Kayhan Atamyildiz Kayhan Atamyildiz A ground-up rebuild of the A+E mobile apps — shipped not as one disruptive overhaul, but as component-level updates every two weeks.
I redesigned the apps from the foundation up and gave them a playful-yet-premium identity — while shipping continuously, never going dark
The apps had grown by accretion: inconsistent components, a visual language that didn't feel premium, and browsing patterns that left people scrolling past everything and choosing nothing. A big-bang redesign wasn't an option — the apps had to keep earning their place in the store the whole way through. Every session mattered twofold: more time watching meant more ad impressions sold, and stronger engagement kept the app's store ranking — and download funnel — healthy.
Instead of a disruptive overhaul, I introduced targeted component updates every two weeks — small, high-impact changes that let the app evolve gradually, without breaking users' established viewing habits.
Tradeoff → Incremental shipping meant living with old and new side by side for about 3 months. I accepted temporary inconsistency to avoid a risky big-bang launch.
Moving beyond a visual refresh, I redesigned the app from the foundation up — with a focus on fluidity and personalization so the system could scale with shifting user behavior.
I crafted a distinct visual language that sets the A+E apps apart from the cluttered landscape of free streaming competitors — playful enough to feel fresh, premium enough to feel trustworthy.
To eliminate the ‘paradox of choice,’ I capped playlists at eight cards. Usability testing validated this constraint, confirming that shorter, curated lists increased engagement and satisfaction.
Tradeoff → Fewer cards per rail surfaces less of the catalog at once. I bet that decisiveness beats exhaustiveness on a phone — and tested it rather than assuming it.
Integrating sister brand LMN required an intuitive, rapid solution. I implemented a global toggle that allows audiences to move between networks within a single, unified app environment.
Every interaction—a tap, a swipe, a scroll—is a building block. By obsessing over all 80+ UI elements, I ensured that no subpar interaction breaks the user’s immersion. A system is only as strong as its weakest point.
Content is dynamic; shows move from premieres to library archives or cancellation. I developed flexible UI solutions that adapt to these lifecycles, keeping the design intuitive regardless of a show's current status.
Adaptive metadata surfaces the right content without calling attention to itself. My goal was to make the technology feel secondary to the emotional impact of the story.
The eight-card cap was the first validated result. The bigger shift showed up in behavior: users used to open the app, jump straight to their favorite show, watch, and leave. Now, when that show doesn't have what they're looking for, the app surfaces related content instead of a dead end — so people keep browsing instead of bouncing. Time spent and engagement both increased — which, on an ad-supported product, means more ad inventory served per session, plus stronger engagement signals that support app store ranking and downloads.
Shipping continuously taught me that trust is earned in small, reversible steps — the discipline of never going dark shaped every design decision