WeShort is a streaming platform dedicated to short films, connecting filmmakers and audiences worldwide.
Overview
When I joined WeShort in 2021, the platform already had a global audience of short-film lovers, but both the brand and the product experience needed clarity and focus. With more than 250,000 users, WeShort required a modern identity and a more intuitive app to support its mission of connecting filmmakers and audiences worldwide.
Rebranding
After discussing these challenges with the CEO, I was given the freedom to redesign the brand identity while keeping the original logo. To appeal to a wide audience, I kept the core blue and expanded the palette with deeper tones, lighter accents and modern gradients. The new system improved accessibility, reinforced the identity and gave the brand a more contemporary presence.
Once approved, the updated design was applied to all communication materials including social media, documentation, presentations and printed assets. This created a clear and consistent visual experience across the company.
Application
My work helped drive a +2000% increase in followers, secure partnerships with Amazon Prime Video and Trenitalia, and establish WeShort’s presence at events like Sundance 2023.
Results
Product Design
With the brand identity reshaped, we began applying it to the product. Our first priority was simplification. The multi-step registration flow was replaced with a one-step onboarding experience that allowed users to explore content immediately, reducing friction and encouraging exploration from the outset.
To move beyond a standard streaming experience, we introduced Shortie — an AI-powered recommendation engine designed to suggest short films based on user preferences and mood. I collaborated closely with the data analyst and development team, creating prototypes and testing them internally and with real WeShort subscribers.
AI feature
The first version dynamically altered the homepage, but technical limitations made this approach unsustainable. I then proposed a dedicated Shortie section offering a personalised playlist that users could refresh at any time. This delivered meaningful personalisation while keeping the product architecture stable.
Improvements
The final experience brought together a modern identity, a simplified onboarding journey, and a human, personalised discovery system powered by Shortie. A complete UI Kit supported consistent implementation and improved collaboration with the development team.
Results
The redesigned WeShort app delivered immediate and measurable improvements:
• User engagement increased by 50%, showing stronger connection with the platform.
• Minutes watched across the 250,000-user base grew by 32% in just two months.The new exploration system, driven by preferences rather than a rigid algorithm, led to a 24% increase in short-film submissions.
• Streamlined onboarding reduced sign-up time by 40%, significantly lowering the barrier to entry.
• These results reinforced WeShort’s position as a global hub for short-film culture and validated the design decisions behind the platform’s transformation.
