Pioneering Private Photo Sharing with a Global Entertainment Leader.
Warner Bros. launched a photo-sharing application called "OutMyWindow,". It was positioned as a secure and private way for families and friends to share photos, striving to differentiate itself in a market dominated by other photo-sharing services. It reflects Warner Bros.' endeavor to innovate and branch out into different forms of digital media and platforms beyond its traditional film and television sectors.
Project Information
Client
Warner Bros., a global entertainment leader, sought to explore the digital space with the launch of a secure and user-friendly photo sharing application, offering a private platform for families and friends.
Project
OutMyWindow, an innovative photo-sharing platform, emphasized user privacy and data security. Launched in 2012, it represented Warner Bros.' commitment to delivering trusted and cutting-edge digital solutions.
Devices
The OutMyWindow application was optimized for diverse devices. Ensuring a seamless, responsive user experience was paramount, making photo sharing accessible and secure on various screen sizes and operating systems. Including: Web, iPad, iPhone, Android Phone, Android Tablet, SmartTV.
My Role
As one of two Senior Art Directors, I played a crucial role in defining the architecture and design of the OutMyWindow product across multiple platforms, ensuring the user interface was intuitive, engaging, and aligned with the project's emphasis on privacy and security.
Team
A collaborative effort from a dedicated team of professionals spanning multiple disciplines including Research, Strategy, Architecture, Design, Development, QA, Direction, Management, Marketing, and Testing. Together, we brought OutMyWindow to life, showcasing Warner Bros.' steadfast commitment to digital innovation.
39 Months - (07/2011 - 10/2014)
Duration
Contract - (B2B - Full-Time)
Engagement Type
My Contribution
Research, Art Direction, Ideation, Architecture, Visual Design, Branding, Prototypes, Style & Guides, Pattern Library, Executive Presentations, Development Integration, QA Testing, Usability Testing, and more.
The Problem
The Problem
Before the launch of Warner Bros’ photo-sharing platform, OutMyWindow, there was a significant gap in the market for a secure, private way for families and friends to share photos and videos with one another. Most photo-sharing platforms prioritized public sharing or large social networks, which often came with privacy concerns, advertisements, and limited control over who could view and interact with personal content. This left users needing a simple, reliable solution that offered both robust privacy settings and ease of access, without compromising on quality or requiring extensive technical skills. Families, in particular, wanted an intuitive way to capture and share special moments without being forced to navigate the complexities or privacy compromises inherent in traditional social media platforms.
The Solution
The Solution
OutMyWindow emerged as an innovative response to these challenges, offering a dedicated platform that put privacy and user control at the forefront. By designing a service specifically for photo and video sharing among close-knit groups, Warner Bros created a solution that allowed users to securely store, organize, and share memories with selected individuals. The platform provided easy-to-use privacy controls and allowed users to set specific permissions for each viewer, giving families and friends the assurance that their personal media was truly private. Additionally, OutMyWindow incorporated intuitive organization and search features, making it simple to access cherished moments and keep memories well-organized over time. Through this focused approach, OutMyWindow bridged the gap in the market, offering a family-friendly, safe, and convenient photo-sharing experience tailored to users’ needs.
Before and After
Navigation
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Before and After
Dashboard
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Research
User Interviews
Conducted interviews with potential users to understand their photo-sharing needs, security concerns, and what they value in private sharing platforms, collecting insights that would guide feature prioritization.
Contextual Inquiry
Observed users as they interacted with similar photo-sharing and messaging apps, noting the contexts in which they share images and any security features they actively use or avoid.
Surveys and Questionnaires
Distributed surveys to gather quantitative data on user preferences for privacy, frequency of photo sharing, and desired sharing controls, validating insights gained from interviews.
Strategy
Stakeholder Workshops
Facilitated workshops with Warner Bros. executives and product teams to align on goals, prioritize core features, and define the value proposition of "OutMyWindow" as a secure, family-friendly photo-sharing app.
Competitive Analysis
Analyzed competitors in the private photo-sharing space, such as family-focused and secure sharing platforms, identifying gaps in usability and privacy that "OutMyWindow" could address uniquely.
