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Journey Maps: 8 Critical Flows for VideoKing

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Mission

• Clarify touchpoints and decision moments for UX design
• Define instrumentation requirements for analytics + observability
• Establish success metrics (conversion, time-to-completion, satisfaction)
• Identify UX debt and quick wins for Phase C (Raise UX Quality)

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Part 1: Journey Map Template

User Goal        → What does the user/operator want to accomplish?
Context          → When/where/why do they attempt it?
Persona/Role     → Who is performing this flow?

Stage 1: Awareness/Discovery
├─ Touchpoint: How do they find this feature?
├─ Moment of truth: Do they understand what it is?
├─ UX Debt: Current issues
├─ Analytics: Track awareness → attempt rate
└─ Success: User clicks to begin

Stage 2: Engagement/Decision
├─ Touchpoint: Interactive elements
├─ Moment of truth: Do they decide to proceed?
├─ UX Debt: Friction points, unclear CTAs
├─ Analytics: Track engagement → commitment rate
└─ Success: User commits (click, form fill, etc.)

Stage 3: Action/Completion
├─ Touchpoint: Core workflow (forms, uploads, payments)
├─ Moment of truth: Can they complete without errors?
├─ UX Debt: Error handling, edge cases
├─ Analytics: Track action → completion rate
└─ Success: Primary action completed

Stage 4: Confirmation/Value Realization
├─ Touchpoint: Success state, confirmation email, dashboard update
├─ Moment of truth: Do they understand what happened?
├─ UX Debt: Unclear success states, missing next steps
├─ Analytics: Track completion → retention/repeat
└─ Success: User understands outcome + next steps

Instrumentation Backlog
├─ Events to add: [list of PostHog events]
└─ Funnel definition: [step 1 → step 2 → step 3 → completion]

Current Metrics (Baseline)
├─ Awareness rate: % who see the feature
├─ Attempt rate: % who try
├─ Completion rate: % who finish
└─ Repeat rate: % who return

Target Metrics (Phase C)
├─ Attempt rate: [phase C goal]
└─ Completion rate: [phase C goal]

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Journey 1: Anonymous Viewer (Watch Video)

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Stage 1: Discovery

• No preview thumbnail before clicking play (users click blindly)
• Creator name buried in meta; should be prominent
• No estimated video duration shown
• No engagement indicator (view count, rating)

• video_page_viewed (page load timestamp)
• video_player_attempted (when user clicks play)
• video_player_loaded (when stream starts)

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Stage 2: Engagement Decision

• No captions (accessibility + mobile engagement)
• Volume control unclear on mobile (too small)
• No playback speed control (users want 1.5x for long videos)
• No “jump to chapter” if video has segments

• video_play_started
• video_error (if stream fails)
• video_fullscreen_toggled
• video_playback_speed_changed (when available)

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Stage 3: Active Viewing

• No progress bar feedback (where are they in the video?)
• No estimated remaining time
• No “jump forward 10 seconds” or “rewind 5 seconds” buttons
• Sidebar (related videos) loads slowly; users don’t scroll

• video_progress_milestone (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%)
• video_seek (if user scrubs timeline)
• sidebar_video_clicked (if they click related video)

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Stage 4: Post-View Decision

• No indication of subscription benefits (why $4.99?)
• No trust signals (subscriber count, rating)
• “Sign up” button vs “Subscribe” — confusing for trial users
• No email capture if user doesn’t subscribe immediately

• video_completed
• video_end_card_shown
• subscribe_button_clicked (from end card)
• creator_channel_clicked
• video_shared

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Journey 2: Signup → Profile Setup

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Stage 1: Signup Discovery

• No autofill hints (browser can’t prefill email)
• Password requirements unclear before user types
• No indication of how long signup takes (“Takes 2 minutes”)
• Social signup fails silently if user denies permissions

• signup_modal_shown
• signup_method_selected (email vs google vs apple)

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Stage 2: Email/Password Entry

• No real-time validation feedback (password strength bar)
• Error messages don’t explain the issue or solution
• No “show password” toggle (users worried about typing mistakes)
• On mobile: keyboard covers password field

• signup_email_entered
• signup_email_validated
• signup_password_entered
• signup_validation_error (if email/password invalid)

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Stage 3: Email Verification

• No countdown timer (“Link expires in 24h”)
• Verification page doesn’t explain what happens next
• No indication of how long verification takes (instant?)
• Broken link handling is generic

• signup_verification_email_sent
• signup_verification_link_clicked
• signup_verification_complete
• signup_verification_resend_requested (if user doesn’t receive)

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Stage 4: Profile Setup + Payment

• Profile visibility not explained (private vs public)
• No “choose later” option for avatar (users skip)
• No coupon/promo code field
• Checkout doesn’t show what they’re paying for (“Why $4.99?”)

