How Design Teams Boost Video Engagement: A Deep Dive into Collaborative Strategies

Introduction

This series explains how design and product operation teams work closely to achieve business goals during summer content campaigns (film, games, sports). This edition uses the film category as an example to break down design problem‑solving thinking and explore reusable methods.

Project Background and Goals

Why does video need operation activities? To improve video user retention and platform activity, users must constantly receive video content they like. Interest is measured by the GSM model: watch time, likes, comments, danmaku, favorites, shares, etc. Interest is multi‑dimensional and requires comprehensive evaluation.

Operation‑Driven User‑Experience Product

From a product perspective, we continuously refine user‑profile matching via interest tags and explore functional boundaries to build an attractive platform, meeting user needs and commercial goals. From an operation perspective, we link product functions organically to stimulate user actions, increasing participation, retention, and activity.

Unlike search or education‑driven services, video requires creating demand scenarios, guiding users through experience, interest, and continuous consumption to stabilize retention. Activities and interactions, combined with hot topics, drive comments, content supply, and hotspot distribution.

Problem‑Solving Thinking & Methods

How to split design thinking after an operation theme is produced? Using this activity as an example, once operation defines expected revenue, target users, and theme, interaction designers intervene early to assess theme‑user fit and design gameplay that motivates continuous interaction.

Visual designers build brand imprint based on the operation topic, exploring unique memory points for video business to subtly influence user interaction and retention.

We divide the solution into three aspects: operation theme, gameplay experience, and brand imprint.

Path A: Decompose Operation Theme for Long‑Term Interaction Growth

The operation theme "100 Ways to Love Life" aims for a long‑term activity chain that enhances user assets and cultivates the habit of watching videos and commenting on Baidu.

Design and operation align on a long‑term approach: the main venue captures sustained traffic, while sub‑activities trigger bursts.

Path B: Gameplay Visual Effects

We select a popular card‑collecting gameplay for its high virality and low user‑understanding cost. The activity uses tasks, card draws, synthesis, and rewards to motivate users.

Based on the "binge‑watch" theme, define card content: summer hit dramas or genre categories.

Visual Effects

After confirming interaction plans, visual designers explore brand memory points. The first "Love Drama" card activity serves as a testbed, applying a 30% brand planning ratio. Visual language is defined across shape, color, typography, composition, texture, and motion.

Shape: Rounded elements convey warmth and love of life.

Color: Summer island vibes with fresh coconut‑green and dreamy purple.

Typography: Bold, youthful typeface matching the activity theme.

Composition: Simplified layout focusing on buttons and cards for fast recognition.

Texture: Light interface with rich content, creating a "light‑weight, refined visual effect".

Motion: Guiding animations (button breathing, hand cues) boost conversion; atmosphere animations enhance immersion; collection animations celebrate milestones. Implemented with Lottie and AFX technologies.

Brand Imprint (Path C)

As a long‑term activity, designers assess the brand lifecycle stage and embed the brand imprint gradually. "100 Ways to Love Life" is in the growth phase; the strategy is to achieve broad coverage first, then deepen later.

The visual team created a warm, youthful IP "Bai Bian Xiao Shuai" as the brand mascot, using AI‑generated sketches, then refined into detailed illustrations and 3D card designs.

Subsequent illustrations and 3D renders complete the card visuals.

Preview

"100 Ways to Love Life" is the video business's first long‑term operation experiment. It faces timeline constraints but offers ample creative space. Future articles will reveal how interaction expands gameplay and how visual design continuously upgrades the brand experience.