Sneak Preview: App, Crackle, Pop: What a Video App Really Needs
On Thursday, February 27, Chris Pfaff, the leading new media and technology producer and strategist, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect panel " App, Crackle, Pop: What a Video App Really Needs."
What makes streaming apps pop? Support across multiple platforms is a critical feature, of course. But when it comes to building sound, seamless, and satisfying user experiences, what are streaming users really asking for? How are expectations changing in the age of AI and in an increasingly fragmented consumer streaming market? oin this panel of CX strategists, streaming app designers, and product managers to learn the latest on what makes and breaks a streaming app in 2025.
Confirmed panelists include:
Chris Pfaff is renowned for integrating leading-edge technology into the media and entertainment community. He was the first to use IRC for an interactive corporate webcast; produced one of the first DVDs in March 1997; produced the first HD animated logo; produced numerous multipoint broadband events in the late 1990s; produced some of the first mobile short films in 2002-2003, and produced the first Twitter Wall in 2011. His company, Chris Pfaff Tech/Media LLC, provides strategy and marketing services for leading technology service providers, technology firms, and new media companies worldwide.
"AI is enabling a new generation of app creation, with more powerful personalization and more sophisticated design," Pfaff says. "We now have to consider UX design that can deliver dynamic experiences for apps, enabling rapid, modular, and organic updates. The complexity of video apps will only increase, but designers have to consider brand experience and audience needs more than ever."
Jason Williams is the VP of Product Design and UX at Plex, where he’s responsible for defining Plex’s product vision and leads a team focused on designing seamless, highly personalized experiences for Plex users. In his role, he has successfully planned, developed, and executed several key product launches and most recently led the launch of Plex’s newest features, Discover and Watchlist, which allow users to find the content they want to watch across streaming services on the Plex platform. With over 20 years of enterprise and interactive development experience at brands including Samsung Electronics and Moxie, Jason has an exceptional understanding of developing customer-centric solutions, specializing in innovation, trend spotting, and problem resolution.
"There are certain staples in streaming design, like using artwork in discovery to convey mood, genre, and context—because when they say, 'A picture is worth a thousand words,' this is exactly what they mean," Williams says. "Browsing artwork will always be essential, as it provides quick, intuitive context: Is this sci-fi, horror, or comedy? A family movie or something for after the kids go to bed? Is that a face I recognize, and how do I feel about that actor?
"But let’s be honest—rows of posters alone can’t be the whole experience, can they? While AI-driven recommendations help narrow the overwhelming volume of choice, there’s still so much room to innovate. What familiar patterns from other apps and services can we bring into the fold to enhance discovery? Social networks? Video games? What else?"
Tom Hurlbutt is the senior director of product management at Crunchyroll, the global anime brand serving more than 13 million subscribers and millions of users in over 200 countries and territories with the world’s largest dedicated anime library, alongside Crunchyroll Games, theatrical, events and experiences, and more. In this role, Hurlbutt is responsible for the strategic development and roadmap for Crunchyroll’s application, content presentation and community features, leading teams focused on Crunchyroll's mission to create fan-centric experiences for anime fans across web, mobile and connected TV. Prior to Crunchyroll, Hurlbutt held product and leadership roles at Meta and Intuit, while also splitting time as a visiting lecturer at Stanford University for a series of introductory programming courses.
Deirdre Magrane is currently the SVP of Product of Tubi.
Related Articles
On Thursday, February 27, Alan Wolk, one of the industry's most influential thought leaders, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect debate "Will Programmatic Advertising Overtake Brand Advertising in 2025?" The ability of digital media advertisers to deliver targeted messages through automated platforms—aka programmatic advertising—has enabled them to buy audiences, rather than space or time as in traditional brand advertising. In streaming and CTV, this creates the potential for substantially lower CPMs. But such a hands-off approach also raises considerable brand safety concerns, and its effectiveness remains comparatively untested. So, is the programmatic ad revolution really upon us? Confirmed debate panelists include leading industry figures from Roku, Philo, Vevo, and Fremantle.
27 Jan 2025
How important is maintaining brand identity and differentiation in streaming UX and app design, and how critical, or even possible or advisable, is it to sustain a consistent look and feel across different platforms? And how crucial is branding in the overall fan experience, or building a fan base for the content associated with your brand? YouTube TV's Esther Ahn, MagellanTV's James Lauzun, and Crunchyroll's Tom Hurlbutt weigh in, in this discussion with Reality Software's Nadine Krefetz at Streaming Media Connect 2024.
17 Apr 2024
How important is it for streaming users and viewers to be able to customize, personalize, and curate their experiences with streaming apps? And what are product designers doing to facilitate those types of experiences? YouTube TV's Esther Ahn, Crunchyroll's Tom Hurlbutt, and Magellan TV's James Lauzun offer their takes in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2024.
27 Mar 2024
What does it take to be a streaming app designer and director of product in 2024? According to YouTube TV's Esther Ahn, Crunchyroll's Tom Hurlbutt, and Philo's Brandon Yap, embracing the evolution of that role means rolling with ongoing changes in the device ecosystem, viewer behavior and device preferences, and the modernization of the TV viewing experiences, as they discuss in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2024.
20 Mar 2024