• profile_name_entered
• profile_avatar_uploaded
• tier_selected
• checkout_initiated
• payment_processing (start)
• payment_completed or payment_failed
• account_activated

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Journey 3: Subscription Renewal (Monthly)

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Stage 1: Billing Alert (Proactive)

• No indication of how to cancel without losing access immediately
• No “pause” option (users don’t want to cancel; just pause)
• Renewal amount not shown in email (creates surprise)
• No upsell: “Consider annual plan for 20% savings”

• renewal_reminder_email_sent
• renewal_reminder_email_opened
• renewal_reminder_link_clicked

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Stage 2: Automatic Renewal (Background)

• No “renewal receipt” email (users can’t find proof of payment)
• Failed renewal doesn’t explain card issues
• No “update payment method” link in failure email
• No fallback: auto-pause if payment fails repeatedly?

• subscription_renewal_attempted
• subscription_renewal_success
• subscription_renewal_failed

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Stage 3: Post-Renewal Access

• No celebration/thank-you moment
• Renewal date is hard to find (buried in account settings)
• No “you now have access to X new videos” notification

• subscription_active (after renewal)
• post_renewal_video_count_shown (how many videos now available)

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Journey 4: Unlock Video (Premium Content)

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Stage 1: Discovery of Locked Content

• Lock icon not distinctive enough (confused with playback warning)
• No explanation of why content is exclusive
• No value prop (why pay to watch?)
• Clicking lock shows modal; unclear what will happen

• locked_video_shown
• locked_video_clicked

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Stage 2: Unlock Attempt

• Error message is generic (“Access denied”)
• Expired subscribers don’t see clear “renew” CTA
• No “gift option” (buy access for another user)
• No “try 7 days free” for non-subscribers

• unlock_requested
• unlock_access_check
• unlock_succeeded or unlock_denied
• unlock_denial_reason (expired, no subscription, etc.)

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Stage 3: Premium Video Playback

• Same as Journey 1, but subscribers expect premium experience (faster)
• No indication of being “premium” content while watching (pride/status)
• No “download for offline” even though subscribers typically want this

• premium_video_play_started
• premium_video_progress (same checkpoints as Journey 1)
• premium_video_completed

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Journey 5: Creator Upload Video

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Stage 1: Upload Initiation

• No resume capability if upload interrupts
• No progress indicator while uploading
• Mobile: no clear “select file” button (relying on drag-drop)
• No indication of processing time after upload completes

• creator_upload_initiated
• creator_upload_file_selected

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Stage 2: Metadata Entry

• Title character count not shown (users don’t know optimal length)
• Description length suggestion missing (YouTube: 5000 char sweet spot)
• No SEO suggestions (title/description for searchability)
• Thumbnail preview too small; can’t see if faces are visible

• creator_metadata_entered
• creator_metadata_validation_error (if required fields missing)

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Stage 3: Processing

• No indication of what’s happening (transcoding? thumbnail? )
• Creator might think upload failed
• No “go do something else” guidance
• Processing takes ~20 min for HD video; no timeout handling

• creator_video_processing_started
• creator_video_processing_complete or _failed
• creator_video_processing_duration_seconds

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Stage 4: Publish

• Creator can’t preview how video appears in feed before publishing
• No “schedule for later” option
• No indication of who will see it (if privacy = unlisted, which users?)
• No visible “published at [time]” indicator

• creator_video_publish_requested
• creator_video_published
• creator_video_visibility_check (confirm privacy setting understood)

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Journey 6: Creator Connected Account Onboarding

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Stage 1: Onboarding Prompt

• No explanation of what data is shared with Stripe
• No indication of how long onboarding takes
• No FAQ link for common questions

• creator_payout_onboarding_shown
• creator_payout_onboarding_clicked

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Stage 2: Stripe Connect Flow

• Creator redirected away from VideoKing; feels risky
• No indication of progress (which step of many?)
• If connection fails, no clear recovery path

• creator_connect_redirect_to_stripe
• creator_connect_success or _failed
• creator_connect_failure_reason

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Stage 3: Account Verification

• Creator doesn’t know Stripe is verifying in background
• No notification when status changes
• Rejected creators don’t know how to appeal
• No self-serve resolution for common issues (SSN mismatch, etc.)

