Optimizing Internal Workflows: VoD Content Management System
Company
Wizeline / Fox
Role
Lead Designer
Duration
1.5 years
Tags
B2B, Des. Systems
Overview
The Fox Digital Publishing Platform (DPP) is a CMS designed to manage multimedia content across FOX’s streaming services, including movies, TV shows, sports, and news. FOX needed a modern, scalable CMS that could be used by both internal and external users, allowing them to efficiently manage vast libraries of content while maintaining a high level of usability.
Problem
The original platform was overly complex, developed by engineers without sufficient focus on user experience. It created significant bottlenecks in content management workflows:
🎯 Complex Navigation
⚙️ Overloaded UI
📊 Lack of Scalability
These were the previous designs when I joined the project. A redesign was already underway,
but there was no clear strategy to address the larger, systemic problems at scale.
Solution
Our solution focused on improving usability and scalability through a complete UI overhaul, the introduction of a design system, and a focus on simplifying the content creation and management workflows. We worked closely with key stakeholders across FOX, leveraging user research, design workshops, and story mapping to ensure the new CMS was tailored to the needs of the internal and external content curators.
New content creation workflow designed later in the process, informed by user research and ideation sessions. The streamlined flow simplifies content creation for both internal and external users, addressing key pain points discovered during the redesign
Key Areas of Improvement
Simplified Navigation ✨
Simplified the creation of ad performance reports, allowing users to build templates without needing to write SQL queries.
Design System Implementation 🎨
Built a comprehensive design system from scratch, ensuring consistency across all of FOX’s platforms and future scalability.
Content Management Workflows 🛠️
Improved workflows for content creation and curation, including list views, right-side panels, and grid systems to make managing large volumes of content easier.
Scalability 🚀
The new platform supports a growing number of users and content without compromising performance, ensuring FOX can continue to expand its offerings efficiently.
Design Process
User Research
To start, I conducted qualitative research, interviewing 8 users to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement. This involved gathering insights about how they navigated the platform, the most-used features, and the biggest challenges they faced. Based on this research, we developed User Personas for both internal and external users.
Workshops and Ideation
I facilitated cross-functional story mapping workshops with stakeholders from various departments. These sessions were essential in aligning on the project’s roadmap and defining what features should take priority.
Interaction Design & Prototyping
Designed several interactive prototypes to test various workflows. We introduced a simplified content creation flow with fewer steps and a more intuitive layout, helping users manage content more efficiently.
UI Modernization & Design System
To ensure consistency and scalability, we created a design system inspired by other well-known systems, such as Material Design, Atlassian’s Design System, and IBM’s Carbon Design. This system introduced a cohesive color palette, clear typography, and scalable elements that could be applied consistently across the platform. The design system was flexible enough to scale as new features were added and aligned with FOX’s brand guidelines.
User Testing & Iterations
Throughout the process, we conducted user testing sessions to validate the redesigned features. Feedback from these sessions was crucial in refining the final UI and ensuring that it met users’ needs.
Impact
Scalability Achieved
The design system allowed for seamless scalability as the platform grew, enabling 25% faster integration of new features.
User Satisfaction
Overall user satisfaction with the CMS increased by 20%, as reported in internal user surveys, due to the improved usability and clarity of the system.
Higher User Satisfaction
Editors and content curators reported a noticeable improvement in the efficiency of content management, specifically highlighting the streamlined workflows that reduced unnecessary steps.
Faster Feature Rollouts
The design system’s scalability enabled 30% faster implementation of new features, reducing development time and simplifying the design process for future updates.
Disclaimer: Metrics have been rounded for easy reading
Challenges
⚖️ Balancing Usability and Functionality
One of the biggest challenges was balancing the need for a more user-friendly interface without compromising the extensive features needed by power users. I had to ensure the design worked for both ends of the user spectrum.
🧠 Handling Complex Workflows
The complexity of the content creation workflows presented a significant challenge in simplifying the user interface while maintaining the full range of functions. It took multiple iterations and constant collaboration with engineering to find the right balance.
👬 Collaborating Across Teams
Working with cross-functional teams, each with its own priorities, required a high level of alignment. Facilitating communication between engineering, design, and product stakeholders to ensure all needs were met was a complex and ongoing challenge.
🎨 Introducing a Design System
Creating a scalable design system while maintaining the flexibility to support the diverse needs of FOX’s internal and external teams was a key challenge. This process involved aligning stakeholders around consistent design standards and ensuring buy-in from different departments.
Conclusion
As a designer, this project reinforced the importance of collaborative problem-solving and demonstrated how design can serve as a bridge between different teams. Leading the creation of a design system was a particularly valuable experience, as it taught me how to think about the long-term scalability of a platform, beyond just the immediate user interface. The lessons I took away from this project were not only about simplifying complex workflows but also about the value of establishing strong communication channels with all stakeholders to ensure a shared vision.
Ultimately, the VOD CMS redesign underscored the power of user-centered design and the impact it can have when it’s aligned with business goals. I left this project with a deeper understanding of how iterative design and user testing are essential for delivering successful, scalable solutions.
Let’s Connect!
Feel free to reach out if you’d like to chat about design, collaborations, or just to say hi! I’m always excited to connect and share ideas.
javierhumaran@gmail.com
Crafted with passion in Colorado 🏔️🇺🇸