*AI images used for illustrative purposes only.
Humble Beginnings
Launched in March 2020 as Hulu Ad Manager, Disney Campaign Manager introduced Hulu's first self-serve advertising platform. The platform enabled advertisers to create and manage their campaigns with full control over targeting parameters (age, location, interests), campaign duration, budget allocation, and video ad uploads.
The platform was developed to achieve two key goals:
- Easier access for SMBs (Small, Medium Businesses): By setting a $500 minimum spend threshold, the platform significantly lowered the barrier to entry for SMBs looking to advertise on Hulu.
- More ad diversity and localization: Enable a broader range of advertisers to deliver more varied and locally relevant content to Hulu's audience.
The original platform was designed with simplicity in mind, offering a straightforward campaign setup flow (see video below).
When Early Success Stopped Scaling
The platform performed well in its first two years, driving SMB acquisition and solid profitability. However, we faced two significant challenges:
- Unsustainable vendor costs: Ongoing reliance on our launch partner agency was cutting into margins as the platform grew
- Market gap: The platform excelled for SMBs but failed to meet the sophisticated needs of agency advertisers
Agencies represent a strategic priority for several key reasons:
- Higher revenue potential: Agencies generate significantly more revenue than SMBs
- Evolving business priorities: Company objectives were shifting to better align with agency user needs
- Competitive parity: The platform needed to match the capabilities offered through our direct sales channel and competitor platforms
- Market dominance: Agencies account for the majority of ad buys in the streaming landscape
Agency users are more sophisticated than SMB advertisers and demand advanced platform capabilities, diverse ad formats, granular targeting options, and enterprise-level features that our original platform couldn't deliver. Capturing this market required a complete platform overhaul: migrating to internal teams and ad servers, and fundamentally redesigning the campaign workflow.
High Stakes, Zero Downtime
Operating Under Pressure
This wasn't a simple design refresh: we were rebuilding the entire platform. Beyond reimagining the campaign flow, I designed new reporting and creative upload experiences from scratch.
I navigated several significant constraints:
- One-designer army: I was the sole designer supporting the entire platform, juggling multiple workflows, product managers, and engineering teams
- Supporting a live product: We couldn't pause for the rebuild; the current platform needed continuous updates and fixes for existing customers
- Overseas Teams: Our main engineering partners were Ukraine-based contractors tasked with migrating the platform to our internal infrastructure. I adapted to collaborating across a 10-hour time difference and cultural barriers
- No room for error: As the platform's core functionality, the campaign flow had to work flawlessly
The Feature Agencies Wouldn't Compromise On
Before designing the new flow, I needed to address agencies' most critical requirement: line items. Line items function as sub-campaigns within a parent campaign, each containing its own targeting parameters, flight dates, and creative assets. A single campaign can house multiple line items, allowing advertisers to test different strategies simultaneously: a standard feature across competitor platforms (sometimes called "ad groups" or "ad sets") that agency users expect.
Our existing platform didn't support this structure. Users could only launch one campaign with a single set of targeting, one video ad, and one date range.
The core challenge became: how do I design an interface that elegantly presents multiple line items, each with its own complex configuration, within a single campaign creation flow?
Relentless Iteration
My competitive analysis revealed that a single-page flow was essential for supporting line items effectively. I had a valuable starting point: a former designer had already explored this direction with mockups and user testing. The research confirmed user preference for the single-page approach, particularly the ability to view all steps at once through a unified navigation.
Initial explorations centered on how to effectively display multiple line items in the navigation interface.
While the top tab layout was functional, it lacked scalability for campaigns with many line items. I pivoted to testing side navigation patterns instead.
Through iterative refinement and input from stakeholders, especially those working directly with advertisers, I landed on an accordion-menu approach:
Power Features for Agencies
With the core navigation issue solved, I could focus on adding the additional features for agency users.
I added a "Delivery" section to house ad scheduling and distribution settings: dayparting (when ads run), pacing (how budget is spent), and frequency (how often users see ads).
I designed a new VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) upload flow within the Ad section. VAST tags allow multiple creative assets within a single ad unit, addressing a recurring agency request.
Where It All Comes Together
Below is the prototype of the new campaign creation process.
Design Validation & Gaps
Research Without a Safety Net
The platform migration established a non-negotiable Fall 2024 launch date. I completed all required designs by summer, leaving user testing as the final milestone, one I'd need to do strategically given multiple constraints:
- I focused testing exclusively on the campaign creation flow, the platform's most significant redesign, due to time limitations
- Without research team support, I independently developed the test plan,recruited participants, and secured contractor funding to help facilitate sessions
- The locked launch timeline meant findings would inform post-release updated rather than pre-launch changes
Test Methodology
Research Objectives
- Evaluate whether the new campaign creation flow improves the user experience
- Assess ease of understanding and overall usability
Who We Tested With
- 10 individuals with experience running online ad campaigns
Session Format
- 1-hour moderated usability sessions
How Users Navigated Line Items
Users appreciated the single-page flow for setting up line item details, but 66% of them struggled to locate the "New Line Item" button when prompted, it wasn't immediately discoverable.
"I just found this whole process just very smooth and clear"
"This was really clean, easy, and way better than Meta"
Budget vs. Impressions Confusion
There was confusion around how impressions were estimated, particularly within the custom pacing settings. Some users expressed concern about how their campaign budget would impact impression delivery.
"If the ad was doing well…am I going to burn through my budget sooner?"
"How are we arriving at the 28,000 impressions for a $1,000 budget?"
Terminology Confusion
The term "Line Item" confused some users. Even those familiar with the concept typically encountered it as "flights" or "ad groups" on other platforms.
UI Tone & Brand Expression
While most of them were able to navigate easily. a couple users commented on the UI feeling "too simple" or "quite plain" and noting it lacked personality.
After Launch: Refinement in the Real World
The redesigned campaign creation flow launched in October 2024. Despite some technical bugs at launch, my thorough QA process caught usability issues and UI inconsistencies early, and I implemented key user testing insights (like improving the visibility of the "New Line Item" button) shortly after release.
Notable new capabilities included cross-platform targeting, allowing advertisers to run campaigns on Disney+, Hulu, or both simultaneously. We've since maintained an ongoing feedback loop with advertisers and internal stakeholders to continuously improve usability. Following the platform's rebrand to Disney Campaign Manager, the interface received a comprehensive visual refresh.
Results That Mattered
Increased Agency Adoption
The new campaign flow addressed key agency requirements, resulting in increased adoption; especially among advertisers previously unwilling to use the platform.
Cost Savings & Platform Independence
By internalizing the platform, we cut third-party costs and gained greater control over scalability and velocity.
Where This Goes
Campaign creation continues to evolve, with numerous features in development. As the platform scales, the flow may require future redesign to accommodate new capabilities and user needs.
What This Project Taught Me
This project presented considerable challenges: serving as the sole designer, conducting research without a dedicated UX team, coordinating with overseas developers across time zones, and balancing multiple concurrent responsibilities. Despite these constraints, leading the design of this core experience from concept to launch (and contributing meaningfully to the platform's growth) was immensely rewarding.