Let big video calls hold side conversations, keynotes and breakouts without anyone leaving the call.
Case study 03Collaboration SaaS
Utah, United States
Miingl is a video platform with three modes you move between in real time: a room, a stage and private clusters. I was its sole product designer for a year.
3 min read · 2024 to 2025
The 30-second version
For busy readersDesigned three modes people switch between in one call, and redesigned onboarding.
Onboarding drop-offs fell 30% and participation rose 25%.
- 30%fewer onboarding drop-offs
- 25%more participation
- 10rounds of usability testing
Video calls work for one kind of meeting
Large calls go passive. You can't pull someone aside, hosts are stuck as one more tile, and breakout rooms feel like being sent to detention.
I owned the product design, end to end.
- 01 · research
Ran 10 usability rounds with two to three people each.
- 02 · design
Designed the modes, chat and polls, screen sharing, streaming and moderation.
- 03 · onboarding
Redesigned onboarding: 30% fewer drop-offs, 25% more participation.
Team: Me, three engineers and two stakeholders
Not every conversation is the same volume
Every tool we studied handled the big room and fumbled the rest.
- Insight 01
Big calls go quiet
In large groups, most people stop talking.
- Insight 02
Side talk had nowhere to go
People wanted a quick word without leaving.
- Insight 03
Breakouts felt like detention
You get sent, you wait, you come back.
The calls that shaped the product
Clusters live inside the call
Breakout rooms make you leave a meeting to have a smaller one.
Shipped
Like pulling someone aside at a real event: tap, confirm, talk, merge back.
How much to show at once
A big feature set had to fit without becoming a cockpit.
Shipped
Constant actions stay visible; rare ones are findable but out of the way.
An interface that changes shape with the meeting
Mode changes got animated cues, so nobody wonders where they are. Screen sharing in a cluster keeps the content visible without hiding who's still in the room.
- Three modes, one call
- Progressive disclosure
- Animated mode cues
Three modes, many rounds
→ git log --releases
- 01VenueThe room everyone lands in
- 02BroadcastA stage for the host
- 03ClusterPrivate groups inside the call
- 04Onboard30% fewer drop-offs
✓ Live at miingl.com.
More people made it in, and joined in
- 30%fewer onboarding drop-offs
- 25%more participation
- 10rounds of usability testing
The onboarding redesign meant more people got far enough to experience the modes.
Conversations come in different volumes
The platform's job is to support every volume without making people manage the switching.
- What I found interesting
Designing for social cues, like how a small group naturally forms at a real event.
- What was challenging
Fitting a big feature set into a call without it feeling like a cockpit.
- A mistake I made
Early versions showed everything, the next ones hid too much. I should have started usability testing sooner.
- What I learned
Watch real people use it early. The navigation only settled once I did.
Where it's at: Live at miingl.com.
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