Creating narratives and interfaces for a second-screen experience: a new way to experience and interact with television content.

The proposal for a new USA Network product took shape through the concept and design of USA Insider, a second-screen experience that extended a show’s universe beyond what happened on television.

Parallel stories, complementary content, and activities allowed viewers to keep exploring characters and plots while discovering new pieces of the story. Technology opened the possibility of building a narrative world that continued to live beyond the main screen.

The Challenge

The challenge was to create an experience that could add value to USA Network content before, during, and between episodes.

Using mobile technology, the app needed to engage viewers through alternative stories, activities, and discovery journeys that complemented what they saw on television.

The idea was to transform a traditionally linear experience into something that could be explored, discovered, and completed asynchronously and personally.

A story did not have to end when the credits rolled.

USA Insider proposed a parallel experience where users could access mini episodes that filled gaps in the story, discover more about characters and plots, take part in activities, and access their favourite content from anywhere.

Each piece added something new to the narrative universe, turning the viewer into a more active participant in discovering and experiencing the story.