Designing for Speed and a TV State of Mind

MagentaTV* is Deutsche Telekom’s TV and Streaming platform, combining Live TV, On-Demand content and smart discovery into one seamless experience.

We serve millions of customers across several European countries, shaping how people experience Television and Entertainment every single day.

*MagentaTV is one of three names, under which Deutsche Telekom’s TV & Streaming product is available. Our product is available in 7 different European markets currently: Austria (Magenta TV), Croatia (MaxTV), Germany (MagentaTV), Hungary (Telekom TV), Montenegro (MagentaTV), North Macedonia (MagentaTV) and Poland (MagentaTV).

One Product. Many Disciplines. One Shared Mindset.

Designing TV experiences for the living room brings together a wide range of disciplines creating a cohesive experience. Hardware and Industrial design shaping the physical presence and enabling technologies in peoples Home. Interface and UX design defining navigation, clarity and ease of use, while connecting touch points across the entire customer journey at the same time. Some colleagues are focusing on voice interaction design, enabling natural, low-effort control while studying AI for even more enhanced Voice interactions. Great experiences are built into the products people live with. Checkout our colleagues from Hardware and Home. Go to the Hardware design project.

Let the TV do the thinking

Designing for Speed is critical, when perception of time is different.

Crafting User experiences for TV devices means focusing on creating effortless, lean-back experiences that work naturally with a remote control and voice, from a viewing distance. Clarity, strong hierarchy, and simple navigation are essential. Interaction is slower and more deliberate than on touch devices.
Delays in loading time, navigation or playback quickly break immersion and increase frustration. Fast response times and streamlined paths to content directly shape perceived quality.
The “TV state of mind” is a relaxed, low-effort cognitive mode. Attention is softer, interaction tolerance is lower and experiences are expected to feel effortless and rewarding. “Let the TV do the thinking.” is what our customers tell us. They want to be guided rather than challenged, so discovery, personalization and calm, cinematic design play a key role.

We design clarity, flow and emotion for everyone.

Introducing Kids Mode: A safe viewing experience for children, built on trust for parents and fun for kids.

The Logo for the Kids Mode was crafted specifically for the younger generation of TV users. It is designed to foster an inclusive and exciting experience, empowering kids to take charge in their journey through the world of entertainment. Rooted in Telekom’s Brand Identity guidelines, the MagentaTV Kids logo maintains a strong connection to its parents brand. Next, this logo will be animated (see testers below) to be featured in splash screens, setting a dynamic tone and supporting MagentaTV Kids Identity, creating a stronger emotional connection.

Everyone can see clearly now

High Contrast Mode, a Use Interface developed to increase visual accessibility.

Enhancing contrast ratios is making it easier for users with visual impairments to navigate confidently in our TV products. This mode prominently features stronger use of white elements on a black background and substitutes colors that do not meet the required contrast ratio of 7:1. It also incorporates visual guides such as outlines and stronger fill colors to assist users in distinguishing different elements in the screen. We are proud in contributing to this task, demonstrating that making products accessible does not compromise outstanding UI design.

Show me some Movies, I never thought I’d like.

Not all interactions are visual. Some are conversational. Some are predictive.

With the Magenta Voice Assistant, users can search content and control their TV naturally using their voice. AI-powered smart search and recommendations make discovering the right content faster and more intuitive. We continuously explore how AI can improve the TV experience in meaningful ways.

Oh Remote Control

You are ritual.
The soft click that begins the night.
The last magenta blink before sleep.

In a world that grows more complicated,
you remain gloriously simple:
on, off, louder, softer -
A gentle illusion of control
over something vast and flickering.

Oh remote control,
humble conductor of light and sound,
you are proof that even the smallest objects
can hold a family’s habits,
its arguments, its laughter, 
its quiet companionship.