• creator_connect_verification_started
• creator_connect_verification_status (pending, approved, rejected)
• creator_connect_verification_complete

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Stage 4: Payout Confirmation

• Creator doesn’t understand payout timing
• No indication of payout fees
• Missing: expected earnings trend (when will next payout happen?)
• No notification when payout sends

• creator_connect_verified
• creator_payout_enabled
• creator_earnings_dashboard_viewed

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Journey 7: Payout Operations (Admin/Operator)

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Stage 1: Payout Review

• No way to exclude a creator from batch (must cancel entire batch)
• No indication of which creators are new (higher risk)
• Missing: payout failure visibility (which creators failed last time?)
• No export option (auditors need CSV)

• payout_batch_review_started
• payout_batch_reviewed
• payout_batch_anomaly_detected (if system finds suspicious activity)

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Stage 2: Execution

• No indication of how long execution takes (could be 5–30 min)
• Failed creators aren’t prioritized (which ones are critical?)
• No “retry failed” button (operator must re-review entire batch)
• System doesn’t explain why each creator failed (account suspended? bank issue?)

• payout_batch_execution_started
• payout_transfer_created (per creator)
• payout_transfer_succeeded or _failed
• payout_batch_execution_complete

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Stage 3: Verification

• No indication of settlement SLA (when should money appear in creator banks?)
• Missing: failed creator automatic email (why they didn’t get paid)
• No audit log (which operator executed? when? any issues?)
• Reconciliation process is manual error-prone

• payout_batch_verified
• payout_settlement_confirmed (webhooks from Stripe)
• payout_settlement_failed (if webhook indicates issue)

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Journey 8: Content Moderation (Admin)

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Stage 1: Flagged Content Review

• No way to view full report from original reporter (context missing)
• Queue is chronological only (should prioritize high-severity)
• Missing: related content detection (this creator uploaded 5 similar videos?)
• No quick stats (what % of reports are “false alarm”?)

• moderation_queue_viewed
• moderation_item_reviewed

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Stage 2: Moderation Decision

• No decision reasoning required (audit trail is empty)
• Generic removal email doesn’t explain policy
• No indication of whether decision is consistent (did similar content get approved before?)
• Creator can’t appeal easily

• moderation_decision_made
• moderation_decision_reason
• content_removed
• creator_notified (of removal)

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Stage 3: Appeal Handling

• No appeal form in-product (creator must email)
• Appeal process is manual and slow (no SLA)
• Missing: policy documentation (why was this a violation?)
• No indication of how often appeals are overturned

• moderation_appeal_requested
• moderation_appeal_decision (approved or rejected)
• content_restored (if appeal approved)

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Part 2: Instrumentation Backlog

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Priority 1 (Critical for Phase C)

• Journey 1 (Viewer): Add video_progress_milestone events (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%)
• Journey 2 (Signup): Add real-time password strength validation feedback
• Journey 3 (Renewal): Add subscription_renewal_success confirmation email
• Journey 4 (Unlock): Add unlock_access_check latency tracking to Sentry
• Journey 5 (Creator Upload): Add upload progress (%) + estimated time remaining
• Journey 6 (Creator Onboarding): Add email notifications for verification status changes
• Journey 7 (Payout Ops): Add payout_batch_verification automated reconciliation check
• Journey 8 (Moderation): Add LLM-powered content classification with confidence scores

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Priority 2 (Nice to have)

• Journey 1: A/B test end-card designs (current vs new CTA layouts)
• Journey 2: Add “password strength meter” to password input
• Journey 3: Test annual subscription upsell in renewal reminder email
• Journey 4: Add “download for offline” feature
• Journey 5: Auto-generate better thumbnails (test current vs AI-generated)
• Journey 6: Self-serve document upload for Stripe verification
• Journey 7: Operator dashboard export (CSV of batch history)
• Journey 8: Policy documentation hub (internal wiki + creator-facing FAQ)

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Part 3: UX Debt Summary

1. End-to-end performance sprints — Currently 4–5 touchpoints slow > 2s (page load, email delivery, email verification, video playback, payout execution). Phase C target: ≤1.5s critical path.
2. Error messaging overhaul — Currently 30+ error types with generic messages. Phase C: specific, actionable errors + recovery steps.
3. Email templates redesign — Currently generic; no personalization. Phase C: branded, mobile-optimized, action-driven templates.

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T1.2 Exit Criteria (by May 22, 2026)

• 8 complete journey maps (8 flows described end-to-end)
• Instrumentation backlog for each journey (PostHog events defined)
• Current metrics baseline for each journey (~20 metrics)
• Target metrics (Phase C) for each journey
• UX debt identified (~45 issues across 8 journeys)
• Figma wireframes for Phase C redesigns (starts May 15)
• Prioritized roadmap for Phase C (by Priority 1/2/3)
• Design review schedule (weekly touchpoints May 15+)

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Version History