OVERVIEW In 2022, I became the owner of a critical product at Comcast: the Xfinity web remote, an accessible solution for users relying on assistive devices like eye-tracking technology. The tool enabled greater autonomy by replicating TV remote functions on a web interface. While under my product ownership, among other things, I successfully improved the user experience by significantly streamlining access to content and enhancing feature visibility.
PAIN POINTS After extensive collaboration with developers and conducting user research, I identified a major obstacle: users with motor difficulties struggled to quickly reach their desired content. To address this, I spearheaded the design of a customizable favorites bar, giving users faster access to frequently used features. Though metrics tracking was a known gap and faced internal resistance, I advocated strongly for incorporating analytics to drive informed improvements, taking ownership of the solution despite these challenges.
Early iteration on the Tobii eye tracking device
ITERATIONS Since eye-tracking users were central to our design, I took the lead on testing the app with various accessibility devices in our Philadelphia lab. My hands-on testing and team collaboration with my low- and no-sighted colleagues led to improvements in usability, particularly in minimizing unnecessary clicks required to access commonly used channels or searches. Over the course of a year of iterations, I drove the incorporation of the favorites bar and additional enhancements that simplified the experience for users with assistive needs.
After a lot of back-and-forth, we settled on a favorites bar at the bottom of the screen: minimal strength and maximum utility for our eye-tracking users
KEY TAKEAWAYS This project deeply impacted me, both professionally and personally. I learned the critical role of stakeholder alignment in driving product success, and I was proud to champion improvements that directly made our users’ experiences more intuitive and efficient. Seeing users engage with our web remote using assistive devices during the research phase reinforced the importance of thoughtful design and I took full ownership of ensuring those improvements translated into real user benefits.
