentals
2:3La extorsión, most watched today
This week’s releases
2:3Most watched on Flow today
2:3Trending
16:9Live now
16:9Subscriptions that enhance your experience
blockDiscounted rentals
2:3Continue watching
No session startedBecause you watched…
No viewing historyThe prototype
The strongest available signal determines what appears first. Change the state to see the featured content and rows respond.
Scroll inside the screen to explore the home.
Visual design and states
One primary action. Text and color distinguish what is live from what is coming up. Visible feedback when saving: small details support the hierarchy too.
Idle · pressed · selected
One per screen · variants
No visible label · confirms its state
One shape, four meanings
Expected improvement
The problem was deciding, not a lack of visual stimulation. The proposal aims to make that choice easier based on context.
I would validate it by comparing both homes in a controlled experiment, aiming to generate more plays, not just move them between rows.
Less effort to find something to watch.
I would measure
Time to first play + scroll depth before playback.
A clear recommendation that leads to playback.
I would measure
Playback rate from the featured area. I would also examine early exits or content switches after play as signals to investigate.
Relevant choices beyond the featured area.
I would measure
Distribution of plays across sections.
