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Defining Ambient Mode
Setting the stage to enjoy your favorite YouTube video.
the brief
In my third year at YouTube, I was asked to design a modernized YouTube watch page without changing any of the page components or structure.
My approach to modernization is closing the gap between patterns in reality and patterns in UI.
So, what would the YouTube watch page look like if it were a habitable space?
How would the video impact its surroundings?
How do we apply color in a way that is complimentary and not competing with the video watching experience?
This was a major milestone in YouTube's modernization, marking the beginning of a new viewing experience in dark mode.
Modernity in UX is when we close the gaps between the patterns in the digital world and the pattern in our natural waking world.
Through collaboration, partnership and teamwork that mock up has evolved to ambient mode.
To introduce the feature I designed a custom fullscreen interstitial that gave viewers the opportunity to choose their theme and see how the theme impacted ambient mode. Once in dark mode, viewers can toggle ambient on/off through the video settings.
how it works
User select dark or light YouTube theme.
User can toggle Ambient Mode on/off in settings.
An ambient glow is casted from the video mimicking the light effect in a dark room.
Ambient mode impact
Ambient mode was part of a cross vertical modernization bundle launch. Millions of users converted to dark mode.
Check it out in dark mode on iOS, Android, mobile tablet or desktop.
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