Diagnal

Optimizing the Game Behind the Scenes

Year

2019

Role

UI/UX Designer

Tools

Figma

Sketch App

Zeplin

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

Project Overview

Client: Optus Sport

Optus Sport is a leading sports streaming service in Australia, delivering live and on-demand sports content. Their mission is to provide fans with seamless access to top-tier sports while keeping them engaged across platforms. Optus sought a centralized system to manage their growing content efficiently and ensure timely delivery.

The Product

The Optus Video Content Management System (VCMS) is a centralized platform that streamlines sports content operations, improving workflow efficiency, collaboration, and content delivery. It was designed to handle complex operations while keeping usability at the forefront.

My Role

I focused on designing user flows, interfaces, and interactions that made complex workflows intuitive and efficient. I collaborated closely with developers to ensure designs were feasible, and with the CEO and stakeholders to prioritize features. My work included wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and iterative user testing.

Project Mission

To create a centralized, intuitive, and scalable content management system that improved workflow efficiency, supported multiple content types, and enhanced the overall content delivery experience for Optus Sport audiences.

Company: Diagnal

Diagnal is a digital product studio specializing in designing and building complex software platforms. As a UI/UX Designer at Diagnal, I worked on the Optus VCMS project from January to October 2019. I collaborated with stakeholders, developers, and the CEO to translate Optus’ requirements into an intuitive, visually cohesive, and highly usable content management platform.

The Challenge

Client Challenges - Managing Sports Content at Scale

Optus Sport needed a system that could handle massive volumes of live and on-demand content while keeping workflows smooth and reliable:

Content at Scale - With hundreds of hours of live matches and on-demand highlights, managing content efficiently was critical. Without proper systems, important clips could be delayed, misplaced, or never reach fans, affecting viewer satisfaction. Solving this meant ensuring timely delivery and consistent quality across all content.
Workflow Friction - Rigid third-party CMS tools forced teams into inefficient processes, wasting time on repetitive tasks and manual updates. Streamlining workflows would reduce errors, free up creative time, and allow teams to focus on delivering content that matters most to fans.
Collaboration Gaps - Teams lacked proper role-based permissions and clear workflows, which caused miscommunication and bottlenecks. Fixing this would improve accountability, clarity, and cross-team efficiency, ensuring everyone could work together without friction.
Live Content Bottlenecks - Handling live matches, associated assets, and real-time updates was slow and prone to mistakes. Improving this process would allow the platform to deliver live content faster, increasing engagement and enhancing the fan experience.

Company Challenges - Designing for Efficiency and Scale

From Diagnal's perspective, solving these issues required careful consideration of both technical and human factors:

Complex System Requirements - Designing a CMS capable of managing live and on-demand workflows meant structuring a system that could scale while remaining intuitive. A poorly designed system would frustrate users and risk operational failures.
Balancing Flexibility and Usability - Users needed a platform that could handle multiple roles and tasks without being overwhelming. Providing flexibility while keeping the interface clear was key to adoption and effectiveness.
Integrating with Existing Infrastructure - The CMS needed to work seamlessly with Optus' current tools and backend services. Poor integration could slow down teams or create errors that ripple into live broadcasts.
Time-Sensitive Deliverables - Sports content is live and highly time-sensitive. Delays can lead to lost audience attention and negative fan experience. The system needed to ensure speed and reliability under pressure.

Why This Challenge Was Important

Fixing these challenges wasn't just about making work easier for content teams-it directly impacted fan engagement, content quality, and team efficiency. A smoother workflow meant faster access to highlights, fewer mistakes in live content, and a more predictable, enjoyable experience for users. It also provided an opportunity to create a platform that teams could learn from, helping them adopt best practices in content management and collaboration, ultimately enabling continuous improvement across the organization.

Design Goals

Streamlined Content Management

Simplify how teams handle both live and on-demand content. By creating intuitive workflows, content can be uploaded, tagged, and published quickly without unnecessary steps. The goal was to reduce friction, prevent mistakes, and ensure that every asset reached fans on time.

Efficient Collaboration & Clear Roles

Implement role-based permissions and structured workflows so every team member knows their responsibilities. By clarifying ownership and approval paths, the platform encourages accountability, reduces miscommunication, and helps teams learn the most effective ways to manage content together.

Real-Time Handling of Live Events

Enable smooth management of live matches, including updates, highlights, and related assets. By designing for speed and reliability, the platform ensures that content is always accurate and timely, enhancing the fan experience and building trust with viewers.

Learning Through Interaction

Beyond efficiency, the system should act as a guide for teams. Features like automated prompts, workflow suggestions, and feedback loops help users understand best practices in content management, making every interaction a chance to learn and improve.

