Lead Product Designer
Globoplay + Channels: Unifying Globo’s Video Ecosystem
After launching Globoplay + Channels in 2021, the platform saw meaningful growth. Below are a few selected indicators that reflect this trajectory.
For confidentiality reasons, the actual values have been omitted.
Summary
Understanding the shift
People didn’t know where to find Globo’s content. Between Globoplay, Globosat Play, and other standalone apps, users were confused about what was available where, and often gave up or missed content altogether. The experience felt fragmented, inconsistent, and hard to navigate, especially when switching between live and on-demand content. Our goal was to simplify access by creating one clear, unified destination for all video content from Globo.
What problem were we solving for users?
Based on findings from previous research and usability testing, we learned that users didn’t know where to find Globo’s content. Between Globoplay, Globosat Play, and other standalone apps, they were confused about what was available where, and often gave up or missed content altogether. The experience felt fragmented, inconsistent, and hard to navigate, especially when switching between live and on-demand content. Our goal was to simplify access by creating one clear, unified destination for all video content from Globo.
Overview
Company: Globo
Product: Globoplay +Channels
Market: Brazilian streaming & pay TV
Business model: B2C subscription (SaaS-like)
Platforms: Web, mobile (iOS, Android), smart TVs (and 10FT devices), and set-top boxes
Challenge: Fragmented platforms, rising churn, shift away from cable
By 2019, Globo needed to adapt fast. Its contracts with cable operators were ending, and users were increasingly moving to digital. At the time, content was spread across multiple brands like Globosat Play and Globoplay, which only added to user confusion. The original plan was to launch yet another platform, but we questioned that direction.
Role and team
My role: Lead Product Designer
Team: Design (Led a team of 6 in-house designers and 3 external collaborators), research, engineering, data, marketing, and PMs
What I did:
Helped redirect product vision through UX and strategic thinking
Led hands-on research and testing
Defined a new navigation system and architecture
Created and implemented the design system that scaled across devices
Key projects
I worked on many other projects during my time at Globoplay. If you're curious to hear more, I’d be happy to share. Just reach out.
Rethinking the strategy
Business need
Clarify the video offering and reduce user confusion caused by fragmented platforms
Goal
Unify Globo’s digital video strategy and consolidate multiple brands into a single experience
Challenge
Convincing stakeholders to abandon a proposed new product (Globolive) and rethink the expansion logic
Insights and experiments
Previous user interviews and usability tests had shown that Globo's multiple brands were causing confusion. To validate an alternative approach, we tested a brandless prototype that grouped all video content into a single interface. Users immediately recognized the content as Globo's, and many naturally referred to the experience as 'Globoplay' — reinforcing the idea that one unified space was more intuitive than introducing a new product
Results
Validated unification through prototype testing
Helped shift the strategy toward consolidation
Aligning internal teams around a single direction
Making live and on-demand work together
Business need
Serve both lean-back (TV-like) and lean-in (on-demand) user behaviors
Goal
Build an architecture that supports hybrid viewing without confusion or friction
Challenge
Designing a structure that removed brand silos while balancing real-time and library-based consumption
Insights and experiments
Identified pain points from users switching between live and on-demand content. A reorganized structure based on user intent (not brand) tested better for discoverability.
Results
Designed a hybrid product for both VOD and live content
Strengthening discovery and enabling a seamless switch between modes
Improved content surfacing across modes
Reduced cognitive friction through unified architecture
Designing recommendation systems
Business need
Reduce churn and improve retention by surfacing the right content at the right time
Goal
Design and implement intelligent recommendation systems supported by structured metadata, with a direct impact on reducing churn
Challenge
Bridging silos between teams and addressing inconsistent metadata that limited personalization efforts
Insights and experiments
We brought in Spideo and Gracenote to enrich our metadata with deeper content descriptors like genre, mood, and cast. This allowed more nuanced content surfacing. We also mapped key moments (like the end of a video or idle homepage time) to offer timely, relevant suggestions. From churn research, we identified patterns like low content diversity or single-device use tied to early exits. These insights guided A/B tests of hybrid recommendation strategies, mixing editorial curation, collaborative filtering, and metadata logic.
Results
A/B testing of homepage variations led to a 12% increase in content engagement and a 9% reduction in early churn. Post-video content suggestions helped re-engage users at key moments. Laid the foundation for scalable, data-driven monetization.
Expanding account models and integrating TV provider access
Business need
Improve user management and enable subscription sharing through family accounts, while merging legacy TV provider systems into a unified product
Goal
Support Globo ID’s shift to individual user recognition and help integrate Globosat Play access into the new Globoplay experience
Challenge
The login experience had to balance user flexibility with technical and business constraints. I worked closely with engineering to support the introduction of family accounts, where each member had their own email and identity, allowing persistent recognition over time, even if removed from a shared plan. This contrasted with simpler models like Netflix, where profiles are UI-based and users lose their data context if removed.
Insights and experiments
During this work, we had to reconcile Globo ID’s logic with new business requirements from negotiations with TV providers. The agreement required Globoplay to replace former standalone apps used in “extended TV provider experiences.” That meant designing a hybrid authentication flow — one that validated access through TV providers while still tying usage back to Globo ID.
Results
I led the mapping of both authentication flows and collaborated with product and engineering to ensure a seamless experience. The result was a scalable login system that respected both business contracts and user needs, while centralizing access across all Globo video products.
Scaling with a unified design system
Business need
Build a modular design system that could adapt to platform-specific needs while maintaining a unified visual language
Goal
Ensure consistency and speed across web, mobile, and smart TV platforms
Challenge
Aligning multiple teams with different codebases, release cycles, and legacy components
Insights and experiments
We audited existing interfaces, mapped recurring UI patterns, and tested atomic components in real usage contexts. This helped define foundational tokens and responsive behaviors that scaled well across environments
Results
Accelerated delivery across squads, reduced design debt, and enabled a context-aware interface that respected both lean-back and lean-in behaviors
Learnings and reflection
Good design arguments, when backed by research, can influence strategic decisions
Sometimes solving fragmentation means consolidation, not expansion
Design systems aren't just about consistency, they shape speed, cohesion, and growth
Designing for smart TVs was particularly challenging due to the variety of hardware and navigation constraints from remote controls
Since TV was new to me, deep diving into the living room context helped me understand how to make the entertainment moment feel smooth and pleasant for users
A product of this scale brings people together, and leaves a meaningful mark on the Brazilian market, especially considering the cultural importance of local productions
