NBCUniversal

A UX audit and feature optimization to improve AGT’s in-app voting and live content engagement

TV screen displaying an advertisement for a talent show's app, showing mobile devices with voting and countdown features, alongside text promoting app downloads on App Store and Google Play.

The problem: Outdated IA and limited accessibility hurt engagement on AGT’s app

What I did: Audited the app, benchmarked competitors, and proposed UX enhancements

What changed: Closed captioning improved, error states clarified, and long-term roadmap seeded for future releases

Summary

I explored new opportunities to improve the American Got Talent app. I wanted to consider the app features of its live TV show competitors while creating an optimal experience for the AGT audience.

My Deliverables

Competitive Analysis, User Flow

Role

UX Designer

Tools

Miro, Photoshop, Sketch

When

2021

Team

Myself

1 Partner Marketing Manager

1 Software Developer

The Challenge

NBCUniversal needed a UX review of the America’s Got Talent mobile app ahead of Season 17.

While the app supported voting and show content, the experience was inconsistent, especially on iOS devices.

The problems:

  • Outdated hamburger menu on iOS (more suited for Android)

  • Fragmented video content without clear categories

  • Missed opportunities for delight and accessibility

  • Low visibility on how AGT compared to competitors in this space

NBC wanted a strategic lens on the experience—how it could be improved without a full redesign and with minimal dev lift.

A smartphone screen displaying an "America's Got Talent" page with videos, including one featuring Sofia Vergara celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and another with Mat Franco and Dustin Tavella performing magic.
Smartphone screen displaying a "Buzzer Sounds" page with a red buzzer and "X" symbol. Options to "Change Buzzer Sounds" and "Golden Buzzer."
Smartphone screen displaying "America's Got Talent" app interface with sections for watching full episodes, participating as a judge, and auditioning for the next season.

The Approach

Discovery

I started with a teardown of the AGT app alongside three competitors:

  • The Voice

  • American Idol

  • Love Island

This competitive audit focused on:

  • Navigation structure

  • Voting flows

  • Accessibility features

  • Moments of delight and interaction

Strategy

I created a list of “Things to Consider” based on app heuristics, platform conventions, and business context:

  • Could we align the iOS version to native standards (bottom nav)?

  • Were voting and video engagement too buried?

  • What content buckets could be better grouped?

  • How accessible was the current video content?

Planning

The app’s structure was mapped into five logical buckets:

  • Home

  • Videos

  • Vote

  • Talent

  • Audition

These categories were proposed to simplify navigation and align the iOS version to Apple UX guidelines. Quick wins were flagged for immediate impact, while other suggestions were marked as “stretch” opportunities.

Diagram of an iOS menu layout with categories "Home (Feed)," "Videos," "Vote," "Talent," and "Audition?" Each category lists related options, such as clips, vote, contestants, and sign-up.

The Work

Mobile app menu for America's Got Talent with options including Home, Buzzer, Tweet the Judges and Terry, Watch Clips, Watch Full Episodes, View the Acts, Episode Results, AGT on Social, Audition for AGT, Official AGT Website, Get AGT Merchandise, and Settings.

Discovery & Insights

  • Identified that AGT’s competitors all used tab bar navigation for iOS

  • Flagged inconsistent accessibility practices (e.g., missing closed captions)

  • Found user confusion when no search results were returned (“0 of 0” message)

Experience Mapping & IA

  • Reorganized the app’s hamburger menu into a 5-icon iOS tab bar system

  • Grouped similar content types under umbrella categories

  • Simplified navigation to reduce cognitive load and increase discoverability

Design Execution

  • Shared annotated recommendations and visual examples for UI enhancements

  • Focused on practical suggestions with low dev lift, such as:

    • Closed captioning for video content

    • Improved error states for search/no results

    • Consideration for adding subtle animation/motion enhancements

  • Tools used: Miro for mapping, Photoshop and Sketch for visual references

Iteration & Feedback

  • Partner Marketing Manager provided feedback on priority and feasibility

  • Shared findings with the product design team; prioritized by development effort

Mobile app UI design for "America's Got Talent," featuring screens for a hamburger menu, home page, video clips, buzzer sounds, episode results, tweeting judges, viewing acts, and social media links.
Flowchart discussing features for 'The Voice', 'American Idol', and 'AGT', highlighting accessibility, video engagement, and user experience ideas. Includes sticky notes for priorities.
Image of user interface priorities divided into high and low. High priority includes issues with video results display, closed captions, user warnings before app exit, and sharing options. Lower priority mentions navigation and background color. Cont
A user interface improvement guide displaying five recommendations with corresponding visuals for a media platform. Recommendations include ensuring closed captions are available, using lowercase text, sharing video clips, adjusting text spacing, add
A series of mobile app screenshots showing proposed UI changes for a media app. Recommendations include changing the logo to NBC, moving video clips higher on the homepage, grouping videos by category, changing the background, considering bottom navi

The Results

Implemented:

  • Improved closed captioning reliability

  • Better error messaging for search results

  • Standardized interaction patterns for key content flows

Deferred:

  • iOS-specific bottom nav redesign

  • Category-based video content organization

  • Enhanced visual design and animation tweaks

While not all suggestions were implemented due to dev constraints, the quick wins had an immediate impact on user experience. Longer-term recommendations were documented for future product cycles.

Reflection

What I learned:

  • UX wins can come from restructuring, not reinventing

  • Platform-native behaviors matter—users expect different things on iOS vs. Android

  • Prioritization is key when working with constraints

What I’d do differently:

  • Push for quick user validation to support higher-effort proposals

  • Work closer with engineering earlier to better understand dev tradeoffs

  • Recommend A/B testing navigation changes for measurable insights