Kai is a product designer with roots in healthcare.

Portrait Video for Bite-sized Learning

Shaping the core experience through fast experiments, real user feedback, and agile product thinking.

About the Product

Arena Strive delivers personalized learning to help clinicians thrive in high-demand settings.

At its core are daily 5-minute tool videos, bite-sized, portrait-format lessons tailored through wearables and coaching. Designed for on-the-go use, they must be fast, focused, and visually engaging to drive daily habit.

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

2023 - 2024

Tools

Figma, Figjam, JIRA, Notion, Protopie, Maze

Collab

Content Lead, Engineers, Product Lead 

TL;DR

"I joined during the shift from audio to video and led the end-to-end design of the new portrait video experience, shaping core interactions through fast, iterative design cycles."

Challenge

Clinicians had limited time and attention so our content needed to be fast, focused, and habit-forming.

Solution

Designed a mobile-first, portrait video flow supporting a consistent 5 min daily rhythm.

impact

Increased lesson completion and daily engagement, which drives stronger retention.

Empathize

Meet Our Users

Clinicians on the frontline of care

Our users are busy healthcare professionals working in high-stakes environments where every second matters.

A cardiovascular surgeon performing long-hour surgeries with full focus

An inpatient nurse managing constant interruptions and urgent care needs

 A physician coordinating with care teams during long, unpredictable shifts

We’re always on the move, juggling priorities while expected to perform at a high level. Time is limited, but staying sharp matters. Learning needs to be quick, relevant, and fit naturally into our day.

- Sarah, ICU RN

Define 01

Build the Product Vision Together

Pre-design, 2023 Q2

Video Was Ready, The App Wasn’t.

When I joined, the app only supported audio. We had video content, but no way to show it inside the app.

This meant users missed out on seeing real people, body language, and visual coaching. It also meant the app couldn’t deliver a strong sense of storytelling or connection.

We saw a clear opportunity to bring that content to life.

Bridging frontline realities with product strategy.

Clinicians are short on time, yet behavior change relies on building consistent learning habits. To support this, I needed more than just empathy. I needed alignment.

I led cross-functional alignment with engineering, clinical, and content teams to shape a shared product vision grounded in user insights. I ensured that what we defined was not only user-centered but also aligned with business priorities and feasible within product and content constraints.

User Needs

Learn one practical, high-performance tool per day, in around 5 minutes.

Business Goal

Make short-form video content the primary driver of engagement and progression.

Product Constraints

Tools follow a linear path, and limit by one tool per day, meaning no skipping ahead!

Engagement Metric

Complete at least 12 of 30 tools during a 6-week program.

Brand Value

Every tool should feel premium, scientific, and credible for a high-performance audience.

Linear Progression of the tool predetermines the core flow.

Define 02

The Objective and Expected Outcome

Design Objective

Designing for time-starved clinicians on the move

Design a learning experience that meets clinicians where they are, five minutes a day, to deliver relevant, actionable tools that help them understand and apply high-performance techniques.

Expected outcome

12 tools over 6 weeks

Guide clinicians through at least 12 meaningful tools over a six-week coaching journey that supports their growth, recovery, and personal wellness, in or outside the hospital.

Design & Iterations

An Evolution Era from Agile Approach

This portrait video experience didn’t come together all at once. It took many small steps, fast feedback, and close collaboration with the team. We worked in short cycles, learning from each release and building on what we learned.

Phase 1, 2023 Q3

First Video Experience

In 2023, we launched the first version of our portrait video player. The goal was simple: turn audio tools into video and make daily learning easy to find, watch, and understand, especially for busy clinicians.

* Video content has been hidden to protect confidential company material.

A prototype recording of the initial video experience introduced in Phase 1.

Two-Part Video Flow

Builds consistency and scales easily

Fixed Player

Supports existing video library with minimal engineering

Visual Progress Bar

Guides users without extra effort

Phase 2, 2024 Q3

Bigger Screen,

Better Gestures,

More Immersive learning

In 2024, our content team re-edited the coaching videos to bring more clarity, personality, and warmth to each session. Around the same time, a rebrand initiative gave us an opportunity to rework how videos showed up across the app, visually and functionally.

* Video content has been hidden to protect confidential company material.

Improved Video Controls

Keeps users focused and in flow

Micro-interactions in Motion

Reduces friction and reinforces brand identity

Video Error Handling

Turn frustration into clarity

The Impact

From MVP to Daily Habit

Expected outcome

12 tools over 6 weeks

Higher completion rates within the 6-week program window.

More meaningful coaching interaction due to better progression in lessons.

Increased interaction with wearable data as users practiced learned tools.

Higher DAU as Content became the engine for daily app use.

By early 2025, portrait video had become more than just a feature. It became part of the user’s routine. A quick tap. A trusted coach. A small, intentional pause in the day.

Agile wasn’t just how we worked. It was how we listened, learned, and evolved together. This success didn’t come from one big launch. It came from fast, focused iterations, and staying aligned as a team each step of the way.

You’ve reached the end — thanks for reading!

Back to top

Website design and content © 2025 Kai Hara.

Website design and content © 2025 Kai Hara.

Website design and content © 2025 Kai Hara.