tango live
tango live
livestreaming platform
livestreaming
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MOBILE App, Desktop Web
MOBILE App, Desktop Web
about
about
Tango Live is one of the leading Western free video chat and live streaming platform to meet new people, stream live, and connect in real time, anytime
Tango Live is one of the leading Western free video chat and live streaming platform to meet new people, stream live, and connect in real time, anytime
At the moment I joined the project, the project team was small, and the design department evolved with the product. Alongside design management, I hands-on tackled design features and challenges, acting as a playing coach.
As Head of Design, I built a design dream-team and together with the entire team we were building the product to compete with major players in live streaming domain.
At the moment I joined the project, the project team was small, and the design department evolved with the product. Alongside design management, I hands-on tackled design features and challenges, acting as a playing coach.
As Head of Design, I built a design dream-team and together with the entire team we were building the product to compete with major players in live streaming domain.
Role & Scope
Role & Scope
Role & Scope
Role
Head of Design
Head of Design
domain
Live streaming | Social Network
Live streaming | Social Network
numbers
▪ 400M+ user base
▪ 900K DAU
▪ 1500+ screens created
▪ 100+ features designed
▪ 15+ top-notch designers
▪ 400M+ user base
▪ 900K DAU
▪ 1500+ screens created
▪ 100+ features designed
▪ 15+ top-notch designers
platform
▪ iOS & Android
▪ Web Desktop
▪ iOS & Android
▪ Web Desktop
impact
impact
Long story short, the two main achievements were designing a product from nearly zero and building one of the best design teams I’ve worked with.
Long story short, the two main achievements were designing a product from nearly zero and building one of the best design teams I’ve worked with.
The product successfully grew 3x in revenue metrics over two years, while UX/UI design improved significantly. The design team expanded from 2 to 15 designers, including product, graphic, and motion designers.
The product successfully grew 3x in revenue metrics over two years, while UX/UI design improved significantly. The design team expanded from 2 to 15 designers, including product, graphic, and motion designers.
■ Built a senior team of 15+ top-notch designers from scratch.
■ Led full mobile app redesign, driving significant growth in design-related metrics.
■ Designed intuitive UX for 10+ features, boosting app usage and key metrics.
■ Created and implemented numerous zero-click UX solutions.
■ Rebuilt motion design team, achieving major quality improvements.
■ Delivered flagship feature redesign that increased revenue 10x through design alone.
■ Developed modular, scalable, and flexible design system from scratch
■ Optimized design-to-dev processes, increasing front-end efficiency by up to 30%.
challenge
challenge
The main problems and ideas suppliers were streamers, viewers, and business stakeholders. And their requirements and needs often conflict.
The main problems and ideas suppliers were streamers, viewers, and business stakeholders. And their requirements and needs often conflict.
The main problems and ideas suppliers were streamers, viewers, and business stakeholders. And their requirements and needs often conflict.
The challenge was delivering a solution that met the needs of every stakeholder. This required balancing numerous factors, opinions, metrics, and team resources to find common ground.
The most objective helpers were data and metrics, powerful tools that can resolve issues by proving they don’t exist. When data isn’t available, we turn to user research, interviews, quick POCs, MVPs, or A/B tests.
The challenge was delivering a solution that met the needs of every stakeholder. This required balancing numerous factors, opinions, metrics, and team resources to find common ground.
The most objective helpers were data and metrics, powerful tools that can resolve issues by proving they don’t exist. When data isn’t available, we turn to user research, interviews, quick POCs, MVPs, or A/B tests.
discovery
discovery
Every feature starts with a user problem or business need. This is followed by research, journey mapping, drafting, prototyping, quick testing, iterations, additional research, and finally a polished design.
Every feature starts with a user problem or business need. This is followed by research, journey mapping, drafting, prototyping, quick testing, iterations, additional research, and finally a polished design.
Every feature starts with a user problem or business need. This is followed by research, journey mapping, drafting, prototyping, quick testing, iterations, additional research, and finally a polished design.
It sounds simple, but reality involves pain, prototyping, arguments, defense, suggestions, excitement, tears, data, hard work, happiness—and only then satisfaction and fragile compromises between user needs, business goals, development constraints, and design vision.
Simultaneously, we strived to keep the product as simple as possible to minimize cognitive load. Total simplicity remained the greatest goal.