Scalable and Flexible System

Design for growth—both in content volume and team size. The platform needed to adapt to evolving needs without overwhelming users, providing a scalable solution that grows alongside Optus Sport’s operations.

Error Prevention & Confidence

Minimize human errors with clear visual cues, validation checks, and confirmation steps. By reducing mistakes, teams gain confidence, can focus on creative work, and consistently deliver high-quality content to audiences.

Design Process

Discovery & Research

We began by talking with users to understand their day-to-day challenges managing sports content. These discussions revealed pain points like slow publishing, unclear workflows, and bottlenecks during live events. Even a simple, focused research phase was enough to highlight what needed improvement and guided us to design solutions that would make content management more efficient and easier to learn for users.

Ideation & Concepting

Based on the insights from user conversations, we brainstormed with the team to explore solutions for workflow friction, live content handling, and role-based access. The goal was to generate ideas that were practical, user-centered, and addressed key pain points directly, helping users adopt more streamlined and effective workflows.

Wireframing & Prototyping

Ideas were translated into low-fidelity wireframes and simple prototypes. Users could interact with these early versions to test workflows and navigation. This step allowed us to identify friction points quickly and refine the experience so it would naturally guide users toward efficient content management practices.

Iteration & Feedback

We gathered feedback from users on the prototypes and made improvements based on their suggestions. Each iteration simplified workflows, clarified roles, and reduced confusion. This approach ensured the platform not only solved problems but also helped users learn better ways to handle content as they used the system.

Collaboration with Stakeholders & Developers

Regular check-ins with the development team and stakeholders ensured designs were feasible, aligned with business goals, and easy for users to adopt. This collaboration kept the focus on practical solutions that users could implement successfully.

The Solutions

Solving the challenges of sports content management required more than just building features—it demanded a system that made complex workflows feel natural, efficient, and collaborative. The goal was to reduce friction, provide clarity, and empower users to focus on producing and delivering content, rather than navigating cumbersome processes.

Every part of the solution was designed with the user in mind: from handling live matches to organizing vast amounts of media, the platform guides teams through their work intuitively, helping them stay organized, productive, and aligned. By turning previously frustrating and error-prone tasks into seamless workflows, the platform not only streamlined operations but also helped users develop better habits for managing content at scale.

Asset Manager – Centralized hub for media assets.

How it works

The Asset Manager serves as the central hub for all media assets—images, videos, graphics, and documents—making it easy for users to find, organize, and manage content in one place. Assets can be tagged, categorized, and previewed instantly, reducing the time spent searching through folders or scattered storage.

Why it exists

Managing content at scale is overwhelming. Without a centralized system, teams risk duplication, misplaced files, or slow workflows, especially during live events where timing is critical. The Asset Manager solves this by providing a single source of truth for all media, ensuring that users can access the right asset at the right time.

Design & thinking

We focused on clarity, speed, and accessibility. The interface prioritizes searchability and organization, with metadata, filters, and previews designed to reduce cognitive load. Micro-interactions like hover previews and quick actions make asset management feel effortless, while iterative feedback from users helped refine usability and ensure the system supports real-world workflows.

Impact & outcome

The Asset Manager became the backbone of content operations. Teams could locate and organize media faster, reduce errors, and collaborate more effectively. From a UX perspective, it transformed a cumbersome process into a smooth, reliable workflow, allowing users to spend less time managing assets and more time creating and delivering high-quality content.

Asset Manager Sections

Asset Manager Side Panel

Asset Manager Image and Content Section

Asset Manager Related Assets and SEO Section

Asset Manager Video Preview, Live and Video Section

Bucket Manager – Flexible Playlist Creation & Organization

Bucket Manager Side Panel

How it works

The Bucket Manager allows users to create, organize, and manage playlists of content—whether for upcoming matches, campaigns, or thematic collections. Users can group assets, reorder them, and easily share or repurpose content, creating a dynamic workflow tailored to their needs.

Why it exists

In sports content production, organizing assets for live events, highlights, and on-demand content is complex. Without flexible playlists, teams waste time manually curating content, risk inconsistencies, and struggle to respond quickly to live events. The Bucket Manager addresses this by enabling structured yet adaptable content grouping, improving both efficiency and accuracy.

Design & thinking

The interface was designed for speed and flexibility. Drag-and-drop functionality, clear labeling, and intuitive playlist hierarchies ensure users can build and adjust buckets quickly. Visual cues, such as thumbnail previews and status indicators, provide instant clarity, while iterative testing with content managers helped refine usability and reduce friction.

