The Creator App is a native iOS camera application, designed specifically for VICE Media Group's internal content creators.
Apps like Instagram and Snapchat had already proven that a mobile app could be capable of shooting and editing high quality video content in a user-friendly way using custom filters.
With the rise of young independent creators, VICE saw an opportunity to create a new source of unique content for its own channels.
The aim of the app was to cover all operational steps of the production process from the creator’s point of view. From accepting assignments, filming and editing content, to receiving payments: everything is facilitated directly within the app, making existing complex and time consuming processes a thing of the past.
The app’s built in template system allows for graphics packs to be used by creators. These range from basic elements such as lower thirds, titles and watermarks, to fully branded series templates.
Our hypothesis was an app would enable on-the-go short video production and on-the-ground reporting as is regular practice in media and could be valuable both internally and externally when expanding to the network creators.
VICE content creators and journalists need an on-the-go, easy-to-use solution for recording videos, applying filters, and editing content. Currently this process involves extensive back-and-forth with video production teams for relatively simple tasks, slowing down the speed of news and taking up production resources that could be used for more in-depth tasks.
Develop a secure and easy-to-use content creation tool to facilitate an immediate increase in content production for journalists in the field. Include authentication, project assignment flows, and content upload capabilities to platforms with API access or that have partnered with VMG.
The Creator App would piggyback off of the success of the Stories Studio web app, which we launched in 2019. This web app is used by our editorial teams to create thousands of social assets per month. The Creator App would be put the same abilities in the hands of journalists who rely on their mobile devices to bring their stories to the world.
The initial application was intended for internal use within VICE Media Group. However, there are future opportunities to expand the application to external content creators.
This would not only broaden the reach of the app but could potentially provide additional opportunities for brand visibility, revenue streams, and diversity of content, facilitated by a "creator economy" that allowed users to gain rewards for their contributions.
As the Senior Product Design Manager, I led the design, UX decisions, and presentations to senior leadership alongside my team's senior designer, Andrew McClure. A team of four designers assisted with analyzing user research, creating wireframes, and notating user tests.
I worked directly under the Global Director of Product Strategy, Sander Van Gestel, who provided strategic support and design expertise for the app. I also worked closely with stakeholders from the Social, Editorial, and Audience Development teams throughout the project.
The Creator App supports all brands and verticals within VICE Media Group's umbrella of publishing: VICE, VICE News, VICE TV, Noisey, Munchies, Motherboard, Refinery 29, R29 Most Wanted, Unbothered, SOMOS, i-D.
During the discovery phase, we worked in close partnership with the Global Director of Social to shape the vision for the future of content creation at VICE Media Group (VMG). Our aim was to design a robust, intuitive tool for our internal content creators, catering to their specific needs and workflows. The discovery process led us to identify several essential features for the Creator App.
The main interface for recording short-form vertical video content directly on the device. This screen would allow users to record multiple clips, apply graphics packages, edit videos, and export complete projects as single video files.
Users could construct narratives by adding multiple clips to their projects, with an autosave feature for convenience and continuity. Unwanted clips could be removed without needing to discard the entire project.
Users could enhance their projects by uploading existing media from their camera roll.
The app would provide a selection of graphic elements to overlay on video footage, including title cards, location tags, name tags, frames, and watermarks/logos.
Users could choose from a list of predefined filters custom designed for our franchises and formats, aiding in aligning global IP branding and scaling recognizable formats.
A novel approach to commissioning and sourcing content from creators. Assignments would be briefs set by a central editorial team, to which global teams could submit content.
Users could fine-tune their videos using trim and split functionality, enabling them to reorganize narratives, shorten clips, or edit out unwanted sections.
Our discovery phase also outlined the scope of the minimum viable product (MVP). The MVP would be an iOS app focused on the VICE brand in the English language, equipped with six filters (templates), and an assignment feature. Live streaming or direct publishing to social platforms, although important, were excluded from the MVP scope, with potential consideration for future iterations of the app.
