Tag: user-experience

When I talk to people about AI, they’re convinced that AI will take everyone’s job but theirs.

So I asked ChatGPT to write a PRD based on these broad requirements on streaming.

This is how it went, with my analysis in italics.

>: create a prd

Here’s a condensed version for a Product Requirements Document (PRD) based on the article’s suggestions:

Title: Streaming Service User Experience Enhancements

1. Objective: Improve user experience for streaming services by addressing current pain points related to navigation, search, and content accessibility.

2. Features:

• Standardized Status Bar: Implement a universal status bar for content streaming, showing key information like time left, volume, etc.
• Improved Search Functionality: Prioritize free content in search results and maintain uniform keyboard layouts across platforms.
• Enhanced Content Accessibility: Ensure closed captioning settings are retained across sessions, and respect language preferences.
• User Interaction Improvements: Introduce a ‘Like’ button for content, allow searches by video length, and streamline temporary connections for guest users.
• Profile Management: Simplify profile switching and ensure settings are maintained per profile.

3. Requirements:

• Compatibility: Ensure features are compatible across different devices and platforms.
• User Settings: Allow users to save and easily modify their preferences.
• Design: Follow a user-friendly design for all new features to ensure easy navigation and interaction.

4. Success Criteria:

• Increased user engagement and satisfaction.
• Positive feedback from usability testing.
• Decrease in user complaints related to navigation and content accessibility.

This document outlines the initial requirements for the proposed enhancements and will be updated as feedback is received and additional research is conducted.

Point 1 is a reasonable summary of the post. Point 2 is a decent regurgitation of the requirements. Point 3 is “mom and apple pie,” and could be cut-and-pasted in to any PRD. I didn’t expect it to generate success criteria, but that is a reasonable output. (Though still mom and apple pie.)

All in all, not a PRD, but a reasonable outline for a junior PM to build off of.

>: what kind of testing do I need to do

For your streaming service enhancements, you should conduct the following types of testing:

1. Usability Testing: Evaluate the user interface and user experience with real users to identify any issues in navigation, content accessibility, and overall interaction.
2. Functional Testing: Verify that all features work as intended across different devices and platforms.
3. Compatibility Testing: Ensure the service works seamlessly on various devices, operating systems, and web browsers.
4. Performance Testing: Assess the application’s performance, especially during peak usage times, to ensure it can handle high traffic without degradation.
5. Security Testing: Check for vulnerabilities, especially in user data handling and payment systems.
6. A/B Testing: Compare different versions of features, like search algorithms or UI layouts, to determine which ones perform better in terms of user engagement and satisfaction.

Again, generic. Mom and apple pie. But it is a solid checklist. I would add accessibility testing.

>: would a focus group be helpful?

Yes, a focus group would be helpful. It allows for in-depth discussions on user experiences, preferences, and feedback on the new features. This qualitative method complements quantitative data from A/B testing and usability testing, providing richer insights into user needs and behaviors.

This is an accurate answer in that it explores the differences between qualitative and quantitative research. But a lot of things don’t benefit from focus group. The biggest breakthroughs will fail in focus groups because people have a hard time conceptualizing drastic changes.

For consumer online products, I rarely find focus groups useful. If I were running a CPG and testing different fragrances for my laundry soap, that’d be different.

>: on which features?

A focus group would be particularly helpful for features such as the standardized status bar, improved search functionality, user interaction improvements like the ‘Like’ button, and profile management. These are areas where subjective experiences, preferences, and ideas can significantly vary among different users, making them ideal topics for in-depth discussions in a focus group setting.

The status bar is best analyzed using A/B testing. Search result quality on usage metrics such as CTR and increased engagement. Profile management is where you’ll get the most bang for the bunk in focus groups.

Partly because it’s very complicated and expensive to implement and partly because there are so many ways people could use profiles.

>: stack rank the features

Here’s a suggested stack ranking for the features based on potential impact on user experience and implementation complexity:

1. Improved Search Functionality: Directly impacts user ability to find and enjoy content.
2. Enhanced Content Accessibility: Important for inclusivity and user satisfaction.
3. Standardized Status Bar: Improves user navigation and control during streaming.
4. User Interaction Improvements (e.g., ‘Like’ button): Increases engagement and personalization.
5. Profile Management: Enhances user experience for households with multiple users.

This is a bit of a trick question. Despite it being in vogue, I am not a big fan of stack ranking. It is too hard, and not particularly useful, to stack rank.

In a reasonably large organization, there will be multiple teams. For this example, you’d probably have separate teams for player, search, personalization and partnerships. At best, you’re ranking within a team’s responsibilities.

Many features are grouped in the way they are implemented. Once you’re under-the-hood of the player, it’s easier to make all the player fixes than to make one fix, close the hood, come back, open the hood, make another fix, etc.

Degree of difficulty and time to value delivered are also a factor in prioritization. I could probably knock the time progression change quickly and deliver compelling, immediate value.

Prioritizing tasks is definitely important. But stack ranking, as it is commonly explained, is mostly a futile exercise.