Making Digital Exploration as Seamless as the Stories Themselves
When does a digital platform become a barrier rather than a gateway to discovery? As Senior UX Designer supporting National Geographic TV, I confronted this question head-on while leading our digital transformation.
User research revealed something striking. While viewers came for nature's wonders, they got lost in the navigation instead. Drawing on my experience designing for millions of users, I knew we had to transform this frustration into fascination. Here's how we did it.
The Challenge
Even world-class content can't overcome poor digital design. We identified three fundamental insights.
Content Clarity
Users struggled to distinguish between clips and full episodes before clicking
Access Friction
Authentication walls appeared unexpectedly, disrupting the viewing experience
Navigation Complexity
The path to desired content was often unclear and inconsistent
The impact?Viewers spent more time managing frustration than experiencing inspiration.
Overlooked the menu icon beside our brand
The Emerging Issues
Navigation Blindness
Essential navigation elements remained hidden
Basic wayfinding became a challenge for all user types
Slow page loads disrupted content exploration
Performance Impact
Users frequently abandoned video attempts
Technical barriers overshadowed content quality
The Balancing Act of Engagement
Every content platform faces a fundamental question. How do you showcase rich visual content without overwhelming your viewers?
Key Observations
Long pages led to visible scroll fatigue
Users frequently lost track of previously viewed content
The rotating featured stories section, while visually striking, created orientation challenges
The User Experience Puzzle
High-quality content wasn't enough
Visual appeal sometimes hindered navigation
Content volume competed with content accessibility
The Commercial Reality
Research also revealed an unexpected insight about advertising. In an era where ad fatigue is common, we discovered opportunities to balance commercial needs with user experience.
What Users Told Us
They preferred ads in predictable, consistent locations
Transparent ad
placement enhanced overall trust
Clear boundaries between content and advertising mattered
Evidence-Driven Approach
Mixed-methods research
Qualitative user observation
Quantitative navigation pattern analysis
Interface interaction tracking
Key Patterns Emerged
Users consistently returned to the homepage to restart tasks
The navigation menu's dark design created visibility issues
Authentication walls disrupted content discovery
Search patterns revealed natural content grouping preference
From Insights to Action
Content Organization
Intuitive category groupings
Clear distinction between clips and full episodes
Transparent authentication requirements
Navigation Enhancement
Improved menu visibility
Streamlined path to content
Reduced steps to discovery
Performance Focus
Optimized video delivery
Improved load times
Enhanced browsing speed
A Memorable Experience
The path to improvement began with a simple principle. Evidence is the best design tool we have. Based on insights we designed:
Navigation that works
We implemented a consistent global navigation system and redesigned the way-finding experience, simplifying how users find shows and explore the vast content library.
A Faster, More Engaging Experience
By redesigning page layouts and content modules, we created a better balance between content density and performance, leading to a faster, more responsive experience that encouraged exploration over abandonment.
Content categories users actually used
We categorized alphabetically and created new content categories that matched how viewers naturally explore.
A Clearer Journey to Subscription
By reducing friction and clarifying the value proposition throughout the user journey, we designed a more effective and natural conversion funnel for paid subscriptions.
Looking Forward
This yet again validated valuable lessons about digital experience.
User behavior reveals more than assumptions
Simple changes can have profound impacts
Technical performance directly affects engagement
Content organization must match natural exploration patterns
The platform continues to evolve, guided by ongoing user feedback and observation.
Because at National Geographic, they believe the journey to discovery should be as engaging as the destination.
Additional Work
Transforming Fifth Third's Business Banking Experience
As Senior User Experience Designer at Fifth Third Bank, I saw an opportunity to fundamentally reshape business banking by balancing flexibility with value. Through rigorous ethnographic research and strategic design, we proved that thoughtfully constrained choices unlock better outcomes for both bankers and customers. Our human-centered approach reduced compliance risk by millions while opening up new possibilities for how business banking technology can work. This case study shows how rethinking "flexibility" in financial systems sparked transformation in both customer experience and business results.
Let's Build What Comes Next.
If you're facing a complex business challenge or want to transform your customer experience from a cost center into a competitive advantage, I can help. Let's start a conversation.