CNBC+
Redesigned CNBC’s Livestream experience by enhancing how users find and discover video content—unlocking new capabilities that improved engagement, increased time spent in the app, and delivered more personalized, relevant recommendations.
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Background
As part of a broader initiative to expand CNBC’s direct to consumer offerings, leadership requested the creation of a new livestream product tailored to users who did not need the full suite of PRO services. In response, the team set out to design and launch a more accessible experience delivering continuous global coverage along with on demand access to all 12 flagship CNBC shows.
This was also an opportunity to modernize the overall video experience. Partnering closely with the web experience team, we reimagined the livestream interface to be more streamlined, intuitive, and aligned with user expectations for digital video consumption.
Just like the legacy News Feed, the CNBC TV landing page presented challenges. A long scroll lacking consistent organization or clear labels.
Findings
Users have to scroll until they find what they are looking for which causes frustration.
Without the existence of a clear navigation users have problems finding items.
Videos are often repeated in different sections.
Discovery
Desk Research
Conducted competitive research to get a glimpse of what other brands in the space were doing, and partnered with data analytics to review, activity and frequency across mobile apps to understand how users were using CNBC and if they had specific needs related to streaming content and video.
Findings
Users watch Business Day shows live, as they air—an indication that live content is a priority and deserves a dedicated, focused experience.
Clips have higher priority than episodes so we need to consider their place in the experience
Insights
However, there are certain points of frustration in finding what they’re looking for.
Findings
Difficulty in finding specific episodes or clips
No connection between full episodes and related clips
Content categorization does not match search goals
Lack of clarity on recency
Experience Priciples
Make it Findable
Create a single destination with clear separation between Live Stream and Video-on-Demand
Make it Organized
Establish a library of VoD content (episodes & clips) based around user needs
- Recency
- Show titles
- Hosts
Make it Scalable
Ensure the experience can scale in the future to better service user goals through advanced search & improved content tagging
MVP
As the project progressed, we encountered differing perspectives among stakeholders regarding what the minimum viable product should include. Each group had varying priorities, which required ongoing alignment and compromise to keep the experience cohesive.
Timeline shifted, which affected our ability to deliver on several of the features originally planned for the initial release. We had to make strategic decisions about which elements to prioritize and which to defer.
Product strategy shifted. What began as an experience with select gated content evolved into a fully gated product, which required adjustments to both the user flow and the overall value proposition.
What happened to my clips?
With the launch of CNBC+ as a gated subscription based product, free users suddenly lost access to the video content they were previously accustomed to. We had to come up with immediate stopgap solution that maintained clarity and user trust while simultaneously exploring longer term design approaches that ensured the experience remained inclusive for both paying and free users.
Make it Findable
I identified an opportunity to give the livestream its own dedicated and focused experience by separating it from the broader video catalog. We proposed consolidating all video content including episodes, clips, both free and premium into a centralized media hub that would also integrate CNBC’s existing audio experience. This reorganization aimed to streamline content discovery while catering to the needs of diverse user types.
To ensure usability and reduce cognitive friction, we built on previously tested and well received navigation models. Video and audio became the two main pillars of the experience.
Make it Organized
The Media tab served as the primary destination for all on demand content. Users could explore every CNBC show, along with PRO video and exclusive Investing Club content. Each show was assigned a dedicated page that featured the latest five full episodes, along with a curated set of clips related only to that show, offering a blend of long form and bite sized formats.
Findings
Discoverability Trade-offs: New and existing users did not struggle to locate the new space.
Users welcomed the organization of clips under each respective show.
Make it Scalable
The video viewing experience was overhauled to support deeper content engagement. Viewers were given contextual entry points to related clips, articles, and real time stock information mentioned in each episode. Looking ahead, this infrastructure also laid the groundwork for future AI powered enhancements, such as auto generated rundowns under three minutes to help users quickly understand the core topics of each episode.
CNBC Projects
01.
Home Feed
Home Feed
Navigation
02.
Menu Redesign
Menu
Redesign
