Rethinking the Direct Response ads journey on YouTube
Research that aligned user expectations with business goals, shaping one of YouTube’s fastest ad format launches at the time.
The business wanted a faster path to conversion. Users expected a familiar journey.
YouTube’s established experience took users from a thumbnail to a watch page. A new Direct Response format proposed sending users directly to an advertiser’s page—creating a faster path to conversion while fundamentally changing a familiar user journey.
With pressure to move quickly toward launch, the question became: how could we unlock business value without breaking user expectations?
From testing concepts to defining principles for launch
I led qualitative and quantitative research to understand users’ expectations of ad journeys on YouTube Home and evaluate new Direct Response formats.
The research moved the conversation beyond which prototype performed best toward what the experience needed to preserve for users, regardless of the format.
Which concept should we launch? → What principles should guide the experience?
This reframing helped align Product, Design, and Engineering around a launch strategy that balanced user expectations with conversion goals, while establishing principles that could extend beyond the immediate launch.
Impact
- Accelerated launchContributed to one of YouTube’s fastest ad format launches at the time.
- Long-term strategyEstablished foundational principles that informed future Direct Response ad journeys, product roadmaps, and strategy.
- Cross-org influenceShaped critical product and launch decisions across YouTube Ads and Main App teams.
The work wasn’t about choosing between user needs and business goals.It was about creating a path that could serve both.