Project THOR

The VIDEO experience initiative enhances video ads by making them innovative, interactive, and non-intrusive to boost user engagement and conversions. The solutionoutlines my plans to leverage modern device capabilities for next-gen ad experiences.

Overview

The VIDEO experience initiative is transforming video ads into interactive, seamless, and engaging experiences that drive higher user engagement and conversions. By leveraging modern device capabilities, we create innovative, non-intrusive ad formats that enhance user interaction. This initiative focuses on adaptive storytelling, dynamic engagement, and immersive ad experiences.

Company

INMOBI

Industry

Mobile ADs

Creating interactive and engaging video ads without disrupting the user experience is a complex UX challenge. Users often find ads intrusive and disengaging, leading to ad fatigue and lower conversion rates. The key challenge is to design ad experiences that feel seamless, intuitive, and valuable, rather than interruptive. To address this, the focus is on leveraging device capabilities to create context-aware, interactive, and user-friendly ad formats.

Thought Process

Before designing the UX solution, it was crucial to analyze user behavior, business goals, and technological capabilities to create an experience that is both engaging and effective. The thought process involved:

Understanding User Pain Points – Identifying why users find traditional video ads intrusive or unengaging and determining how to make ads feel seamless and valuable.
Defining Business Objectives – Aligning the UX strategy with the goal of higher engagement and conversion rates while maintaining brand messaging effectiveness.
Leveraging Device Capabilities – Exploring how modern touch, voice, AR, and AI-driven personalization can enhance ad interactivity without disrupting the experience.
Balancing Engagement & Non-Intrusiveness – Ensuring ads capture attention naturally without forcing interaction or disrupting content consumption.
Exploring Adaptive Storytelling – Designing ads that dynamically adjust based on user interactions, making the experience more relevant and immersive.

The goal is to strike the right balance between brand objectives and user expectations, ensuring that ads are engaging yet non-intrusive, leading to higher retention and conversion rates.

The Solution

The solution lies in designing interactive, non-intrusive, and context-aware video ad experiences that seamlessly integrate with user behavior. By leveraging modern device capabilities, we create engaging, intuitive, and personalized ad interactions that feel natural rather than disruptive.

Key UX strategies include adaptive storytelling, where ads dynamically adjust based on user interaction, gesture-based and voice-enabled engagement for frictionless interaction, and immersive elements like AR overlays or interactive hotspots. These innovations ensure that ads provide value to users while driving higher engagement, retention, and conversions for businesses.

The Results

The Experience was developed as a prototype and tested in-house with employees, along with a limited group of users across the USA, India, UK, and APAC regions. While initial feedback was promising, further large-scale testing and real-world validation were required to refine the experience and ensure broader user adoption.

“I usually skip ads because they feel intrusive, but when an ad lets me interact in a natural way, without forcing me—it actually keeps me engaged and curious.”

In-House and External Users

India, USA, UK, APAC

Proposed

The design screens showcase our interactive video ad prototype, built for seamless, engaging, and non-intrusive user experiences. Key features include adaptive storytelling, interactive elements, and context-aware interactions to enhance engagement and conversions. Initially tested in-house and with select users across USA, India, UK, and APAC, these screens highlight the next-gen ad experience.