Impact & outcome

Bucket Manager streamlined content organization and distribution. Teams could plan, adjust, and deliver content more efficiently, improving responsiveness to live events. From a UX perspective, it reduced cognitive load, minimized errors, and empowered users to maintain consistent, high-quality content workflows.

Bucket Manager Groups and Bucket Card

Match Manager – Tools for Managing Sports Matches & Schedules

Match Manager Features

How it works

Match Manager provides a centralized interface for scheduling, tracking, and managing sports matches. Users can create match entries, link associated assets, set timelines, and monitor status in real-time. Notifications and visual indicators keep teams aligned on upcoming events and deadlines.

Why it exists

Managing sports matches involves coordination across multiple teams, content types, and live events. Without a dedicated system, scheduling errors, missed deadlines, and asset mismanagement are common. Match Manager addresses these challenges by creating a single source of truth for all match-related activities.

Design & thinking

The design prioritizes clarity and efficiency. Calendar views, match timelines, and status labels allow users to understand schedules at a glance. Interactive controls support quick updates, while filters and search make finding specific matches effortless. Iterative testing with content managers helped refine the flow and ensure the interface matched real-world workflows.

Impact & outcome

Match Manager improved scheduling accuracy and team coordination. Users could track matches and related content seamlessly, reducing errors and saving time. From a UX perspective, it turned complex schedules into actionable, manageable workflows, enabling teams to focus on delivering high-quality sports content consistently.

Content Bank – Searchable Repository for Multi-Format Content

Content Bank Features

How it works

Content Bank acts as a centralized library where users can store, organize, and retrieve media assets in multiple formats—videos, images, and documents. Advanced search, filtering, and tagging make finding content fast and intuitive, while previews and metadata provide context before selection.

Why it exists

Sports content is often vast and fragmented, making it difficult for teams to locate the right assets when needed. Without a unified repository, valuable media can be lost, duplicated, or misused. Content Bank solves this by offering a reliable, organized hub that ensures content is always accessible, accurate, and easy to repurpose.

Design & thinking

The interface focuses on scannability and speed. Cards, lists, and grid views provide flexible ways to browse content, while metadata fields and filters reduce search friction. User testing helped refine search relevance, preview interactions, and overall layout, ensuring that teams could quickly locate and use the content they needed.

Impact & outcome

Content Bank streamlined content discovery and management, reducing wasted time and minimizing errors. Teams could locate and repurpose assets efficiently, increasing productivity and consistency. From a UX perspective, it transformed a potentially chaotic content ecosystem into a structured, actionable resource, empowering users to work smarter and faster.

Data Manager – Clear Metadata & Backend Control

Data Manager Features

How it works

Data Manager provides a structured system for handling all metadata associated with sports content. Users can edit, tag, and categorize assets, while backend controls ensure that data is consistent, accurate, and up-to-date. It also integrates with other modules, feeding clean data into workflows like Bucket Manager, Match Manager, and Content Bank.

Why it exists

Inaccurate or inconsistent metadata can create confusion, slow down workflows, and lead to errors in publishing or reporting. Sports teams rely on precise, timely information to manage schedules, highlight reels, and analytics. Data Manager addresses these challenges by offering a reliable system to control, validate, and maintain content metadata efficiently.

Design & thinking

The design prioritizes clarity, simplicity, and validation. Forms, dropdowns, and inline editing make metadata management fast and intuitive. Visual indicators highlight missing or inconsistent fields, reducing errors. Iterative testing focused on ease of use, speed, and integration with other modules, ensuring users could trust the system without extra effort.

Impact & outcome

Data Manager significantly reduced errors and inefficiencies, making asset management more reliable and streamlined. Teams could confidently use content across platforms, knowing that metadata was accurate and standardized. From a UX perspective, it created a sense of control and trust, turning complex backend processes into a seamless, user-friendly experience.

Role Manager – Role-Based Permissions for Secure Collaboration

Role Manager Users Tab

How it works

Role Manager enables teams to define and manage permissions for different users, ensuring that everyone has access only to the tools and content relevant to their role. Admins can assign roles, set restrictions, and monitor activity, while team members experience a streamlined interface tailored to their responsibilities.

Why it exists

Collaborative workflows can quickly become chaotic without clear permission structures. Sensitive content or critical workflows risk being mismanaged if access isn’t controlled. Role Manager solves this by creating a secure, organized environment where users can work efficiently without compromising content integrity.

Design & thinking

The design emphasizes transparency and ease of use. Permission settings are visually clear, with simple toggles, hierarchical views, and contextual explanations for each role. Iterative testing focused on minimizing errors and ensuring that users could confidently manage permissions without training or confusion.

