FilmSlate

As part of the King’s College London Product Management Career Accelerator, I undertook a simulated Product Manager role to enhance FilmSlate, a fictional indie streaming platform.

This case study showcases how I applied user-centric strategies, agile methodologies, and product innovation to design and enhance FilmSlate’s movie pages, driving engagement and delivering a standout user experience.

Context

With FilmSlate’s ambition to stand out in the indie streaming market, the project aimed to elevate user engagement and satisfaction by creating richer user value and a more immersive movie experience. This was achieved through an in-depth, interactive movie page, making it the platform of choice for indie cinema lovers.

This exercise allowed us to approach the project as if it were a real product, with practical applications for comprehensive user-centric product strategies from initial discovery and business case, product design and development, to go-to-market strategies.

Objective

Duration: 18 weeks part-time.
Purpose: Improve user engagement by providing deeper movie insights and a community-driven platform experience.

Goal: Achieve a 20% boost in NPS and a trial-to-paid conversion rate increase to 40%, in line with FilmSlate’s strategic mission.

Actions

User-Centric Strategy and Market Analysis

User Research & Persona Development: Conducted extensive research and interviews to define the needs of the “Indie Influencer” persona, identifying a need for richer, well-structured movie details and community features.

Competitor Analysis: Explored and mapped industry offerings (e.g., MUBI, BFI Player) to locate areas where FilmSlate could hypothetically differentiate itself by offering in-depth film context, community features, and unique user experiences.

Business Case Presentation: developed a business case and presented it to FilmSlate founders/decision makers to gain buy-in and support for developing the product feature idea further.

2. Strategic Product Development and Innovation

Brainstormed Solutions Ideas and Selection Using Effort/Impact Framework: Found different solutions to the Users’ Pain Points through team brainstorming and prioritised “Revamped Movie Pages” for its perfect mix of high user impact, mid-low development effort, and alignment with FilmSlate’s strategic goals. Deferred lower-impact features.

Roadmap Creation: Structured a three-phased roadmap (Now, Next, Later), aligning initiatives to address user needs and business goals, progressively enhancing the movie page while keeping this users-business strategic alignment.

Created User Story Map: With the Roadmap as a foundation, evaluated with the RICE Framework which features would have delivered the highest impact and reach while considering the team effort and confidence to deliver them. Selected the “Access In-Depth Details” and “Rate Movie” functionalities for the MVP while deferring to the backlog lower-impact features for future iterations.

3. Prototyping and Usability Testing

High-Fidelity Prototype: Developed the MVP in Figma using a human-centred design that followed best practices in UX to create a familiar yet unique interface tailored for indie movie enthusiasts. Designed a movie page prototype focused on usability and accessibility, allowing users to intuitively navigate film information and features.
(Interactive Prototype)
Usability Testing: Conducted moderated in-person testing with 90% success rates in key tasks, enabling us to review the user story map and refine prototype navigation enhancing user experience further.

4. Go-to-Market Strategy and Launch Planning

Product Launch Approach: Designed a phased launch strategy to minimise risk and maximise user satisfaction. This soft-launch strategy ensured early feedback collection, bug fixes, and iterative improvements before scaling.

Positioning and Messaging: Developed a clear and compelling positioning statement—highlighting FilmSlate’s unique value proposition as a premier platform for indie cinema lovers. Messaging was tailored to specific user segments, emphasising curated film selections, in-depth insights, and interactive features to drive engagement and conversions.

KPIs and Metrics: Defined success criteria (based on Hypothesis Statement and Riskiest Assumption) to evaluate launch outcomes, including average time spent on movie pages and percentage of users accessing detailed film information before viewing. These metrics aligned with FilmSlate’s goals.

Desired Outcomes

> Enhanced User Engagement and Community Interaction

20% Increase in NPS: Users responded positively finding value in the enriched film details and interactive features.
Conversion Rate Impact: The trial-to-paid conversion target was increased from 32% to 40% with the new features, offering a realistic look at conversion improvement tactics.

> Community-Building Success

Engagement Metrics: Rating functionalities raised user interactions by 30%, and users’ feedback encouraged film commenting features to cultivate a community feel.
Organic Growth: Social sharing and word-of-mouth recommendations were projected to increase, underscoring FilmSlate’s brand appeal for a niche audience.

> Seamless Product Launch and Positioning

Incremental Launch Effectiveness: Phased feature rollouts ensured early feedback collection, efficient issue resolution, and a smooth transition to full-scale deployment, maximising user satisfaction and platform reliability.
Positioning Impact: Tailored messaging effectively communicated FilmSlate’s unique value propositions to targeted segments, driving awareness, engagement, and trial-to-paid conversions, reinforcing FilmSlate’s appeal as a premier platform for indie film enthusiasts.

Learning & Future Enhancements

> Adapting to Dynamic User Feedback

What I Learned: One of the most valuable insights from this project was the impact of continuous user feedback on shaping product features. Initially, we prioritised certain functionalities based on research, but real-time usability tests revealed unexpected user preferences and friction points.
What I Would Do Differently: If I could redo this project, I would incorporate an iterative feedback loop earlier in the process, conducting usability testing at multiple stages rather than waiting until the high-fidelity prototype was complete. This would allow for more incremental adjustments, leading to a product more closely aligned with user needs.

> Embracing Continuous Learning

What I Learned: This project emphasized that product management is a constant learning journey. Applying theories from my course to a simulated real-world context allowed me to see firsthand the challenges of aligning user needs with business goals.
What I Would Do Differently: Moving forward, I will prioritize a growth mindset—regularly reflecting on what went well, what didn’t, and how I can improve. This experience has reinforced the importance of continuous learning to stay adaptable and innovative in an ever-changing market landscape.

> Potential Features for Future Growth

AI-powered Film Details: Exploring AI tools to generate deep and interesting film details (i.e. Public Review Summary, Cultural & Historical Context, Trivia & Fun Facts, Memorable Quotes) and create an even more unique elevated experience.
Expanded Community Functions: Considering film commenting and social media sharing features and a forum-like section to foster deeper engagement and retention.

Skills & Competencies Demonstrated

Customer-Centric Mindset & Business Acumen: Applied extensive client understanding to align the product with user expectations, market demands, and business needs.
Strategic Thinking & Agile Project Management: Led an agile, roadmap-driven approach to deliver timely, impactful product iterations.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Stakeholder Management: Led collaborative, cross-functional efforts within the simulation to achieve technical alignment and strategic coherence.
Adaptability & Continuous Learning: Applied insights from ongoing Product Management studies at King’s College London, fostering a practical approach to innovation and product excellence.

Problem Solving & Risk Management: Applied impactful frameworks and strategies to select solutions and managed risks by simulating iterative improvements and phased rollouts to adapt strategies effectively.

Technical Understanding & International Perspective: Leveraged international best practices and product, project, and design tools to create documents that ensured product alignment with both business and user needs.

This project provided an authentic learning experience in delivering high-value, user-centred product solutions, essential for driving engagement and supporting business growth in a competitive market—despite being simulated. The application of real-world methodologies offered invaluable insights into managing product lifecycles and delivering on strategic objectives.