Designing the First Excellent Multi Screen Smart TV User Expirence
As part of the RKS user experience team we began the Sharp SmartCenteral design program we hypothesized that users care more about content than the source the content comes from. As a result we shifted the paradigm of smart TV user interfaces from app-focused to content-focused.
Designing for Mobile from the Foundation
After thorough competitor research the design team concluded that no remote control, no matter how well designed, could ever be better than a smart phone or tablet. To ensure consistency between television and mobile device UI we borrowed best practices from website design and built the UI on a flexible, but modular, grid.
Impactful Reception
In 2014, when most competitors added further functionality like voice and gesture controls into their TVs (which only complicated the user experience and annoyed critics), SmartCentral simplified controls and refined typography, paired with a robust mobile experience, made Sharp a critical success and advanced the Sharp brand as a whole.
Sharp’s user interface is attractive and simple. The 4TV-show artwork that populates its guide looks fantastic, with helpful additions like upcoming episode schedules and similar titles offered on the same screen. Apps are laid out in a logical order, and on the whole it’s easy to find what you’re after. Sharp has seemingly learned the same lesson that helped Roku and Apple find success: put content first and then get out of the way. It’s entirely possible to make something "smart" while being mindful of a user’s experience. When sensible design is a priority, it shows.
