TikTok TV Search
Overview
Search is a fundamental core feature in all TV products, but using a remote control for searching adds significant complexity for users. Making it easier for users to search on TV and guiding them to quickly find the content they want has become crucial.
- Lead Product Designer
- UX design / Visual design
- TV
- 2 Design Patents
2 Design Patents
- Video related interactive patent
- Design inventions
- Apr 2024 — Oct 2024
Background
Dissatisfied users
27% of Web users and 12%of Android TV users clicked the search icon but didn't search. Around 48% of Web TV and 42% of Android TV users used search only once, indicating dissatisfaction and room for improvement.
Problems
Frustrated users in search
Users Get Lost Between Pages
TikTok TV separates search input and results onto different pages, slowing the process and causing frustration, which may lead users to stop using the search feature.
"Waterfall" Format Distracts Users
Only 67.88%of users play a video after reaching the results page. We mix Top Search User cards, videos, and users in an uncategorized 'Waterfall' format.
New Structure
Redefine the user purpose
Structure
Based on previous profile research, the left-right structure is the best option for a short video platform because it has more capacity.
The row layout is more suitable for search scenarios, giving users a feeling of continuous video consumption. It is the opposite with profile structure. Waterfall layouts, on the other hand, are generally designed to help users quickly find specific content.
Up-down
- · Not intuitive interactions
- · Only show 1 row at a time
Left-right
- · More intuitive interactions
- · Show more rows at a time
Keyboard
The user's intuition should focus on the 'Search Button' but not 'clear' after typing the keyword, and after coming back from the search result, we will help the user focus on the 'Clear Button' automatically.
To give the user a better and smoother experience on TV, we try to minimize the steps that users have to take when searching. The TikTok keyboard is the most efficient keyboard among all competitors.
Max 5 steps
From keyboard to suggestion
Only 3 steps
From center keyboard to suggestion
Only 2 steps
Back from result to suggestion
Only 1 step
To keyboard and result
Max 5 steps
From keyboard to suggestion
Only 3 steps
From center keyboard to suggestion
Only 2 steps
Back from result to suggestion
Only 1 step
To keyboard and result
Result design
Top user card
Adding the top user card in the search result could help users decrease the step of browsing videos, just keeping pressing 'right' without getting into the user's profile.
Animation
Suggestion & Result overview
Impact
The Result
To be continued…
Features