The primary method employed for user research were 1:1 user interviews with editorial/social team leads, as well as information gathered from surveys and feedback from the Stories Studio web app.
Over the course of a 3 weeks, we conducted numerous interviews with journalists and social editors, unraveling the differing editorial workflows provided insights into areas of inefficiency. Pain points such as video uploading and hosting, voice-overs, captioning, and the need for post-production team involvement in basic video edits were the most frequently highlighted.
Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are the focus, but Facebook, YouTube, Twitter gave us key insights regarding format adaptability and support for various aspect ratios and template positioning.
The feedback collected from our editorial teams regarding the Stories Studio web application informed us of key areas of improvement for the Creator App over the current Stories Studio offering.
Video Capability: The most frequently requested feature from users was the need for video capability. This input helped us determine that the primary purpose of the app would be video editing and uploading features, potentially broadening the range of content that users can produce.
Template Enhancements: Users sought more diverse templates and the option to incorporate videos into existing ones. This insight led us to consider expanding our template library and incorporating animated video templates within our designs for enhanced creativity in the app.
Text Customization: More text customization options were desired, such as italics, underline, and various text colors and fonts. This feedback prompted us to explore more dynamic text editing tools, drawing inspiration from Instagram Stories, TikTok, and CapCut.
Understanding Usage Rights: A need for clarity on image usage rights was expressed, which led us to consider incorporating an opt-in policy with detailed information educating users on usage rights and licensing, aiming to prevent potential legal complications.
File Management: Users suggested that exported projects should carry the project name for easier identification. This insight made it clear that the app would need a dedicated section for easily accessing draft, in-review, and final content.
Direct Publishing: The ability to publish directly to social platforms was highlighted. This feedback led us to consider integrating direct publishing functionalities, aiming to streamline the publishing process and increase efficiency. Unfortunately, API limitations from third-party social media sites prevented this feature from being a part of the MVP.
Calendar View: A request for a full calendar view for asset management was made. This led us to explore a more comprehensive content scheduling and management system within the app, ultimately leading to the concept of Creator Assignments.
When deciding what to develop for the MVP, we chose the features that make up the the core of our internal production needs. This foundation would be used to build further enhancements and features, such as expanding the product to a larger creator network.
The following decisions were made to limit the scope for initial launch:
A large contingent of editorial staff was already equipped with company-supplied iPhone 11 Pros for field work. Our app would be designed and developed specifically for iOS, ensuring seamless integration and a high-quality user experience for our internal creators using their company devices, with a larger rollout to Android that would coincide with making the app available to users outside of the VMG organization.
Responding to the trend of vertical video consumption, our app allows creators to shoot video 9:16, 4:5, and 1:1 format. All cropping would be done non-destructively, so users could easily export videos for different platforms that prioritize alternate aspect ratios.
We've integrated essential video editing tools, allowing users to modify their clips directly within the app, limited to trimming, splitting, ordering, voice-over, and volume controls.
To make content creation easier and more efficient, our app includes a range of pre-designed graphic templates and brand watermarks for VICE News and a small selection of series that were already actively creating campaigns. Additional templates for other VICE verticals, Refinery29, and i-D would be rolled out periodically after the MVP launch.
After establishing the core functionalities in our MVP, the next stage of development would aim to enhance our app to better serve our internal content creators and extend our reach to a broader creator network. The following features were explored through design mockups and earmarked for future development.
Content creators would be able to browse through available assignments and accept ones that align with their interests and expertise.
Creators would be able to submit their stories directly within the app for review. Editors could then review these submissions, provide feedback, and send them back for revisions, all within the same platform.
Expand access to an external network of vetted content creators. These creators would be able to submit their footage directly through the app for review. These creators would be incentivized by an in-app reward system.
Designing the MVP with the Future in Mind
We started by designing for the future state of the app to ensure that our navigation and information architecture accounted for future features and strategic plans, while keeping focus on creating the functional needs of the MVP.
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