Recover a Failed Video Upload
Design an upload and processing flow that preserves progress, explains failures, and gives creators a reliable path to publication.
The brief
Understand the problem
Background
Large video uploads can fail during transfer, verification, transcoding, or policy checks. A single progress bar hides which stage failed and whether retrying will duplicate work or discard metadata.
User context
Andre is uploading a 9 GB workshop recording from an unreliable connection. The transfer completes after two resumptions, but the high-resolution rendition fails during processing.
Product problem
Creators need confidence that their file and publishing details are safe, plus precise recovery actions for failures at different stages.
Objective
Create one upload journey from file validation through recoverable processing failure and successful publish readiness.
What to design
Define the experience
Required experience
- Validate a file and confirm upload requirements
- Monitor transfer separately from server processing
- Resume after a connection interruption
- Recover one failed rendition without restarting completed work
Screens and states
- Upload setup
- Transfer progress
- Processing detail
- Failure recovery
Core user flow
Follow the critical path
- 01
Andre selects the workshop file and resolves a missing title before transfer
- 02
The upload pauses when connectivity drops and resumes from the last verified part
- 03
Processing completes for standard resolution but fails for high resolution
- 04
Andre reviews the technical reason and retries only the failed rendition
- 05
The video becomes ready for review with all metadata intact
Product rules
Requirements and constraints
Requirements
- Label transfer, integrity check, processing, review, and publish readiness as separate stages
- Save title, description, visibility, and caption settings independently of the media transfer
- Show resumable progress based on verified uploaded parts
- Offer recovery actions specific to the failed stage
- Warn before replacing a file when existing captions or edits may no longer align
Constraints
- Browser sessions may close before a large transfer finishes
- Processing duration can only be estimated as a range
- Only one source file can be active for this draft at a time
Reality check
States worth considering
Ready-to-use content
Mock data
Use this content to test hierarchy and realistic data states. You can expand it when the concept needs more depth.
File details
- workshop-final.mp4
- 9.1 GB
- 3840 x 2160
- 02:14:38 duration
Processing results
- 360p ready
- 720p ready
- 1080p ready
- 2160p failed: source frame timeout
Finish line
What to deliver
- Four responsive screens showing interrupted transfer, partial processing failure, and recovery
Optional direction
Visual resources
Use these as a starting constraint if you want one. They are not part of the required solution.
Old Standard TT & Questrial
Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.
Old Standard TT & Questrial
Clear interface writing gives people the confidence to understand what changed and decide what to do next.