Impact & outcome

Role Manager improved team efficiency and reduced operational risk. Users reported fewer mistakes, faster onboarding, and smoother collaboration across departments. From a UX perspective, it created trust and clarity, enabling teams to focus on content and workflow rather than worrying about access issues.

Role Manager Users Group Tab

Role Manager History Tab

Overcoming Challenges

Content Complexity – Handling Diverse Media Types

Our team had to design and organize a platform capable of managing video, audio, images, and live streams—all with distinct technical requirements. Ensuring a consistent and intuitive interface across these formats required careful planning, modular design thinking, and repeated iteration to prevent feature bloat or confusion.

Workflow Alignment – Designing Around Team Operations

We faced the challenge of designing workflows that aligned with the client’s existing operations while still introducing improvements. Mapping their processes, understanding friction points, and creating solutions that fit naturally into their daily work demanded close collaboration and clear communication between design, product, and client teams.

Scalability – Building a Future-Proof Architecture

Anticipating growth in content volume and user teams meant our designs had to be flexible. We needed to plan for scalable structures, modular components, and reusable patterns—all while ensuring current workflows remained smooth. Balancing present usability with long-term adaptability was a key design challenge for our team.

Cross-Functional Collaboration – Balancing Ambition with Feasibility

Designing innovative solutions required constant negotiation with technical constraints. Working closely with developers, product managers, and stakeholders, our team had to find the sweet spot between ambitious design ideas and feasible implementation. Frequent alignment and iterative feedback were essential to keep the project on track.

Outcome

Despite these internal challenges, our team successfully built a cohesive, scalable platform that met user needs, aligned with client workflows, and was prepared for future growth. Tackling these hurdles strengthened collaboration, refined our design process, and ensured the final product was both practical and forward-looking.

Impact & Results

For Teams – Smoother, More Efficient Workflows

The platform empowered teams to manage content with speed and precision. By centralizing assets, simplifying playlist creation, and streamlining match scheduling, users could focus on high-value tasks instead of navigating inefficient processes. Fewer errors and reduced bottlenecks meant day-to-day operations became noticeably smoother, allowing teams to spend more time on strategic and creative work.

For the Organization – Scalable, Flexible Operations

At the organizational level, the platform provided a foundation for managing large volumes of sports content across multiple formats. Its scalable architecture and flexible tools enabled the organization to adapt to evolving content demands and grow without disrupting existing workflows. By improving operational efficiency, the organization could better engage audiences and deliver content consistently and reliably.

For the Future – Building Adaptability and Innovation

Beyond immediate results, the platform set the stage for long-term growth. Its modular design, role-based permissions, and robust metadata structure created a system that could evolve with future needs. Teams gained confidence in experimenting with new content formats and workflows, positioning the organization to innovate while maintaining operational stability.

Reflection & Key Learnings

Reflection

Looking back, this project was a deep dive into the complexities of managing sports content at scale. Each module—from Asset Manager to Role Manager—presented unique design and technical challenges, pushing our team to find elegant solutions under tight constraints. Beyond the technical aspects, it was a journey of collaboration, problem-solving, and learning to balance user needs with organizational goals. Personally, it was a chance to grow in understanding how to design systems that are both powerful and intuitive, and how small design choices can have large operational impact.

Key Learnings

Scalability Matters Early – Designing with future growth in mind prevented bottlenecks as content volumes increased.
Workflow Alignment is Crucial – Understanding team operations and pain points ensured that tools were practical and immediately useful.
Collaboration Drives Solutions – Close communication with developers, stakeholders, and teammates helped balance ambitious design goals with technical feasibility.
Iterate and Validate Quickly – Even simple discussions with users revealed valuable insights that guided feature prioritization and improved usability.

Closing Thought

This project was more than building a content management system—it was about shaping how teams interact with, organize, and publish sports content efficiently. Every feature we designed had ripple effects on daily workflows, collaboration, and overall operational efficiency. Seeing the team adopt the tools and streamline their processes was immensely rewarding, showing that thoughtful design can directly improve productivity and reduce frustration.

From a personal perspective, this project highlighted the importance of empathy in system design—not just for end users, but for the teams who rely on these tools every day. I learned that even small UX decisions, like how metadata is displayed or how permissions are structured, can dramatically impact adoption and satisfaction.

The experience also reinforced the power of cross-functional collaboration. Working closely with developers, product managers, and stakeholders taught me to balance ambition with feasibility, and to iterate quickly based on real-world feedback.

Ultimately, this project shaped my approach to future work: design is not just about interfaces—it’s about creating systems that empower people, scale with growth, and deliver measurable impact. It reminded me that great design has the ability to transform not only how teams work but also how organizations evolve and succeed.