Solo
Operator app

Before I dive into the problem, process and solution I feel like I need to explain the stream production on mycujoo.
In order to stream with mycujoo first of all you need to be a content right holder (so no one will stream El Classico on the platform). After the user is verified, he/she will need to have a streaming set up: a camera + mycujoo Studio for marking the highlights, or a smartphone with mycujoo app on it and mycujoo Studio.
The later is usually the solution for amateur clubs, due to lack of resources.

So the first idea was a companion app, which would allow users to mark highlights during the stream. So user wont need a laptop, which ideally would lower the entry point for clubs and teams with smaller budgets. However it didn't feel like it was the optimal solution, so I kept sketching.

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During the interviews and research we've conducted, it became clear that some clubs cannot afford to have more than one volunteer on the regular basis. It was one of the main reasons that many of our streams ended up without the highlights.
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That's how the second concept appeared: not a completely new app but more like an enhanced mode of an already existing one. One of the biggest challenges were interactions, due to the screen size and also due to the fact that the operator needs to see as much as possible. It was clear that we cannot squeeze the whole Studio functionality into one screen. During a brief meeting with my PO we selected basic highlights that are essential or affect the clock.
From 9 Studio highlights we left 5:
- goal
- red card
- yellow card
- substitution
- clock management highlights (1st time, half time, 2nd half, full time)

The solution was relatively simple user can add highlights straight from the stream screen, by selecting one of 4 and then selecting a team.  After highlight is created, a visual feedback will be provided to the user — a pin on the seekbar.

After sketching and wireframing I made a quick clickable prototype with Invision to test it with operators. I think it the first time ( and probably the last) in my career when the initial feedback from the users and from the business was great. Everyone was so happy about it.

But it was one thing to test an idea with a clickable prototype and a static image on the background instead of video. But how would interactions work with the real live stream? Won't the camera refocus all the time because of all these taps on the screen? And how will this affect the quality of the video? We didn't have the answers for these questions, but since we had buy in from business and positive user feedback we decided to develop a proof of concept to test it real conditions.
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1,5 sprints later we got our proof of concept on iOS and we started to test. This mode was released  under a feature flag for  partners in states, interested to help us. Besides we spent some hours on the cold stadiums in Alkmaar and Amsterdam observing people using our product (it was in February and it was very cold I must say).

Main thing we didn't take into consideration and it wasn't possible to notice with a prototype, was the specifics of the tripod. Most of tripods  made for right handed people. When the phone is mounted on the tripod, the user will hold the handle and turn the phone with the right hand. But the thing is that UI is also from the right, so user will use the left hand to interact with the screen. This means that while marking the highlights the user will cover the screen with the left hand. Because of this in the next built we released a possibility of choosing UI orientation.