Specials Destination Page
Tata Play | UI/UX Designer
Project Background
Tata Play Specials brings together exclusive, curated entertainment across genres and languages. However, until now users discovered Specials only through scattered promos and carousels. We identified the need for a dedicated destination page where users could browse, engage, and subscribe in one place. The goal was to design a page that is not just a catalogue, but an interactive playground for discovery.
Project Details
We designed the Specials Destination Page with two distinct approaches:
Option 1 — Specials-based Approach: Spotlight Specials themselves as the product (hero banners, feature carousels, genre tabs, and personalised rails).
Option 2 — Content-based Approach: Lead with shows and movies, letting users discover Specials through the content Tata Play Specials has.
Both approaches were built from scratch without direct benchmarks. The highlight of this project was designing multiple interactive widgets and motion-driven elements that made the page lively, engaging, and scalable beyond the Specials destination page.
My Roles & Responsibilities
As the UI/UX Designer for this project I was in charge of:
Defined page structure and end-to-end flow without relying on competitor references.
Designed two complete options (Specials-based vs Content-based) with interchangeable components.
Created interactive widgets (quizzes, shake-to-reveal, Special Bytes stories).
Built high-fidelity UI aligned with Tata Play design language.
Designed motion patterns and interactive prototypes to showcase the playfulness of the page.
Partnered with product and content teams to ensure scalability.
The Key Problem
How might we design a single destination where users can explore Specials, feel engaged, and easily subscribe — without making the page feel like a static catalogue?
Why this matters:
Specials lacked visibility compared to mainstream TV and OTT content.
Existing discovery felt transactional, not exciting.
Users had no clear reason to explore Specials beyond incidental promos.
Concept Exploration
We explored two design approaches:
Option 1 — Specials-based Approach
Hero banner: image or video highlighting a recommended or live Special.
Feature carousel: explains value of Specials for non-subscribers (50+ Specials, free trial, multi-language access).
Personalised rails: show more from Specials users already hold.
Genre tabs: card-style layouts with gradient backgrounds tied to poster colors.
Language widget: instant switching with pre-selected profile language.
Interactive elements: GIFs/emojis in headings, Top 10 Specials with language filters, highlight blocks for topical events.
Recharge reward / Free trial widgets: incentivise trial and subscription.
Interactive quiz: “What’s Your Tata Play Vibe?” recommends a Special based on fun answers.
Option 2 — Content-based Approach
Hero banner: content from recommended or trending Specials.
Feature carousel: upfront value explanation for non-subscribers.
Best-of rails: content from subscribed Specials.
Inline language filter: applies to carousels and rails.
Newly Launched Specials: spotlight with cover + top content.
Special Bytes: story-like short previews with like/share/watch.
Recommendation of the Week: shake-to-reveal curated picks.
JSAT/JNOON widget: ₹1 time-limited offers to drive urgency.
Recommendation engine: guided flow for undecided users with filters and add-to-cart.
Interactive Highlights
These widgets became the signature elements of the Specials page:
Special Bytes Stories → Instagram-like short stories for quick previews.
Recommendation of the Week → shake device to reveal a curated pick.
What’s Your Tata Play Vibe? Quiz → playful personality-based suggestion engine.
Recharge Rewards / Try Before You Buy → interactive ways to redeem free access.
Topical Highlight Blocks → dynamically promote events or themes.
GIF-enhanced rail headings → draw attention and break monotony.
Each widget was designed as a modular component that could be reused across the homepage and other destinations in the future.
Key User Flow
First-time visitor (non-subscriber)
Lands on hero banner → sees value carousel → explores genre tabs → tries free trial via widget.
Returning subscriber
Personalised rails show subscribed Specials → browses more via genre tabs → explores interactive quiz for new content.
Exploration via interactivity
User shakes device → Recommendation of the Week revealed → taps Explore Now → deep-linked into Special detail.
Content discovery loop
Views Special Bytes → taps Watch Now → lands on Special → more shows rail encourages continued browsing.
Final Designs
Option 1 - Specials-based
Hero banner, feature carousel, personalised rails.
Genre tabs with card-style layouts.
Interactive quiz & recharge rewards widget.
Option 2 - Content-based
Hero banner with content focus.
Best-of rails & Newly Launched Specials.
Special Bytes story view & shake-to-reveal widget.
Live Prototype
Specials Based Approach Prototype
Content Based Approach Prototype
Challenges & Learnings
Designing without benchmarks forced us to experiment more creatively with UI and interactivity.
Needed to balance rich interactivity with performance and simplicity.
Ensured all widgets were scalable components that could live beyond the Specials page.
Takeaways
Playfulness drives engagement → micro-interactions (shake, quiz, stories) made exploration fun.
Systems thinking → designing reusable widgets ensured future scalability.
Dual-approach exploration → testing Specials-first vs Content-first gave clarity on positioning strategy.
Building from scratch strengthened my ability to frame design logic without relying on external references.
This project strengthened my ability to craft engaging experiences from scratch - proving that even without benchmarks, thoughtful interactions and playful design can transform a static catalogue into an interactive destination that users want to explore.