When it comes to media technology, simplicity and user experience are often overlooked. Many productions are faced with the challenge of working in interfaces that are not user-friendly and that have a long learning curve. So once they get used to it, they are reluctant to switch to another platform, even if it means improving their workflows. This is one of the challenges that we, at Cuez, are trying to solve by building comprehensible software with interfaces focused on the user experiences.
At IBC 2024, our own UX Director & Co-founder Vero Vanden Abeele, as well as professor of Human-Computer Interaction, talked to the DPP Podcast about what’s driving change in the industry and how Cuez contributes to that change. And it turns out, it’s not just about the tech — it’s about making life easier for you, the user.
Vero made one thing clear: the demand for better user experiences is pushing the boundaries of innovation. While AI and cloud solutions are hot topics, Vero emphasizes that they exist to serve the ultimate goal of seamless user interaction. As she put it
- “Users expect to collaborate, work quickly, and for everything to work seamlessly out of the box.”
This shift is largely influenced by newer generations who prioritize ease of use over-complicated setups.
When we first created Cuez, one of the major goals we pursued was ease of use. We focused on creating a tool that has a 21st-century design and listens to the demands of the users. Making the platform completely cloud-based, allowed us to provide the users with a solution to the everyday struggle — the ability to collaborate in real time, from anywhere in the world.
- “There is a lot of advanced, technologically complex software, but it often lacks intuitive user interaction. A lot of these mixers, panels, and related software were very cumbersome to use. For new people coming in, we saw how tasks that should or could be easy were still quite complicated to perform. So, when we design our product sets, we want to think critically. One of our founding principles is to design and innovate from a profound understanding of how media production is done today, simplifying the process to empower users. We aim to help users do more in a better and happier way.”
This is also the case for many other innovations in the industry, and Vero, as a UX designer, finds this trend Vero particularly exciting. The rise of real-time collaboration is quickly becoming a focal point when designing software.
- “Big teams can work on the same news item simultaneously,” she noted.
This is a game-changer, especially as media companies face tighter budgets and growing competition from digital content creators.
At its core, the future of media tech is all about making the complex simple. This means helping you, broadcasters and producers, work more efficiently with tools that don’t require a manual to master. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting, the tech should adapt to you, not the other way around.
Check out the full podcast with Vero and other industry professionals HERE.
Ecaterina Caprari
Content Marketeer