Case study 03 · Concept feature · Working prototype

Four ads, no skip. Now you know when your show is back.

The working prototype. It plays by itself. Switch to Today to compare, or make an ad fail.

Role: Product designer
Product: Amazon MX Player
Platform studied: iPhone app
Context: Self-directed concept, 2026
Tools: Claude Code, React, FigJam
Research: 246 reviews, and my own time in the app
Testing: Not tested with users yet

A concept project, not made or approved by Amazon or MX Player. The show, the ads and the brands on these screens are made up.

Why I Chose This Product

MX Player is free, so it runs on ads. Ads are also the top complaint in its reviews. On iPhone there is no way to pay them away. So the ad break is where design can help.

Problem Identification (what's broken and why)

I watched an episode. Four ads played back to back, with no skip. The timer counted one ad at a time, so I never knew when my show would be back.

The show playing, with the line Ads will start in 3 sec at the bottom right — The break today. A warning, then a timer for one ad.

An ad playing, with Ad: 1 of 4 (00:14) at the bottom left and a Learn more button at the bottom right — The break today. A warning, then a timer for one ad.

Reviews add two more problems. An ad that never loads locks you out. And the same ad plays again and again.

Research & Competitive Benchmarking

I read 246 low-star reviews, used the app, and looked at how YouTube, Hulu and Netflix handle ad breaks.

01 · Too many ads

The top complaint in reviews, on iPhone and on Android.

02 · Ads that freeze or repeat

An ad never loads and locks you out. Or the same ad comes back.

03 · No sign of the end

From my own viewing. The timer covers one ad, not the break.

The opening

I can't change that viewers see ads. I can change how clear the wait is.

My first idea was wrong. A stuck ad looked like the main problem, but Android reviews barely mention it.

Design Goals & Constraints

Keep every ad. Make the wait clear and safe.

The goal is not fewer ads. Ads pay for the app. The goal is a wait you can see the end of.

For the viewer

Less guessing. Less frustration. A break with a clear end.

For the business

The same number of ads. Every slot still filled. Fewer viewers leaving.

No new visual parts. The timer and the text are the player's own.
What works stays: the warning, the ad count, the Learn more button.

Key Design Changes & Rationale

What I changed	What it should move	Why
The timer shows the whole break: "Back in 01:24"	More viewers stay through the break	You can wait for an end you can see
A failed ad is swapped for another	Fewer breaks end on a stuck screen, and more ad slots play an ad	The break keeps moving, and the slot still earns
No ad plays twice in one break	Fewer viewers leave out of annoyance	Repeats are a top complaint. This is my weakest link

An idea I'm exploring: if no ad can load at all, a short eye break replaces the black screen. I would test it first.

Ideas I dropped	Why
Fix only the stuck ad	Android reviews barely mention it
A progress bar for the break	The app has no such bar, and I add no new parts
Split the break into two shorter ones	A YouTube survey found viewers prefer ads grouped
Let the viewer choose when ads play	One more step, and ads may be sold by position
Point to an ad-free plan	None exists on iPhone
An eye exercise over a playing ad	It takes attention the advertiser paid for

Before vs. After

Left is today. Right is the concept.

Today: an ad with the label Ad: 1 of 4 (00:14), counting down one ad — Same ad, same place. Only the timer changes.

The concept: the same ad with the label Ad: 1 of 4 (Back in 01:24), counting down the whole break — Same ad, same place. Only the timer changes.

Today: a black screen with the label Ad: 2 of 4 (00:20), stuck on an ad that never loads — When no ad loads. Stuck today. The concept tries another ad first. This eye break is the fallback I'm exploring.

The concept: a black screen with the message No ad could load, so here is an eye break. Look at something far away for a few seconds. — When no ad loads. Stuck today. The concept tries another ad first. This eye break is the fallback I'm exploring.

What I'd Validate If This Were Real

The north star: episodes watched to the end, per viewer, each week. A finished episode means the viewer got their show, and MX Player showed its ads.

What feeds it:

The share of ad breaks a viewer stays through.
The share of ad slots that play an ad.

What must not get worse: ads shown per session.

Limitations & Honest Caveats

Four ads in a row still feels bad. Design can't fix the number of ads.
The MX Player team has likely thought of this, and knows things I can't see.
Nobody has tested it. I was the only viewer.
I used the iPhone app only. Most users are on Android.

Reflections

Most of the work was taking things away. I designed a counter, then learned the app already has one. I designed a progress bar, then learned the app has none. What stayed is small, and it fits the product.

Usability Testing (Not Done Yet)

Next, I'll show five MX Player viewers both versions and ask one thing: when do you think your show comes back? If the new timer doesn't help them answer, the first change is wrong.

Final Prototype & Key Screens

The working prototype is at the top of this page. You can also open it on its own. These are its key screens.

The episode page with an ad playing. The label reads Ad: 1 of 4 (Back in 01:24)

The episode page when no ad could load. The player shows an eye break message, and the label still counts down the break

Outcomes & Reflection

3changes to the break

0ads removed

0new visual parts

4times I changed my mind

Nothing shipped, so there is no result to claim. What I have is a small, careful change to a moment most viewers dislike, and a clear way to test it.

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