6 Weeks Mission
AppReel is an international short-drama streaming platform built for modern mobile consumption. Designed around vertical storytelling and social-first interactions, it reimagines entertainment through fast-paced episodes, personalized discovery, and game-inspired monetization mechanics, including virtual coins and content unlocks.
Product Design Lead
Defining current knowledge and expected product
Comparing leaders' approach to the domain
Understanding behaviors and pain points
Structural layout & architecture
Design System Implentation & Interactive testing
Insights: The episode-sharing flow is largely consistent across competitors. The main difference lies in what recipients see after opening a shared link. While the sender typically shares a specific episode, most platforms redirect recipients to either the series' first episode or its trailer. DramaPop is the only competitor that consistently opens the intended episode, although it introduces an alternative flow when that episode is locked for the recipient.
Insights:Most competitors share a similar visual direction, combining a dark-mode interface with strong emphasis on series artwork. While the UI remains minimal, monetization features rely on bold, game-inspired visuals, creating a noticeable inconsistency in the overall brand experience. DramaPop stands out with a cohesive, cinema-inspired visual identity across its logo, icons, and graphic elements.
Six user interviews were conducted with women aged 20–60 from different U.S. states. The interviews were semi-structured and held remotely via Zoom. Participants were informed that their responses would remain anonymous and used only with their consent.
