Sony Pictures leveraged a custom-built Content Management System (CMS) to align their technology and capabilities precisely with their business needs. This approach was particularly effective given their focus on advertising and consumption models as the primary methods for content monetization and promotion, rather than relying on subscription-based or other revenue streams.

Problem Statement

A major challenge we faced at Sony Pictures involved revamping the user interface of the content and user management platform, including a new feature, Smart Feeds. The existing interface was outdated and inefficient for the evolving needs of the content programming team. This team required a significant reduction in the time spent on content programming and an increase in automation for content display decisions on the Crackle site.

The current process was cumbersome: operators used spreadsheets for programming ideas, manually copied past usage statistics, and documented final decisions. These decisions were then conveyed to another team member who compiled links and streaming information, which was subsequently manually inputted for production. This labor-intensive method involved nearly seven people and took almost a week to update programming.

The key question was: How could we streamline the content programming decision process, enable the system to autonomously make more content placement decisions, and reduce the time required to publish these decisions on the site?

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Solution

Together with my User Experience design team, I spearheaded a project to completely revamp the CMS UI. This initiative aimed to seamlessly integrate the latest advancements from the Content and User Management platform, a project I previously led at Sony Pictures involving a comprehensive redesign, development, and deployment.

The design philosophy for this new UI was built upon several key principles:

1. Automated Decision-Making: The system should autonomously make a majority of decisions, with options for fine-tuning these decisions as needed.
2. User Empowerment: The system should enable programming teams to manage programming and metadata directly, eliminating the need for engineering intervention.
3. Visual-Driven Interface: The UI should be intuitive and visually appealing, incorporating elements like artwork and visual cues to simplify programming decisions and content discovery.
4. Evolving and Modular Design: The UI must be capable of evolving and adaptable, with a modular structure that allows for parts to be updated or replaced easily, ensuring longevity and flexibility.

These guiding precepts aimed to create a more efficient, user-friendly, and adaptable interface that meets the dynamic needs of content programming at Sony Pictures.

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To address the feed functionality, we took a ground-up approach, collaborating closely with key stakeholders and the individuals who would ultimately utilize the programming tool. Our approach involved a combination of interviews, research, and a deep dive into their current tool usage, focusing on their overarching objectives rather than granular requirements.

During this phase, our challenge was to strike the right balance between manual and automated programming controls, especially given that the team was accustomed to primarily manual procedures. Over the course of 1-2 weeks, we conducted interviews and research to gain a comprehensive understanding of their workflow and goals.

Following this initial phase, we embarked on an iterative design journey. We generated 4-5 wireframe-based information architectures, exploring the data requirements and decision points essential for operators. Simultaneously, we examined potential abstractions to streamline the user experience and enhance automation in decision-making processes. This iterative approach allowed us to explore various design options, ultimately leading to a more efficient and user-centric solution.

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After going through several iterations and refining 1-2 final design options, we reached a solution that not only met the specified requirements but also introduced innovative ideas. One notable innovation was the incorporation of themes and the ability for the system to intelligently select content based on our theme metadata.

Our approach to design and development was agile, allowing for ongoing enhancements and optimizations. As we progressed, we discovered opportunities for improvement that became evident once we could experiment with actual data in test environments. This evolutionary process ensured that our solution remained adaptable and optimized for the best possible performance.

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Challenges

Embarking on this project, I was aware that its successful implementation could potentially result in layoffs for several employees at Sony Pictures. These individuals were instrumental in shaping the requirements for how programming decisions would be made, and I understood the strain this situation placed on the discovery phase.

As anticipated, the scenario unfolded, and a number of employees were let go as part of the consolidation and cost-cutting efforts within the content programming team, particularly those who primarily handled data input and spreadsheet management. While this was a challenging outcome, the new tool ultimately delivered substantial cost savings to Sony Pictures, amounting to nearly $1 million per year by streamlining an inefficient process. It's important to acknowledge the human impact of such changes, and I am empathetic to the individuals affected while recognizing the business benefits achieved.

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Tools

• Figma
• Sketch

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