A platform built for slides that needed to learn how to show documents.
SlideShare is a global UGC platform with 70M+ users. I redesigned the document reader to improve readability across multiple formats increasing engagement and ad revenue.
Duration: July–Sep 2023 · Team: Product Designer · UX Researcher · Product Manager · Lead Engineer
It all started with slide presentations.
But when it came to documents, users needed a reader that got out of the way: one that let them evaluate and read without distraction. For the product, longer, more focused sessions meant more ad value and a layout that could finally scale across formats.
Adapting the reader for every format.
I redefined the hierarchy to support multiple formats while aligning with Scribd's design system, improving orientation in longer documents. I simplified the interface and rebalanced ads and recommendations, introducing adaptive patterns based on document length to keep content central without compromising revenue.
The numbers moved in the right direction.
Longer reading sessions translated directly into business outcomes. Also ad revenue on desktop grew 7%, driven by users who stayed long enough to see more of the page.
+10%
Reading ≥1 min. on desktop.
+10%
Reading ≥5 min. on mobile.
+30%
Download attempts on mobile.
