From Vision to Funding: Crafting the Next Generation Advertising Portal

Project Summary

Spectrum Reach tasked our team with defining and communicating a future vision for a next-generation, machine-learning-powered self-service advertising platform targeted at small business owners. The goal was to create a compelling, outcome-driven experience that showcased the power of Spectrum’s proprietary data and modernize the ad buying process across cable, streaming, and digital formats.

I led vision-driven UX research, storyboarding, UI design, and promotional storytelling efforts to craft a high-impact prototype and executive video pitch. This work successfully aligned stakeholders, generated excitement, and secured funding to move the platform into full development.

My Role

  • UX Researcher

  • UI Designer

  • Motion Graphics & Animation

Outcome & Impact

The vision work not only secured funding for the next-generation platform, but also strengthened cross-team alignment, elevated UX’s strategic role, and created lasting assets for ongoing internal engagement.

  • Funding approved to build the next-generation platform (which became the project featured in the Advertising Portal case study)

  • Successfully aligned stakeholders across product, marketing, and engineering around a shared vision

  • Created a reusable storytelling assets (video + prototype) for internal roadshows and strategy alignment

  • Positioned the UX team as strategic partners, not just design executors

By combining vision, storytelling, and strategic alignment, the project helped secure the future of Spectrum Reach’s self-service offerings and redefined the role of UX as a catalyst for business growth.

The Challenge

The existing advertising applications only supported traditional cable ads and lacked clarity around campaign outcomes. Small business users struggled to understand what they were purchasing or how it aligned with their business goals. Our team was tasked with creating a compelling, outcome-driven vision that leveraged Spectrum’s proprietary data and won executive support to fund the full build.

The Approach

I led a vision-driven UX and storytelling process designed to generate buy-in and showcase the potential of an AI-powered platform.

Key Activities:

  • Stakeholder Workshop: Facilitated a V2MOM workshop to define shared vision, business values, risks, and success metrics

  • Executive Interviews: Conducted 1:1 interviews to align on strategic direction, data capabilities, and business opportunities

  • Narrative Storyboarding: Developed visual storyboards to align on flow, tone, and product promise before designing UI

  • UI Design & Prototyping: Created a clickable prototype showcasing key features and machine learning recommendations

  • Promotional Video Production: Produced a high-energy video walkthrough to spark excitement and support the funding request

Key Findings

  • The current portal only supports cable campaigns, which no longer meets modern advertiser expectations or media behaviors.

  • Outcome ambiguity causes customer hesitation; users need clearer value propositions and better campaign forecasting.

  • Stakeholders are excited about Spectrum’s proprietary data — including viewership, historical media, and audience data — which can drive smarter media recommendations.

  • Success depends heavily on storytelling; winning funding required a strategic and emotional pitch that could excite executive leadership.

Solution & Design

  • Our vision centered around an easy-to-use platform where small business owners could:

  • Set goals (e.g., increase in-store visits or drive awareness)

  • Receive intelligent media plan recommendations powered by Spectrum’s data

  • Understand outcomes before purchasing, through previewable campaign scenarios

  • Buy confidently across multiscreen formats—cable, streaming, digital—without needing a media expert

Deliverables:

  • V2MOM workshop artifacts to align stakeholders

  • Storyboards illustrating the customer journey and emotional arc

  • Clickable prototype showing key UI moments and features

  • Promotional video (1–2 mins) with motion graphics, tailored to executive audiences