Qurate Hackathon Winner 2021: Interactive Watch & Shop Experience
In a fast-paced, 48-hour sprint, our team of 5 creative problem-solvers tackled a real-world challenge from concept to execution.
The goal: Develop a comprehensive solution, including ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and content creation, all within the intense time constraints. Our final deliverable was a compelling video presentation that not only showcased the functionality of the concept but also told the story behind the design, clearly articulating the problem we set out to solve and the innovative approach we took to address it.
With a focus on collaboration, creativity, and storytelling, these hackathons pushed us to think outside the box, rapidly prototype, and craft a vision that resonated with users and stakeholders alike. Both concepts I worked on were awarded first place two years in a row, reflecting the strength of our ideas and the impact of our storytelling.
Role: Design Lead
Problem:
QVC, a pioneer in live video shopping, once thrived on the connection between hosts and viewers, where customers would call in during broadcasts to engage and purchase in real-time. However, with the evolution of mobile apps and websites, the once vibrant, interactive experience has faded. Modern users often split their attention between watching broadcasts on their TV and using their mobile devices to browse and make purchases. This disjointed experience lacks the immediate connection and community feel that once defined live shopping on QVC.
Solution:
To revive the sense of connection and engagement, we developed an interactive second-screen experience, available exclusively through the QVC app. This solution brings back the interactivity of live shopping by allowing users to watch, shop, and connect seamlessly, all within the app. The goal was to create a unified experience where viewers can engage directly with both the hosts and fellow shoppers in real time, transforming passive watching into an active and community-driven experience.
Key features include:
Second-Screen Interaction: Users can enjoy a synchronized second-screen experience on the QVC app while watching live broadcasts on any device. This allows them to fully engage with the content without missing out on shopping opportunities.
Live Chat & Host Engagement: Viewers can ask questions to on-air hosts and receive live responses, recreating the personalized, immediate connection that once existed when customers called into the show.
Community Engagement: Shoppers can chat with other viewers, sharing opinions, reviews, and recommendations, fostering a sense of community and shared experience during live events.
Integrated Shopping Experience: Users can seamlessly browse, add items to their cart, and make purchases without leaving the live stream, ensuring an uninterrupted experience from discovery to checkout.
By reimagining the live shopping experience, we restored the real-time engagement and community-driven atmosphere that originally made QVC so compelling, while harnessing modern technology to make the process more seamless and interactive.
Outcome: QVC went on to partner with Bambuser, a live stream provider to, on their website and app platforms. QVC started to host livestreams where users could chat live with the host, ask product questions, and shop products live on air. I became the design lead on the bambuser project. My designs shaped the future of bambuser’s product roadmap to redesign the watch & shop experience.