Reels: Scaling a Global OTT Design System
Industry
Streaming, OTT, Media Tech
Client
Accedo (internal and external clients worldwide)
Platforms
Mobile, Web, Smart TVs, Apple TV, Gaming Devices
Date
2021-2025
CASE STUDY BRIEF
Capability
Design systems, design leadership, operating model
Leadership level
Director
What I led
Created and led Reels, Accedo's global OTT design-system ecosystem across product patterns, tokens, governance, accessibility, contribution, training, and design engineering.
Why it matters
Used across 40+ broadcaster client contexts and as the design foundation for Accedo's Blueprint OTT product line, reducing repeated product and implementation decisions.
DECISION RECORD
Problem and stakes
Teams across regions, clients, and platforms were repeatedly solving the same OTT product and interface problems, with inconsistent patterns and handoffs.
Role and scope
Created and led Reels across product, design, and engineering, including the system direction, governance, adoption, and client-delivery model.
Key decision and trade-off
Built Reels as a contribution and delivery system, not a static library: shared tokens and patterns were paired with review rules, ownership, training, accessibility expectations, and adoption measures.
Systems and artifacts
Cross-platform token architecture, Figma libraries, product patterns, GitHub Actions and Lerna workflows, contribution model, accessibility guidance, roadshows, training, and adoption reviews.
Related content
The repeated work
Accedo teams delivered streaming products across regions, broadcaster clients, mobile, web, smart TV, and emerging platforms. Without a shared foundation, teams rebuilt common patterns and made implementation decisions differently from project to project.
The system I created
Reels connected Figma libraries and cross-platform tokens with product patterns, accessibility guidance, and implementation workflows. The token architecture supported iOS, Android, smart TV, React, AR and VR work, and low-code contexts.
The operating layer
I added contribution rules, ownership, review expectations, GitHub Actions and Lerna workflows, training, roadshows, and adoption reviews. Teams had a way to propose changes, understand why a pattern existed, and carry it into code.
Where it was used
Reels was used across more than 40 broadcaster client contexts and became the design foundation for Accedo’s Blueprint OTT product line. Its value was reducing repeated decisions, not merely increasing the number of components.
My role
I set the system direction, connected design and engineering, established the contribution and adoption model, and stayed involved in how teams applied the system to client delivery.
