Project Summary:
Client:
Wurl
Role(s):
UX Design
UI Design
Team:
1 PM
4 Engineers
2 QA
Client: Wurl // Role: UX + User Interface Design
Transparent Content Ingest
Before content studios could begin scheduling their channels, they had to deliver their media files based on Wurl’s specific ingest requirements. The spec ensured efficient validation, seamless episode packaging, and problem-free delivery to streaming services. The spec laid the groundwork for reliable channel programming and a significant reduction in channel scheduling errors. The interface began as a CSV and was later expanded to include a full interface that allowed partners insight into their content uploads all from within the Wurl scheduler platform.
Wurl’s Upload page provided insight into the real-time status of content uploads, allowing partners resolve any issues.
Client: Wurl // Role: UX + User Interface Design
Create & Manage Channels
Quick and efficient channel creation was a key element to Wurl’s dominance in the FAST space. Through close discussions with our content and streaming partners, we found that we needed to focus on capturing critical information like channel name, channel and content genres, channel and content ratings, and ad tags and splits, upon deal completion.
This allowed us to build and launch channels before a partner was fully onboarded and remove any potential friction with negotiating new distribution deals with streaming services.
Simplified Wurl channel launch process (Onboarding ––> Channel Submission)
Channel metadata could be minimal or as rich depending on a content partner’s distribution goals
Client: Wurl // Role: UX + User Interface Design
Managing Content via Search
By leveraging a search-driven workflow, we enabled content studios to seamlessly manage individual assets, create episodic variants, organize them by series, season, and channel, and even convert single assets into long-form content like movies. This streamlined the entire production process and simplified delivery to multiple streaming destinations.
The workspace was designed to be a powerful feature that allowed partners to contain relevant media for episode building or programming their channels.
Our powerful search feature allowed users to quickly locate specific content within their massive content libraries.
Client: Wurl // Role: UX + User Interface Design
Modular Building Blocks
At Wurl, we treated every piece of content partner provided content as an “Asset”, a fundamental building block of our FAST environment. This approach gave content studios granular control over their media files, making it easier for them to manage individual segments and quickly adapt content for different markets. By storing and tracking Assets separately, studios could streamline operations like metadata updates or file replacements—without having to rework entire video projects. This was especially helpful when localizing content for international distribution or rolling out quick ad-load changes for a specific region or streaming service. In essence, Assets became the flexible and reusable pieces that laid the groundwork for stable, scalable content workflows.
Full view of an asset page. Content partners could update metadata, artwork, and availability for every asset ingested.
Build & Adjust Episodes
While Assets formed the building blocks, “Episodes” united those blocks into cohesive, viewable pieces of content. Within Wurl’s platform, an Episode could consist of one Asset or multiple Assets stitched together seamlessly. This structure allowed studios to swap out specific segments to update intros, insert targeted promos, adjust ad-load, or adjust running times as needed. It also ensured that content scheduling and delivery—both domestically and internationally—remained smooth. By viewing Episodes as collections of Assets, Wurl simplified everything from quality checks to monetization, giving studios a powerful way to tweak, localize, and distribute content without sacrificing consistency or viewer satisfaction.
Full view of an Episode page. Partners could review and update metadata, artwork, and ratings for every episode.
“Episode Builder” allowed partners to view, build, and adjust episodes based on their specific needs.
Client: Wurl // Role: UX + User Interface Design
Smarter Content Scheduling
Through constant collaboration with our earliest content partners, Wurl’s original FAST channel scheduling tool was completely redesigned to address the unique challenges of 24/7 linear content delivery. We enhanced platform to focus heavily on automation tools that allowed customers to quickly loop, copy, and create content blocks, resolve schedule errors, and deliver customized content lineups weeks in advance.
Our streamlined, cloud-based solution ensured a hassle-free broadcast workflow that empowered studios to deliver consistent, high-quality streaming media without the burden of manual maintenance.
Implementing these scheduling best practices led Wur to a marked improvement in viewer engagement, a swift expansion of FAST channel growth, and a notable increase in monetization opportunities.
Expanded single day schedule view allows users to view important details of scheduled content at a glance
Collapsed view allows users to efficiently view content for all of the most important times of the day at a glance
Clicking on any piece of content displays the most important details of the specific piece of content
Weekly schedule view allows users to view and make adjustments to an entire week of programming
Collapsed weekly schedule view allows users to review and resolve any potential errors to a week of programming
Client: Wurl // Role: UX + User Interface Design
Remixing FAST with Live Events
As Wurl continued to onboard more news and sports-focused partners, we saw a need to dedicate resources towards supporting live events. We partnered with LG and the NCAA to test and launch a proof of concept of our Live Event Streaming feature for FAST channels.
Our MVP allowed content studio users to manually switch between programmed content and Live Events. Later releases gave users the ability to easily schedule future live events, automate content switching, and insert ads into live events. Eventually users would be given the power to choose between manually managing live events or using our “auto-pilot” mode that automatically handled switching between live and scheduled content via HLS markup.
Simplified Live Event Streaming process
Interface enabled partners to manage live sources, insert ads, and manually transition between live and linear content.
Client: Wurl // Role: UX + User Interface Design
Intuitive Curation and Delivery
Despite the popularity of linear content consumption, many distribution services heavily relied on a Video-on-Demand (VOD) content offering and because of this, we needed to focus our efforts on providing efficient content management solutions to ensure seamless delivery. After close collaboration with major studios, we determined that we would need to provide ways to easily track refresh cycles, intuitive ordering methods, and standardized metadata formatting to more effectively capture audience engagement.
