Live Video Streaming is more often mentioned recent years. There is two type of this product. One is as a pure application, like Periscope. The other is a feature in some large app, such as Facebook Live.
Loops Live is a live video streaming app launched in Middle ease area. Everyone can go live and view live video on it. Now it is a popular app in SA. The DAU is 100k, and have a good revenue.
In the team, I am responsible for the user experience design of the entire product. From the feature definition, user research, wireframes and review visual design.
Real-time interaction
Real-time is the main feature that makes live broadcast different from other video products. Also because of the real-time nature, the interaction between broadcasters and viewers is the core part of this type products. As a live video streaming platform, we served two kinds of users, the broadcaster and viewer. Most of broadcasters are acting-related, broadcasting for them is job. For the viewers, using this type products for entertainment.
Therefore, the live video streaming platform like a small bar in common live for users. They, in their spare time, come here to drink, or enjoy the show. Or it sometimes feel likes a street with street performance. People stop to watch the street show and even give some change, while walking through.
Designing such products, we are going to build such a scene and similar atmosphere.
Live video broadcasting is a tough thing
For everyone, hosting a mobile live video broadcast is difficult. We have to keep interacting with the invisible audience on the small cellphone screens. Making live broadcasting easier is a major design goal. One hand is technically. Start a video streaming on one tap. The other is for the broadcasting process. To help everyone broadcasting more simple and natural. In fact, many broadcasters also experimented with various ways to achieve this goal.
For example, some broadcasters FaceTiming when broadcasting a live video. It make them fell natural on the air. We have integrated this feature in Loops, called guest video. In the live broadcast, the host and the viewers can do FaceTime. It is good for both. The broadcasters have something to do and the audiences got a new way interacting with the favorite hosts. Now one-third of host in Loops is using this feature every day.
Another example is about game. In Loops, the broadcasters can play casual games with their viewers, like Quiz, Ludo. This is also learned from the host. We saw broadcasters broadcasting their cellphone which is precessing games, and interact with the viewers. Since this function, many broadcasters play games with their audiences. Many Chinese anchor app also have joined a similar function.
In addition, our operations team continually develop activities to engage broadcasters and viewers.
Finally, we add some hints in the user flow to encourage hosts and viewers to interact with each other. It's good to keep the live stream going.
Rich Interactive prototype
Rapid prototyping is a useful design tool. However, most of the time, the prototype just show static pages. I found that such prototypes are difficult to simulate live streaming App. There are so many real-time interaction information, such as host video are changing, the user's message are passing, and so on. If it can not simulate these, the testers or the designers difficultly obtain real experience.
I used Principe to make prototype. I found in it laters version it support video content. I used video content and add some animation to simulate rich, real-time, live video broadcasts interface for testing. However it is not really live, but it works well.
Prototype of two types of game interface in Loops
Early exploration with static images