It sounds simple, but reality involves pain, prototyping, arguments, defense, suggestions, excitement, tears, data, hard work, happiness—and only then satisfaction and fragile compromises between user needs, business goals, development constraints, and design vision.
Simultaneously, we strived to keep the product as simple as possible to minimize cognitive load. Total simplicity remained the greatest goal.
newcomers cjm
newcomers cjm
sign in & sign up entry points flow
sign in & sign up entry points flow
Prototyping
Prototyping
For most features, interactive prototypes were built to test how they looked and felt on mobile before being presented to the team or handed over to development
For most features, interactive prototypes were built to test how they looked and felt on mobile before being presented to the team or handed over to development
Prototyping was a crucial part of the design process, enabling clear demonstration of raw ideas, showcasing the feature’s look and feel, and helping developers understand user flows and expected app behavior.
This interactive approach was especially important for swipe-based features, which were used very frequently. It is hard to overestimate how valuable prototyping is in such cases.
Prototyping was a crucial part of the design process, enabling clear demonstration of raw ideas, showcasing the feature’s look and feel, and helping developers understand user flows and expected app behavior.
This interactive approach was especially important for swipe-based features, which were used very frequently. It is hard to overestimate how valuable prototyping is in such cases.
App navigation – one of my prototypes
App navigation – one of my prototypes
design
design
The total number of the features designed exceeds 100. This was true startup mode all time during my 2+ years at Tango. Each feature was delivered by a small cross-departmental team, enabling lightning-fast shipping.
The total number of the features designed exceeds 100. This was true startup mode all time during my 2+ years at Tango. Each feature was delivered by a small cross-departmental team, enabling lightning-fast shipping.
All features challenged to be simple, intuitive, and user-friendly. Simplicity was the key requirement for every button, action, or text. This approach enabled several smart, zero-click solutions requiring no user interaction.
The UI faced even tougher demands или standards: every pixel had to justify its place on screen. Adding features as new buttons is easy, but integrating new functionality with minimal UI changes or screen overload is always challenging.
All features challenged to be simple, intuitive, and user-friendly. Simplicity was the key requirement for every button, action, or text. This approach enabled several smart, zero-click solutions requiring no user interaction.
The UI faced even tougher demands или standards: every pixel had to justify its place on screen. Adding features as new buttons is easy, but integrating new functionality with minimal UI changes or screen overload is always challenging.
Data-driven approach
Data-driven approach
Data was the key driver in product and design decisions. Project analytics were comprehensive, covering most events and elements, enabling objective tracking and measurement of success.
We carefully A/B tested variations to select the one with the highest metrics. Initial tests ran on a small percentage of user sessions, gradually scaling up before fully releasing the winning flow.
Working with design, we relied on metrics as well, despite blind spots not covered by analytics. Wherever we could, we used numbers as compelling arguments.
Data was the key driver in product and design decisions. Project analytics were comprehensive, covering most events and elements, enabling objective tracking and measurement of success.
We carefully A/B tested variations to select the one with the highest metrics. Initial tests ran on a small percentage of user sessions, gradually scaling up before fully releasing the winning flow.
Working with design, we relied on metrics as well, despite blind spots not covered by analytics. Wherever we could, we used numbers as compelling arguments.
feature flow variation to for a/b test
feature flow variation to for a/b test
Streamers and viewers
streamer interface
streamer interface
Two core user groups are viewers and streamers, and they often overlapped: streamers also viewed content, and as a platform, we wanted viewers to start creating too.
Thus, the requirement was to design UI/UX with similar mechanics and patterns to simplify the experience and maintain consistency.
Two core user groups are viewers and streamers, and they often overlapped: streamers also viewed content, and as a platform, we wanted viewers to start creating too.
Thus, the requirement was to design UI/UX with similar mechanics and patterns to simplify the experience and maintain consistency.
Each group had unique challenges, requiring fine-tuned controls. For example, for streamers, we increased chat font size since they often don’t hold the phone in front.
For viewers, we prioritized messaging and gifting tools as the most-used features, driving more interactivity and reactions.
Each group had unique challenges, requiring fine-tuned controls. For example, for streamers, we increased chat font size since they often don’t hold the phone in front.
