ITVX is the UK’s fastest-growing streaming platform, used by millions across Connected TV, Web, iOS, and Android.
I led the end-to-end redesign of the search experience across mobile, CTV, and web — a critical journey that directly impacts activation, retention, and overall brand perception.
Partnering closely with Product Managers and engineers, I redesigned search to better support discovery as well as intent-driven viewing. The result was a 25% increase in search-driven viewing and a significant reduction in abandonment, strengthening both engagement and long-term retention.
Understanding the Opportunity
Search was the 3rd most visited page on mobile, with millions of users relying on it to find films and shows. However, its potential was being underutilised.
The experience was built around narrow, intent-only behaviour—users arrived to find a specific title and then left the app for extended periods. Limited functionality and an outdated UI reinforced the perception of a small content catalogue and restricted our ability to surface relevant or unexpected content.
Search wasn’t supporting discovery—and as a result, we were missing a major engagement opportunity.
A look at the previous design 👀
Investigating the root causes
Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research—including usability testing, surveys, and user interviews—we identified three core issues:
Inconsistent and limited results
Search returned a narrow set of results, often failing to surface relevant or popular content.
Poor readability and scanability
The two-column layout made it difficult to quickly scan results, especially on mobile.
No support for exploratory behaviour
Users couldn’t search by genre, mood, or themes, limiting the page’s ability to support discovery and inspiration.
These issues explained why search was functional, but not engaging.
Design Approach
The research insights shaped a clear strategy focused on reliability, clarity, and exploration.
Improve the search engine
Enabled search by actor
Introduced semantic search to better interpret intent
Added popularity indexing to prioritise relevant and trending content
Improve layout and hierarchy
Shifted to a single-column layout to improve scanability
Refined imagery and editorial copy to better communicate value and tone
Make exploration effortless
Introduced curated collections of films and shows
Designed the experience so users could discover the breadth of the catalogue within two clicks
The new search page ✨
The redesigned experience balances intent-driven search with lightweight discovery—encouraging users to keep exploring even when they don’t know exactly what they want.
Outcomes
We saw measurable results within the first 6 weeks, including:
✅ 25% increase in search-driven viewing
✅ 15% decrease in overall abandonment
✅ XX Million increase in hours watched
Beyond the metrics, the new search experience improved discoverability, reduced operational strain on other recommendation surfaces, and strengthened ITVX’s ability to retain and re-engage users at scale.
