From 2016 to 2018, I contributed to the redesign of BlueJeans Meetings, a video conferencing desktop app that connects people to video meetings.
After 12 months of redesign and development, the relaunch of the app achieved 1M+ Monthly Active Users and boosted the end-of-meeting score from 4.2 to 4.8. Users from LinkedIn, Facebook, and Microsoft join video meetings through BlueJeans every day. Professors and students use the app for online classes and seminars. Physicians meet and support their patients over video chats. This app enables everyone to connect and collaborate instantly. The new experience is "better than being there."
Monthly Active Users
Daily Active Users
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Not another enterprise app that sells to IT departments.
The desktop app connects users to video meetings from any devices: phones, tablets, laptops, and conference rooms. It fully integrates with a calendar and an email inbox to enable joining a meeting on the go.
To join a video meeting for the first time, downloading and installing the app takes seconds. The app recognizes which meeting it shall link to and brings attendees into the meeting promptly. Taking time to test and join? It's not needed.
In-meeting controls are simplified to optimize the video experience. The toolbar hides when users are just listening to the meeting.
Customize video layouts
One video layout doesn't fit all. Users can switch between different video layouts to view the details of a shared screen or feel the presence with their teammates.
Constant self-view
A constant self-view on the bottom right helps users with a quick check on their look. It elevates self-confidence for remote interviews and sales pitches.
"Can you hear me?"
90% of users ask this question as soon as they get into a video meeting. We have all experienced frustration when video software fails to work. Howling and audio echos are obnoxious, and it takes away the joy of meeting someone on video. In important presentations or cross-region discussions, sound disruptions can even make us look bad.
For an echoless meeting experience, this app improves both audio technology and user experience. It integrates with Dolby Voice for noise cancellation, and it educates users about their audio settings over time. It guides users to choose the right audio connection to avoid audio issues before they take place.
Connect video & ask for audio preference
Before the audio is connected, users can already see and hear the meeting. The visual prompt is simple and easy to follow, no matter whether users joined the meeting on a laptop or a phone.
Smart notifications
When audio devices are added or removed, users will be informed upfront. Swapping to use a different audio device is easy, and it will not interrupt any ongoing sessions.
The app does not create any extra learning curves if a Mac user decides to use BlueJeans on Windows. Regardless of the discrepancy in different operating systems, the app is as coherent as it can be - the meeting experience is consistent on all devices. As for BlueJeans users, the majority (80%) of users are Mac-based. However, the other 20% of Windows users share precisely the same experience.
Join a meeting from the Dashboard
Join a meeting from the system navigation
Be informed of unexpected meeting attendees.
Be aware of recorded video sessions.
Receive messages privately when you are sharing your screen.
A video meeting shall make you feel confident to present yourself and share your work at all times.
The design system sets guidance for all BlueJeans' apps. It is inspired by Material Design and extended the explorations of floating UIs in video conferencing scenarios.
For about two years of my journey of designing video conferencing tools, I learned to listen and ask questions. I had the designer pride - I had assumptions on what would work the best for my users and testings approved I was wrong.
The merge of a creator and a listener amazed me. Crafting became a duo-way effort. I was a friend of my Alpha/Beta/LA test users to learn what they think and how they feel about every release we rolled out. And they shared the excitement with me on how confident they became to join and host video meetings. Paralleling to my design time, I put together some writings to the UX community so other designers can collect inspirations.