For viewers, we prioritized messaging and gifting tools as the most-used features, driving more interactivity and reactions.
viewer interface
viewer interface
Adaptive UI
With settings and profile screens, we faced a common challenge across many features: we didn’t know if the user was primarily a viewer or streamer, or which options to prioritize.
The solution was an adaptive dynamic UI: for users with less than 1-2 hours of streaming, we de-emphasized streamer UI components as lowered priority. This kept the experience friendly and simple for both groups.
With settings and profile screens, we faced a common challenge across many features: we didn’t know if the user was primarily a viewer or streamer, or which options to prioritize.
The solution was an adaptive dynamic UI: for users with less than 1-2 hours of streaming, we de-emphasized streamer UI components as lowered priority. This kept the experience friendly and simple for both groups.
Samples of account and Settings Screens
Samples of account and Settings Screens
Monetization & KYC
Tango features its own monetization system, requiring a dedicated finance section. Simplicity remains key here too: most newcomers need to withdraw earnings in as few clicks as possible. Users don't care about regulations, restrictions, or technical hurdles.
We challenged ourselves to simplify the entire withdrawal flow within financial and KYC constraints. Through interviews with successful streamers, we identified friction points, essential data, and steps to guide users seamlessly from signup to first payout.
Tango features its own monetization system, requiring a dedicated finance section. Simplicity remains key here too: most newcomers need to withdraw earnings in as few clicks as possible. Users don't care about regulations, restrictions, or technical hurdles.
We challenged ourselves to simplify the entire withdrawal flow within financial and KYC constraints. Through interviews with successful streamers, we identified friction points, essential data, and steps to guide users seamlessly from signup to first payout.
back office
back office
Large-scale product required multiple admin panels, analytics/marketing dashboards, so we unified admin experince by launching an internal back office web service.
Large-scale product required multiple admin panels, analytics/marketing dashboards, so we unified admin experince by launching an internal back office web service.
For this product, we created a dedicated design system, separated from the core app but borrowing key components and tokens. This provided full flexibility, reduced design system update friction, and kept everything in a unified design language.
And of course, the main goal was achieved – we got a product-specific admin dashboard with simplified UX with a single entry point.
For this product, we created a dedicated design system, separated from the core app but borrowing key components and tokens. This provided full flexibility, reduced design system update friction, and kept everything in a unified design language.
And of course, the main goal was achieved – we got a product-specific admin dashboard with simplified UX with a single entry point.
Design System
Design System
In this project, the original design system was built from scratch. From the very beginning, we applied an atomic and structured approach, ensuring scalability and consistency.
In this project, the original design system was built from scratch. From the very beginning, we applied an atomic and structured approach, ensuring scalability and consistency.
In this project, the original design system was built from scratch. From the very beginning, we applied an atomic and structured approach, ensuring scalability and consistency.
The structured approach was slightly more labor-intensive upfront, but at a distance over 6 months, these investments paid off handsomely, boosting not only design efficiency but development speed as well. Every hour spent on the structure was worth it.
However, flexibility wasn’t overlooked: in this fast-paced startup environment with a geo-distributed design team, we kept design system management decentralized to maintain high design delivery speed.
The structured approach was slightly more labor-intensive upfront, but at a distance over 6 months, these investments paid off handsomely, boosting not only design efficiency but development speed as well. Every hour spent on the structure was worth it.
However, flexibility wasn’t overlooked: in this fast-paced startup environment with a geo-distributed design team, we kept design system management decentralized to maintain high design delivery speed.
outro
outro
Tango Live is one of my favorite projects due to its toughest challenges. It perfectly illustrates that the simplest UX is the hardest to create, especially with constantly conflicting user and business requirements. Yet the outcome solves diverse needs for viewers, content creators, and business.
Special kudos to the design team! Their dedication to design and product was next-level. Kudos to me too for assembling and growing top-notch geo-distributed design team, perfectly aligned in vibe and approach.
Tango Live is one of my favorite projects due to its toughest challenges. It perfectly illustrates that the simplest UX is the hardest to create, especially with constantly conflicting user and business requirements. Yet the outcome solves diverse needs for viewers, content creators, and business.
Special kudos to the design team! Their dedication to design and product was next-level. Kudos to me too for assembling and growing top-notch geo-distributed design team, perfectly aligned in vibe and approach.
