Guideline
Built a comprehensive, interactive UX Writing Guide for Fubo designers and content creators
Product Build
Collaborated with stakeholders and designers on new product builds and launches
Brand Content
Evolved the fuboTV voice for digital product application, speaking to a broader audience base
Subscription-based streaming and live TV | 2021
"fuboTV" first launched as a streaming alternative to cable for sports fans, and has since evolved into a more robust cord-cutting option. In addition to live sports, movies, shows and news are now a big part of Fubo's offerings. That said, some key product differentiators are built for sports fans.
I consulted with Fubo at an exciting time of new product launches:
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fuboTV Sportsbook
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free-to-play gaming
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new personalized home screen
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integrated FanView/Multiview experience
I was tasked with creating a scaleable, brand-specific UX Writing Guide to serve as a single source of truth within a new design system. As an added goal, I wanted to establish the value of UX writing inside the Fubo product building process as the Guide would become a self-serve resource.
To accomplish both goals, I collaborated directly with key stakeholders in Engineering, Marketing, Research and Gaming to advise on product copy timing, strategy and implementation.
Personalized Home Screen (example)
Algorithms that personalize a home screen can be complex, so this was a very collaborative process among designers, strategists and engineers. And with the rollout happening in phases, it was important to establish best practices for future iterations.
Content carousel titles are clear, personalized and -- when appropriate -- on brand. I didn't want to get too cute with it, but touches like "Where You Left Off" instead of "Continue Watching" allow Fubo to come across as to-the-point, instructive and just friendly enough to make way for the watching.
This syntax also mirrors and supports a carousel title further down screen "While You Were Gone," setting up a lexicon and tone.
UX Writing Guide
I worked closely with Fubo's Design System Team to create a robust UX Writing Guide that:
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communicates the value of UX writing in service to broader Fubo goals
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provides evergreen guidance that can inform new and evolving features
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includes comprehensive, practical guidance for flows, components, modalities and operating systems
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speaks to UX writers, marketing writers, designers, engineers and just about anyone at the company who owns consumer-facing digital content
Sample writing guide pages:
Additional doings:
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leveraged existing documentation and stakeholder input to finesse and clarify principles, voice and style
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strategized how to onboard others in best practices’ use and deployment
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audited the product extensively to find additional opportunities for improvement and consistency
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made joint decisions with design system owners on how writing and design accommodate one another
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participated in interviews for new hires for the Design System team
Example 1: "Scrubbing" Alert
Cable users often understand that if they enter a live program mid-airing, they'll only be able to rewind and fast-forward ("scrub") from the point they began watching. Going back to the start is a unique feature (not a bug) offered by Fubo. When the user activates it, however, they may still only scrub from their live entry point (not from the start).
Yes, this is somewhat complex to explain. It took some careful collab with the engineer and designer to ensure the message was accurate and short enough to fit into the mobile app.
The solution:
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stays positive by focusing on what the user can do, as opposed to what they can't
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omits jargon like "scrubbing" and uses plain speak that's accessible to the cord-cutting demographic
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removes confusing terminology like "opening this program," which could be misconstrued as opening the entire app
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times the message when most useful; warning the user when they choose to go back to the start is unnecessary and obtrusive since they may not even attempt to fast forward or rewind. If they do, the message appears and they can return to their live entry point with little consequence
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is structured to be simple and brief, beginning with the task at hand
Before
After
Example 2: Interactive Onboarding
New and trial users are encouraged to personalize their Fubo experience by selecting favorite channels, shows and sports teams, which can then be featured in their homepage and browsing experience. The improved copy:
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leads with the feature benefit to incentivize the user
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shortens messaging for scan-ability
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stays in the present tense even as it speaks to a future experience (the Guide)
Before
After
Example 3: Loading Error
This was an edge-case scenario -- a new feature might fail to load, so we needed a "human" touch and positive spin for a less-than-optimum scenario. This is one of those cases, where a little more is more.
The UX rewrite:
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is transparent without being clinical (and integrates the user in a can-do way)
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is thoughtfully specific ("cancel" is right for some contexts, but isn't constructive here)
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focuses on the positive; user can still enjoy the game, which reinforces one of the brand's main value propositions (live sports viewing)
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offers viable solutions only; if reloading was not likely to solve the issue, the first button would be omitted
Before
After
