Project Overview
As someone who regularly watches live streams on different platforms, I’ve always found it puzzling that Twitch remains the go-to, me included. YouTube offers better video quality and a much larger audience, yet it still lags behind? Over time, I realised the reason: YouTube Live isn’t built with streamers or communities in mind . It’s hard to find live content, and even harder to feel part of something while watching.
This case study takes a closer look at how YouTube Live’s user experience could be reimagined. Focusing on improving discoverability, simplifying navigation, and fostering a stronger sense of community. The goal is to help YouTube Live become a platform where live content can truly thrive, not just exist.
Project Details
Client
YouTube
Role
UI/UX Designer
Date
August 2025
Duration
1 month
Team
Solo Designer
Tools
Figma, Google Analytics
The Challenges
Poor Discoverability
Live content is hidden beneath pre-recorded content.
Inefficient Navigation
No clear, centralized access to live streams.
Limited Personalization
Recommendations for live content lack relevance.
Suboptimal Viewing Experience
The so-called “Maximized” view doesn’t optimize layout for interactive elements like chat.
Research
Due to the speculative nature of this project, I conducted:
- Heuristic evaluation of YouTube’s current Live UI.
- Comparative analysis of Twitch, Kick, and X (formerly Twitter Live).
- Review of user feedback across Reddit, Twitter, and YouTube comments.
Assumptions
Key Assumed Pain Points
- No prominent “Live” landing page like Twitch.
- No real-time trending or “Hot Now” view.
- Search results prioritize VODs over live streams.
- Viewing experience lacks full interactivity and customization.
Goals
Elevate live stream discoverability
via a dedicated hub.
Improve search and personalization
for relevant live content.
Introduce stream tagging and filtering
for easier browsing.
Enhance the viewing interface
for better community interaction.
Potential Impact
- Increase live stream viewership and engagement through enhanced discoverability.
- Higher engagement rates with personalized recommendations and filters.
- Improved creator retention by supporting community-building tools.
- Position YouTube Live as a more competitive platform against Twitch and Kick.
Solutions
1. Dedicated YouTube Live Hub
A centralized hub for discovering live streams, including a "Live" tab in navigation, hero section for trending streams, and personalized recommendations.
- Add a “Live” tab to the top navigation bar.
- Hero section for real-time trending streams, sorted by topic.
- Highlight "Upcoming Streams" with reminders.
- Personalized “Recommended for You” row powered by watch history.
2. Advanced Stream Filtering & Sorting
Enhanced filtering and sorting options using streamer-assigned tags, sorting by viewership or recency, and category-based navigation.
- Language: English, Spanish, Japanese, etc.
- Categories: Gaming, Just Chatting, News & Politics, Music & Performances, Esports, Educational & Tech, IRL.
- Maturity Level: Family-Friendly, 18+.
- Viewership: High ↔ Low.
- Recommended for You: AI-based suggestions.
- Recently Started: Prioritize new streams.
- All categories include consistent filtering options.
3. Enhanced Viewing Experience
Features like split-screen and multi-stream mode enable users to watch multiple streams at once, ideal for events and esports.
- Users can watch two streams simultaneously.
- Ideal for event coverage, esports, or following multiple creators.
4. True Maximized Mode
A maximized viewing layout that keeps chat visible, with a cleaner interface for focus on content and community engagement.
- Larger stream window with chat intact.
- Cleaner layout for better focus on content and community.
Flowchart
Low-fidelity Wireframes
Initial sketches focused on simplifying the user flow and testing different navigation approaches. We iterated through 3 versions before landing on the optimal structure.
Final Designs
The final designs incorporated the brand's vibrant color scheme while improving usability. Micro-interactions were added to provide feedback and guide users.
Final Takeaways & Learnings
- Live content deserves front-page presence
- Personalized recommendations & filters boost engagement.
- User control improves the experience
- YouTube Live has massive untapped potential
Future Steps
Testing
Conduct usability testing on prototypes
Implement Features
Validate feature demand with users and streamers
Smart Filtering
Collaborate with engineers & data teams to implement smart filtering and tagging systems