QVC Companion Applications
Research & Concepting
With a focus on the popularity of companion apps and experiences to pair with TV programs in the mid-2010s, QVC began researching and creating its own with the Lisa Roberston Experience and others.
Project Details
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Role
Research & Concept Team Member
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Who's In the Party?
Myself, Design Lead, UX Team, Development team
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Length of the Quest
January 2013
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Tools
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Google Docs
Lisa Roberston: Companion Experience
In early 2011, QVC started to develop concepts to support two of its larger properties. As a member of the concept team for Lisa Robertson’s experience, I provided a competitive analysis of three other experiences on the market. The WWE, The Walking Dead, and USA all had their own versions of companion experiences that I was able to draw information from and bring back to the team.
As a member of the concept team, I also worked to sketch lo-fi wireframes, which were taken and expanded upon by the senior designer and the design lead to a more high-fidelity mock-up.
A version of this product went live in 2012 but has since been retired.
Competitive Analysis
WWE 2nd Screen Experience
☺︎ Strengths
Runs through WWE App
Fluid, Quick moving, few glitches, clean
Engaging graphics, fan tweets, and images keep people engaged and excited
Polls- Answers load immediately so they stay relevant
Video feeds pop up during commercials that either provide more special content for users or continue the feed of a live match.
☹︎ Weaknesses
Can be glitchy (but far less than the web platforms)
It is only for iPad app holders
Design Note: A heavy amount of specially produced graphics mean a heavier workload
Psych 2nd Screen Experience
☺︎ Strengths
Runs through a website - more devices
A timer lets you know when the next piece will be populated so that you don’t miss it/ keeps you engaged
They have a constructed shell that allows them to use the concept for all other USA-related show properties (White Collar, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs) with minimal skin/color changes and changes to the “voice” of the copy
Simple - Easy to understand/navigate
☹︎ Weaknesses
Can be glitchy
Polls needed a bit of a buffer to collect and display results and quickly became irrelevant
Things load slower/get jumpy
Walking Dead 2nd Screen Experience
☺︎ Strengths
Runs through a website - more devices
Poll - Prediction: Interesting way to engage viewers before the show really starts
SPOILER WARNING - They warn you if you are not watching the premiere broadcast using the experience will contain spoilers
Videos Play within experience (no overlay)
A timer lets you know when the next piece will be populated so that you don’t miss it/ keeps you engaged
☹︎ Weaknesses
Can be glitchy
Polls can be glitchy and results show in a boring/ugly way (seem kinda slapped on)
Doesn’t translate on phone
Before companion experiences burst onto the scene, the QVC multimedia team had a few months of sessions to brainstorm what a version of an iPad app experience could look like. Along with a mentor/coworker, we came up with and sketched concepts, which were then turned into mid-fi mock-ups to present as concepts. While these didn’t go much further than the initial meetings, it was a good experience to have.
Other QVC Companion Concepts
Companion Concept Screens
