Samba TV:
Platform
A Single Sign-On Solution for Samba TV Products
MY ROLE
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Conducted a comprehensive audit of the existing UI to assess inconsistencies and identify opportunities for improvement.
Researched leading design systems to gather insights and implement industry best practices.
Developed initial component and style guidelines to drive early adoption and ensure consistency.
Created key deliverables to advocate for the design system, secure stakeholder buy-in, and align resources for implementation.
As the lead designer for this project, I spearheaded efforts to execute the need for a design system which included:
PROJECT SCOPE
UX Design
UI/Visual Design
Interactive Prototype
COLLABORATORS
VP of Product
Engineering Team
Product Management
OVERVIEW
Samba TV is an industry leader in TV data analytics and ad technology, providing advertisers with valuable audience insights through its proprietary Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology. As the company expanded its suite of B2B products, it became clear that users faced significant friction when accessing multiple tools. Each product required a separate URL and login, leading to inefficiencies and limiting cross-product engagement.
To address these challenges, we designed and developed the Samba TV Platform, a unified, single sign-on (SSO) application that centralized access to all Samba TV products. This initiative aimed to enhance usability, streamline workflows, and introduce cross-product discovery opportunities, empowering users with a more efficient and scalable experience.
Samba TV
Samba TV Real-Time TV viewership online tool
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Problem
Siloed product experience – Users lacked awareness of additional Samba TV tools that could enhance their workflow.
Multiple sign-ons – Each product required a separate login, leading to friction and inefficiencies.
Limited cross-product integration – There was no seamless way to showcase how different products worked together.
No multi-user access or permissions – Advertisers and campaign managers couldn't collaborate within a shared system.
Heavy reliance on in-house campaign managers – Instead of focusing on strategy, internal teams were frequently supporting users through manual onboarding and navigation assistance.
While Samba TV provided powerful advertising and analytics tools, the fragmented nature of its product suite presented several key challenges:
The goal was to create a centralized platform that eliminated these roadblocks, providing a seamless and scalable experience for users while also improving operational efficiency.
SCOPE & CONSTRAINTS
Challenges Faced
Fragmented design direction due to shifting ownership across multiple stakeholders.
Inconsistent deliverables that did not align with the company’s design system.
Communication breakdowns that hindered collaboration between design, product, and engineering teams.
When I inherited this project, it had already undergone several leadership transitions, which led to:
Additional Constraints:
No dedicated user research budget – We relied on internal usability discussions and design reviews instead of formal testing.
Unclear navigation strategy – There was no consensus on how users should access tools and account management features.
Pre-existing mockups lacked structure – The initial designs did not support scalability or follow a coherent task flow.
Despite these limitations, I focused on prioritizing usability and scalability, ensuring the platform was both intuitive and future-proof.
Early high-fidelity design of Platform as it shifted across several design stakeholders.
USERS & AUDIENCE
Advertisers & Media Buyers – Needed a streamlined, self-service experience for managing ad campaigns across multiple platforms.
Samba TV’s In-House Campaign Managers – Spent excessive time assisting users, taking focus away from optimizing campaign performance.
Administrators & Team Managers – Required multi-user access and permissioning features to manage accounts and roles more effectively.
The primary users of the Samba TV Platform included:
Prioritizing Users
PROCESS: GETTING ORGANIZED
Navigation Foundation
I approached the project as if starting from scratch, allowing me to gain a high-level perspective of the product. To better organize the navigation structure, I created a sitemap to define the arrangement, hierarchy, and overall flow. The allowed visibility as to how to go about tackling the core user flows for Platform; the Application Launcher and Company/User Management.
Early documentation of repetitive components uncovered throughout Comfy’s products.
PROCESS: APP LAUNCHER
Iterating on Navigation & Information Architecture
I explored multiple navigation frameworks and ultimately selected a vertical side navigation to ensure better scalability. Additionally, I developed wireframes to test various approaches for user management and permissions, refining the design to enhance usability and efficiency.
Low fidelity collaborative sketches with engineering teams to assess feasibility and tech constraints.
PROCESS: APP LAUNCHER
I explored multiple navigation frameworks and ultimately selected a vertical side navigation to ensure better scalability. Additionally, I developed wireframes to test various approaches for user management and permissions, refining the design to enhance usability and efficiency.
Iterating on Navigation & Information Architecture
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
PROCESS: COMPANY MANAGER
Iterating on Navigation & Information Architecture
Since the platform supported multiple use cases and roles with varying permissions, user management was inherently complex. A key challenge was organizing and presenting information in a way that was intuitive and accessible to users.
One aspect of Platform User Management that I had the opportunity to explore was the registration applications flow. To tackle this, I began by mapping out the conditions and user flow based on our product requirements, much like the approach I took when creating the sitemap for navigation.
Low fidelity collaborative sketches with engineering teams to assess feasibility and tech constraints.
Low fidelity collaborative sketches with engineering teams to assess feasibility and tech constraints.
PROCESS: COMPANY MANAGER
Early wireframes, built using existing components, helped me explore potential ways to display the user flow for registration approvals. I started by incorporating a table to present applicant details clearly and introduced a dropdown to facilitate a more complex approval process. A few explorations at addressing a high-volume user management approval process included iterations for the following patterns:
Refining & Testing Interaction Patterns
Pattern 1: Table Column Dropdown
Pattern 2: Modal
PROCESS: COMPANY MANAGER
Refining & Testing Interaction Patterns
Afer several iterative rounds of design, collaborative discussions with product management and engineering, I landed on a pattern with would scale throughout the complexity and nuances of the user management and approval process.
Combining elements from a radio button and characteristics of dropdown component, I designed a new component that would reduce real estate and reveal forms only as needed per the conditions of permissions the user is allowing for a new account user.
PROCESS: COMPANY MANAGER
Refining & Testing Interaction Patterns
Afer several iterative rounds of design, collaborative discussions with product management and engineering, I landed on a pattern with would scale throughout the complexity and nuances of the user management and approval process.
Combining elements from a radio button and characteristics of dropdown component, I designed a new component that would reduce real estate and reveal forms only as needed per the conditions of permissions the user is allowing for a new account user.
OUTCOMES & RESULTS
The Impact of Samba TV Platform
The launch of the Samba TV Platform led to significant improvements in usability, efficiency, and product adoption:
✔ Unified platform access – Users could now access all Samba TV tools from a single dashboard.
✔ Faster, frictionless onboarding – Single sign-on (SSO) simplified the login process.
✔ Increased product awareness – The platform exposed users to additional tools, driving adoption across Samba TV’s product suite.
✔ Improved workflow efficiency – Admins could now manage multiple users and permissions seamlessly.
✔ Reduced reliance on in-house campaign managers, allowing them to focus on high-value tasks.
By integrating a scalable, intuitive design, we enhanced user satisfaction and positioned Samba TV for future growth.
KEY LEARNINGS & TAKEAWAYS
Reflecting on the Opportunity
Reflecting on this journey, several key insights emerged:
Adaptability is critical – Leadership transitions and shifting priorities required me to navigate ambiguity and drive alignment.
Even without formal research, usability can be improved – By engaging in internal reviews and discussions, we made user-informed decisions despite budget constraints.
Accessibility should always be prioritized – Future iterations should focus on WCAG-compliant color contrast and inclusive design principles.
Scalability matters – Designing with a modular approach ensured the platform could evolve as Samba TV expanded its product suite.
Ultimately, this project reinforced the importance of advocating for user needs, balancing constraints, and iterating towards scalable, user-friendly solutions.