Aired
Seervision / Zurich
Aird is an event and video production management toolkit developed by Seervison, a company specializing in autonomous video production workflows. The project aimed to create an intuitive communication system within event production, fostering mutual understanding between teams and controlling information flow between event managers and video production teams.
Project
Website Design
Role
Product Designer
Year
2022 - 2023
Context
As the Lead UX on the product, I was responsible for research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and overseeing UX implementation with an offshore development team. This holistic involvement allowed me to shape the product from its conceptual stages through to its final implementation.
Research and Discovery
We conducted extensive user research, including interviews and surveys with event managers and video producers. Key insights revealed:
The industry was undergoing significant transformation due to the rise of hybrid and digital events. Our research indicated that 66.5% of event professionals planned to use hybrid as their go-to format once in-person events resumed, and 71% intended to maintain a digital strategy to retain their virtual audience.
Success relied heavily on effective communication of details between team members.
Event managers and video producers had distinct challenges but shared overlapping workflows.
We created two primary personas: Alexandra (Event Manager) and Max (Video Production Manager). Competitor analysis revealed a gap in the market for execution planning tools that bridged event management and video production.
Design Process and Solutions
Based on our research, we focused on three main opportunities:
a) Create a "rundown maker" for event-related content planning and delivery.
b) Develop web-based interactive "dashboards" for video producers to create presentation layouts.
c) Implement rundown automation and dashboard cueing for live video production.
We used Figma for wireframing and prototyping, creating a familiar system based on existing mental models for event management and video production workflows. Our approach involved rapid iteration and user testing of both the rundown maker and a POC for the presentation module dashboard.
User Testing and Iteration
We conducted multiple rounds of user testing, using SEM scores, SUS surveys, and open-ended Q&A sessions. This process revealed a significant insight: while event managers found the tool easy to use, they were reluctant to change their existing workflows. However, video producers showed high enthusiasm for the product.
User Testing and Iteration
We conducted multiple rounds of user testing, using SEM scores, SUS surveys, and open-ended Q&A sessions. This process revealed a significant insight: while event managers found the tool easy to use, they were reluctant to change their existing workflows. However, video producers showed high enthusiasm for the product.
Outcomes and Reflections
The project yielded mixed results:
Event managers gave an NPS of 40, citing difficulties in adopting new tools and lack of integration with existing systems.
Video producers gave an NPS of 85.7, finding the toolkit valuable and easy to use.
The biggest challenge was the misalignment of our initial assumption about the primary user. We overcame this by pivoting our focus from event managers to video producers as the primary users.
As a result, we redefined the value proposition: "Aird is a toolkit for the easy introduction of high-quality video production to any event." The team is now focusing on developing the presentation module as the first significant dashboard module, with plans to launch the MVP in early 2022.
This case study demonstrates the importance of remaining flexible and responsive to user feedback, even when it challenges initial assumptions about product direction.