From words to motion: A UX teardown of Kapwing's AI video generator tool
Kapwing at a glance
Kapwing is an online video editing platform that offers a variety of tools to help users create engaging content.
Founded in 2017, Kapwing's simple and user-friendly interface has gained popularity.
The platform has a rapidly growing user base of content creators, marketers, social media managers, and educators.
Kapwing is committed to continuous improvement, frequently adding new features and tools to enhance the user experience.
One of their notable features is their new AI-powered tools, which include: a Meme Generator, Script Generator and Image Generator. These tools aim to enable users to create professional-quality content with minimal effort quickly.
One of these new AI tools is the AI Video Generator tool, which instantly creates videos from text prompts using AI. Curious about its usability and intuitiveness, I decided to test it out for myself.
About Me
Hello 👋 I’m Sanna, a freelance UX/Product Designer based in London #opentowork.
I merge business goals with design thinking and human-centred design principles to create enjoyable, accessible designs. My work involves examining digital product experiences to enhance them, which is what we'll be doing today!
UX Teardown
In this article, I will be conducting a UX teardown of Kapwing’s AI Video Generator tool. I aim to achieve the following objectives:
Document and analyse the user flow of Kapwing’s AI Video Generator tool as a new user
Evaluate the product experience from a user perspective
Identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of the current experience
UX methodology
I'll be using two established UX methodologies - cognitive walkthrough and think-aloud protocol - to conduct an analysis of the AI Video Generator tool.
Cognitive walkthrough
During this analysis, I'll ask myself questions like "Will the user know what to do?" and "Will the user understand the purpose of the action?" to evaluate the tool's interface.
The cognitive walkthrough aims to identify usability issues and assess how well the product's design supports users' goals while reducing cognitive load.
Think-aloud protocol
As I interact with the product, I'll express my thoughts, emotions, and decision-making process. This will help me identify potential usability issues and improve the overall user experience.
Why use UX methodologies?
These methods provide a structured approach to evaluating the user experience. Using well-established UX practices based on strong theoretical foundations helps make informed design decisions, ultimately improving the overall usability of the product.
Let’s begin! To follow along with the UX teardown, check out my Figma slideshow.
Summary of findings
Kapwing’s AI Video Generator tool can save users time and streamline the video creation process. Personally, I would leverage this tool as a source of inspiration or a starting point for my video projects rather than relying on the tool to create a fully-finished video for me.
However, I’m certain that the tool can be utilised to create fully-finished videos soon.
There are a few enhancements that would have made my experience more streamlined.
#1 Minimise distractions / remove clutter
A cluttered interface can be overwhelming and distracting, making it difficult for users to focus on the task at hand. To improve the user experience, Kaplan should aim to minimise distractions and remove unnecessary clutter from the interface.
#2 Progressive disclosure
Kapwing can benefit from implementing progressive disclosure of some features to guide users towards their goal. In that way, users get a sense of accomplishment while reducing the cognitive load of overwhelming them with too much information at once.
#3 Descriptive prompt suggestions
To encourage effective and enjoyable content creation, Kapwing should provide relevant and inspiring descriptive prompt suggestions for users. These suggestions can help users get started more quickly and easily, and feel more confident in using the tool to create their own unique videos.
#4 Better use of load time
To improve the loading experience, Kapwing can provide an engaging loading screen that explains how the AI works and its capabilities. Additionally, users should be given an estimated loading time to manage their expectations.
#5 Customised tooltips
Customised tooltips can provide more detailed information about a feature or function, helping users better understand how to use the tool quicker. It’s adding to the cognitive load if the tooltips aren’t relevant for the users goal. It’s therefore recommended that Kapwing ensure that the right tooltip is visible at the right time.
#6 Better use of icons
Clear and intuitive icons can help users navigate the tool more easily, improving the overall user experience. Kapwing should ensure that the use of icons are representing the intended function or feature.
By implementing these changes, Kapwing can enhance the overall user experience and satisfaction with their product.
My first AI Video
Here’s my first video that I created using the AI Video Generator Edit tool.
Conclusion
Kapwing's AI Video Generator tool is a powerful feature that has the potential to revolutionise the way content creators produce videos. While the UX teardown identified areas for improvement, such as minimizing distractions and customizing tooltips, I believe that Kapwing is well-positioned to enhance the tool and deliver a more streamlined, user-friendly experience.
Kapwing's AI Video Generator tool is a cool feature that has the potential to revolutionise the way content creators produce videos. I identified some areas for improvement, like reducing clutter and providing better prompts and tooltips.
By making some tweaks and adjustments, Kapwing could keep establishing its reputation as a top video editing platform and make the AI Video Generator tool even more user-friendly.
I would love to hear your thoughts
Have you used Kapwing before? If so, what do you like or dislike about it?
Have you ever used an AI-powered video tool before? If so, how does Kapwing’s AI Video Generator tool compare?
Which of the suggested enhancements to Kapwing’s AI Video Generator do you think would be the most beneficial to users?
What other features or enhancements would you like to see in Kapwing’s AI Video Generator?
Work with me
Are you seeking to improve the user experience of your digital product? As a freelance UX/Product Designer, my speciality lies in conducting UX teardowns and providing actionable feedback to enhance the usability, accessibility, and design of digital products.
Through the use of specific methodologies like task-based usability testing and think-aloud protocol, I offer a systematic approach to evaluate user experience and identify areas for refinement.
My ultimate goal is to help you create appealing, user-friendly, and accessible designs that combine business objectives with design thinking and human-centered design principles.
Contact me to add some magic to your digital product's user experience and satisfaction.
Note: Please note that this is just my personal experience and perspective as a first-time user of the AI Video Generator tool, and I'm not affiliated with Kapwing in any way. I'm just a fan of the product and the team.
