Project overview
Introduction
This project centers on designing a dedicated Horse Racing app, launched from a tile in the main StarHub TV app, to transform the live racing content on Channels 88 and 89 into a fully immersive, interactive platform. The current setup delivers only live streams content, offering viewers no deep engagement & insights.
The new app redefines this experience by seamlessly blending live video with a dynamic info table, delivering real-time data, betting tools, and race context in a TV-optimized design. The vision is to create an engaging, all-in-one hub that elevates how StarHub subscribers experience horse racing.
My role
As the lead designer, I spearheaded the creation of this transformative Horse Racing app, driving its UI/UX from vision to reality. I researched strategies to enrich the live streams, crafted wireframes and high-fidelity designs, and refined the interface through usability-focused iterations. Collaborating with the team, I ensured the app integrated flawlessly into StarHub’s TV platform, delivering a premium, intuitive experience tailored for remote control navigation.
Photo: existing Horse Racing channels 88, 89 on existing StarHub TV before the revamp
RESEARCH
The research phase focused on reimagining Channels 88 and 89 as a comprehensive horse racing platform for StarHub customers. To inform this transformation, I collaborated with the Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) team to obtain and analyze data on existing customer demographics and their TV horse racing usage behaviors to guide the design at the later stage.
1.1 Meet our horse racing fans
Analysis from provided raw customer data, we got the following insights:
Age Distribution
The majority of customers (1,421 out of 2,262) are in the Aging segment, primarily aged 55 and above (337 in 55-59, 1,084 in 60-100),
The predominance of older users suggests a design with simplicity in mind—larger text, intuitive navigation, and minimal complexity.
Gender & Nationality
Males dominate (1,042 in Aging), but females are significant (374 in Aging). Singaporeans form the vast majority (2,102 customers).
Content should prioritize local Singaporean preferences, inclusive & avoiding gender-specific.
Customer segments
Aging (1,421): Older, likely retired, with leisure time. Heartlanders (381): Middle-income locals, often in HDB flats. PMEB (400): Professionals and executives in larger residences.
The app should balance simplicity for Aging users with efficient features for PMEB and Heartlanders.
Spending habits on TV services
Average TV ARPU over six months ranges from $50 to $80, with some spending up to $244 (Aging: $65.21, Heartlanders: $56.79, PMEB: $67.10).
Moderate to high spending indicates engagement with TV content, suggesting interest in premium features like race statistics or betting tools.
1.2 Meet our horse racing fans
Based on the data we got, an initial proto-persona was created for us to have the first view of who we are designing for.
DESIGN
With the vision of experience for customer like Uncle Chan, we started to work on our design.
2.1 Design directions
Design simplicity
The design must feature an easy-to-navigate TV interface, optimized for remote control use, catering to older users’ preferences.
Content focus
Features should include live streams, betting tools, and real-time stats, addressing the gap in accessible race information that customer like Uncle Chan has.
User Engagements
Customization (e.g., tracking favorite horses) and a workflow mirroring the race experience (stats → betting → results) will enhance satisfaction for dedicated fans like Uncle Chan.
2.2 Wireframe
The wireframe was thoughtfully designed to meet user needs, emphasizing seamless integration, real-time data, and intuitive navigation.
Seamless Integration with StarHub TV
Launch the Horse Racing app directly from the StarHub TV home page with just one click, ensuring quick and effortless access to the racing experience.Picture-in-Picture (PiP) Layout
A small live channel feed is displayed in the top-left corner, keeping users connected to the race at all times.
An info table on the right delivers essential race details alongside the video.
A menu below the live feed allows easy navigation through different sections of the info table, such as race updates and betting options.
Real-Time Info Table
Provides up-to-the-minute race data, including statistics and odds, empowering customers with the insights needed to support their betting decisions.Quick Access Navigation Menu
Enables fast navigation through frequently used sections of the info table, sorted by popularity for efficiency.
Personalized sorting is in development, allowing users to customize the menu to their preferences in future updates.
Prototype of the experience - captured using mouse but it also applicable for remote navigation
2.4 High fidelity screens
High fidelity design was crafted with the same design language of the StarHub TV App.
REFLECTIONS
The development of the Horse Racing app for StarHub TV faced challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which restricted our ability to connect with users and refine the design. Key issues included:
Limited Customer Outreach: The pandemic hindered engagement with real customers, especially elderly users—a key demographic—limiting our ability to validate assumptions and potentially introducing design biases.
No Usability Testing: Without testing, we couldn’t refine our persona and especialy, evaluate the design’s effectiveness, leaving uncertainty about user interactions.
Opportunities for Improvement
Enhancing the Info Table: The current info table, derived from raw data, isn’t intuitive. A deeper understanding the value of each table, user's needs for each information could improve usability, especially for quick betting decisions.
Future Validation: Post-pandemic user interviews and testing will help validate assumptions and refine the app for diverse users.