FreeCast is an application that combines live TV channels, on demand video, and a streaming search engine. This allows users to find content within the libraries of other streaming applications, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and more. FreeCast aims to be the single application to solve all of a user’s entertainment needs by collecting and organizing it in one easy-to-use, device-agnostic system.
As SelectTV rebranded into FreeCast, we wanted to update the first phases of the user’s experience within the application. Of some contention was the Get Started screen, which appears for every user the first time they try to access the TV Shows or Movies section of the application.
When recreating this screen, I focused on the experience that we wanted to present to the user. The objective is to show the user which entertainment apps they already have installed, then show them other free and paid sources of entertainment.
This is important because FreeCast utilizes deep-linking; this is a method of opening other apps at specific locations. We use this to open other apps that have movies or shows directly at the piece of content the user wants to see. This allows us to act as an over the top guide for these dozens of services.
Instead of having a long, vertical list of apps, I swapped them out for two carousels; one for free apps, one for paid. This was done to make the navigation more consistent, as we use carousels in all other locations.
I added a search bar at the top so that as this list grows in size, the user can still easily find apps they are looking for.
Try the interactive prototype!