Persona Development
Leveraged personas from the marketing team of typical users (e.g., parents, grandparents, and friends) and mapped their user journeys, highlighting key moments like album creation and sharing, to tailor the experience around their needs.
Ideation
Brainstorming Sessions
Organized brainstorming sessions with cross-functional teams to generate and refine ideas for user-friendly privacy settings, intuitive album creation, and simple sharing workflows, encouraging diverse input.
Sketching and Wireframing
Created sketches and wireframes to visualize the primary flows, such as setting up an account, creating private albums, and inviting family members, which helped clarify the user experience before detailed design.
Design Sprints
Conducted a design sprint focused on solving privacy concerns, prototyping key features like secure sharing links and approval-based sharing, leading to tested concepts that aligned with user priorities.
Design
High-Fidelity Wireframes
Developed detailed wireframes that included specific layouts for the main dashboard, album views, and sharing interfaces, ensuring the design supported easy navigation and content management.
Design System
Created a design system with standardized UI elements, typography, and colors to ensure a consistent look and feel across screens and simplify future updates.
Visual Style Guides
Crafted moodboards and a visual style guide focused on warm, family-friendly aesthetics, ensuring the platform felt inviting while still conveying security and privacy.
Prototyping
Interactive Prototypes
Built interactive prototypes that allowed users to click through the main flows, such as setting album privacy and inviting users, enabling early feedback on user interactions and navigation.
Microinteraction Design
Added microinteractions, like subtle animations for album opening and confirmation notifications for sharing actions, enhancing user satisfaction with small but meaningful feedback cues.
Feedback Sessions
Organized feedback sessions with Warner Bros. stakeholders and test users, gathering input on prototypes and identifying areas for refinement, such as simplifying the privacy settings interface.
Testing
Usability Testing
Facilitated usability tests where participants completed tasks like creating a photo album and sharing it with specific people, identifying pain points and refining the design for a more intuitive experience.
A/B Testing
Ran A/B tests on different sharing flow designs (e.g., direct sharing vs. approval-based sharing) to identify which flow users preferred and found easier to understand.
Feedback Analysis
Analyzed usability and A/B test results, synthesizing findings that guided updates to improve clarity in the interface and address specific user concerns around sharing privacy.
Measure
Task Success Rate
85%
80% success rate for inviting friends, 85% for setting up an album, and 90% for viewing friends' shared photos.
Time on Task
3mins
1 minute for uploading a photo, 2 minutes for setting viewing permissions, and 4 minutes for creating and sharing an album.
User Error Rate
10%
5% error rate for photo upload, 12% error rate in navigating the Timeline, and 8% error rate in setting friend permissions.
Engagement Rate
53%
40% of users engage with photo-sharing and friend interaction features daily; 60% open the app at least once a week; 25% interact with additional features like comments and likes.
Retention Rate
30%
45% of users retained after one month, 30% after three months, and 20% after six months.
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
35%
+35 for an early-stage product focused on exclusive photo-sharing, rising with improvements in usability and unique value over competitors.
Build
Handoff to Developers
Provided a detailed handoff to developers with annotated designs, style guides, and interactive prototypes, ensuring clear guidelines on functionality, navigation, and security features.
Quality Assurance (QA)
Worked closely with QA teams to test for bugs and confirm design fidelity, checking for issues in privacy settings, sharing functionality, and cross-device compatibility to ensure a smooth user experience.
Developer Check-ins
Held regular check-ins to discuss development progress, address design challenges, and ensure that the functionality and interactions were implemented as envisioned.
Deliver
Soft Launch or Beta Testing
Conducted a soft launch with a limited audience to gather real-world feedback, testing the effectiveness of sharing and privacy features, and identifying any final adjustments before the main release.
Final Approval and Sign-Off
Secured approvals from Warner Bros. stakeholders, QA, and legal, confirming that the product met quality and security standards, and was ready for a public release.
Launch Event or Announcement
Coordinated a launch announcement through Warner Bros. marketing channels, introducing "OutMyWindow" to the public as a secure, family-friendly photo-sharing solution.