Search Experience Redesign

Improving the Search Experience on Viu (66M+ users)

UI/UX Design, Accessibility, User Research, Responsive Design

UI/UX, Brand & Web Design, Design System

October 2022 - July 2023

October 2022 - July 2023

Platform: Web + App

Platform: Web + App

Tools: Figma, Google Analytics, Hotjar, Lookback

Tools: Figma, Google Analyrics, Hotjar, Lookback

Summary

Summary

I redesigned the search and discovery experience for Viu, a streaming platform with 66M+ users, as a UI/UX Designer. The project improved usability, multilingual support, and content access across web and mobile platforms

Problem

Problem

Users struggled to find content using the internal search bar and often gave up or turned to Google. The system failed to interpret partial queries, multilingual input, or misspelled titles. This led to frustration, low engagement, and a diminished perception of the platform's usability.

Goals

Goals

  • Help users quickly and accurately find the content they love

  • Support mixed-language and partial title searches

  • Improve visibility of relevant and trending results

  • Prevent dead ends by enriching the no-results experience

  • Make the platform more inclusive and accessible across regions

Research & Insights

Research & Insights

🧠 Keyword & Query Analysis


Analyzed user-entered search terms to understand behavior. Found users frequently used incomplete titles and that most queries were program-specific. CMS tagging lacked consistency, making accurate matching difficult.

🧠 Keyword & Query Analysis


Analyzed user-entered search terms to understand behavior. Found users frequently used incomplete titles and that most queries were program-specific. CMS tagging lacked consistency, making accurate matching difficult.

🧠 Competitive & Comparative Analysis


Studied search UX on Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Discovered best practices like fuzzy matching, autocomplete, and integrated recommendations—especially effective for large-scale media platforms.


🧠 Hotjar Session Recordings


Observed that users often skipped the search bar or used Google instead. When they did use search, poor results led to fast exits or irrelevant content matches.


🧠 User Interviews


Learned that users value speed and simplicity. Chinese users regularly mixed English terms. Interviews validated the need for multilingual support and partial match recognition.


🧠 Competitive & Comparative Analysis


Studied search UX on Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and more. Discovered best practices like fuzzy matching, autocomplete, and integrated recommendations—especially effective for large-scale media platforms.


🧠 Hotjar Session Recordings


Observed that users often skipped the search bar or used Google instead. When they did use search, poor results led to fast exits or irrelevant content matches.


🧠 User Interviews


Learned that users value speed and simplicity. Chinese users regularly mixed English terms. Interviews validated the need for multilingual support and partial match recognition.


🧠 Empathy Mapping Workshop


Synthesized user pain points and emotional responses. Defined two key areas of opportunity: better search handling and smoother discovery from dead ends.

Solution & Process

Solution & Process

✨ Content Tagging & Prioritization


  • Refined CMS keyword tagging to support partial queries and prioritized program titles.

  • Designed an "All Results" page to streamline visibility across content types.


✨ Multi-language Support


  • Built a workaround for multi-database limitations.

  • Introduced a chip-style button that detects alternate languages and redirects users to the appropriate language database.


Search UI & No-Results Guidance


  • Designed predictive, visually guided input with autocomplete and highlighted matching terms.

  • Redesigned no-results pages to offer personalized suggestions and trending topics.


Prototyping & Testing


  • Created high-fidelity mockups for desktop and mobile.

  • Conducted usability tests internally and externally.

  • Iterated based on feedback and technical feasibility discussions with developers.

✨ Content Tagging & Prioritization


  • Refined CMS keyword tagging to support partial queries and prioritized program titles.

  • Designed an "All Results" page to streamline visibility across content types.


✨ Multi-language Support


  • Built a workaround for multi-database limitations.

  • Introduced a chip-style button that detects alternate languages and redirects users to the appropriate language database.


✨ Search UI & No-Results Guidance


  • Designed predictive, visually guided input with autocomplete and highlighted matching terms.

  • Redesigned no-results pages to offer personalized suggestions and trending topics.


✨ Prototyping & Testing


  • Created high-fidelity mockups for desktop and mobile.

  • Conducted usability tests internally and externally.

  • Iterated based on feedback and technical feasibility discussions with developers.

Impact & Metrics

Impact & Metrics

  • Estimated 25% faster time-to-content based on testing

  • 30% improvement in perceived usability (via internal stakeholder reviews)

  • Implemented multi-language chip, increasing language-switch success rate

  • Increased relevance of results through CMS tagging improvements

  • Reduced bounce rate from search by an estimated 20%

Reflection

Reflection

This project challenged me to balance user needs, technical constraints, and cross-cultural inclusivity. I advocated for UX-led decisions in the face of conflicting opinions and proposed scalable solutions when full integration wasn’t feasible. The experience strengthened my skills in stakeholder alignment, search UX strategy, and designing for diverse, global audiences.