NETFLIX'S
PROJECT OVERVIEW
This is a concept project.
Netflix, a globally recognized streaming platform, has been an industry leader since launching its streaming services in January 2007. It offers a vast selection of TV shows, films, and original content to a subscriber base of 277 million worldwide.
Recently, Netflix has faced growing competition and is finding it challenging to remain a top choice for subscribers. To foster innovation and keep users engaged, Netflix plans to introduce social and sharing features to its mobile app.
OUR GOAL
Reaching out to explore and gather broad insights
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Add social features to Netflix mobile application
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Increase social activity & sharing between users
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Innovate by augmenting social aspects to users’ viewing experiences
DURATION
2 weeks
1 week of
interviewing
ROLES
Team of 3
UX research
+ UI Designer
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Google Forms
sketching, prototyping,
usability testing,
wireframing
DISCOVER → DEFINE → DEVELOP → DELIVER
96% of users discuss series & films in person
75% discuss via SMS/phone calls
50% of users are likely
to share about and/or
discuss a series/film
on social media
We started by sending out a Screener Survey so we could weed out users who may not qualify for our interview. 29 replied giving us some insights.
Our next step. Set up interview questions and find out why people like to socialize.
WE INTERVIEWED...
14 PEOPLE
We went a little overboard by interviewing more than five. It made our Infinity mapping a little overwhelming.
Exploring similarites between social connections and streaming platforms
INSIGHTS FROM INTERVIEWS
Began to understand why users interact with social media.
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To share humorous content
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To share and receive recommendations
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To stay in touch with friends and family
Also, Why do they socialize with others?
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It’s a NEED in life
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It’s good for my health
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To share in the experiences of others
How long does your Social Battery run?
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I have a wide range of how long my “social battery” can last
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It depends on a few factors, like the day of the week, or the people I’m with.
The Bottom Line
Many users want to find the easiest and laziest way to communicate after a long day or
use up their social battery. Some said texting uses less energy than calling someone and
using your voice.
OUR COMPETITORS
I love social media. My team and I did some serious research by investigating what social platforms we should study. The one we investigated the most was LetterBoxd.
We discovered they have they have opportunities to interact with films
They allow users to spotlight their favorite movies/tv series
Youtube, we noticed they have live interactions between users and live stream.
They even have a Live voting feature. We liked how they had some private features as
well as sharing options.
What we like about Instagram is how someone can see when a friend is online or posts
a new story. They also can see who has viewed their story when they post it.
In group chats users can see who is in their group and send gifs, photos or a voice message.
Facebook has started up its own movie-watching service. They don't have many movie choices, but you can see who has viewed the movie and their comments.
Facebook demonstrates that they have a group for everyone. This feature helps users feel they are a part of a community.
DISCOVER → DEFINE → DEVELOP → DELIVER
Our interviews, we disovered the common needs and pain points to create the persona.
INTRODUCING CASEY
Enjoys meeting up with others to catch up and share in each others’ experiences Likes to lay on couch & browse for something to stream on TV while scrolling through social media for suggestions
Sends close friends memes/activities that she wants to do on Instagram to share interests with one another
Wants to engage in discussions about films/series with others while making meaningful connections
Takes a lot of time and energy to find something to watch, both alone and with others
PICTURE THIS
We created a storyboard to bring the pain points and frustrations of trying to find a movie at the end of
a hard day's work. Users are too exhausted to use their voice to call someone and when
it's time to relax and watch something it was too late to contact their friends.
.
Buckling
Down
Casey does some synopsis reading and trailer watching, gets comfortable on her couch and starts sifting through titles.
She can’t help but ponder whether her search will be successful.
2.
.
Throwing in
the Towel
She considers texting in a group chat but feels that it has gottentoo late at night.
Casey returns to her TV and turns on a series she has already seen. She watches a 20 minute episode before calling it a night.
3.
.
I want to watch
something new!
Casey gets home from work and feels readyto watcha new series/movie. She is considering some potential options on Netflix from a coworker she is acquainted with.
1.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The journey map and the storyboard lead us to our problem statement. That Casey feels she is a part
of a community when she can discuss and share movies with others.
What does Casey Need?
Casey needs to discuss and share movies with others in order
to achieve a sense of community and human connection.
HOW MIGHT WE'S
Once we got the problem statement down and the User Flow it helped us come up with the HMW'S
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Help users show feelings when watching content?
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Create a space for users to feel comfortable sharing their opinions on media?
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Provide users with the opportunity to make real connections with others
DISCOVER → DEFINE → DEVELOP → DELIVER
SKETCHES TO BUILDING THE FRAMEWORK
With our HMW's, we began developing ideas through drawings. Our first approach relied on quickly sketching ideas from all three teammates - this process was great because it helped me explain my thinking through sketches.
We went through several rounds of sketching, collaborating at the end of each session to select and refine features. The team chose the following features for our low-fidelity prototype, drawing inspiration from both Letterboxd and Instagram.
1.
1.
Open to the Netflix App and see who is on in the FLIXFEED section as well as groups and see friends you have added in the app.
2.
Look at the Group Section and choose a profile within this section.
3.
When a user selects a profile from the group page, they will see a profile icon, username, bio, and the user's stats. To enhance personalization, we've incorporated a list curation feature similar to Letterboxd's.
1.
2.
3.
5.
5 USERS TESTED
For our Lo-Fi Usability, we wanted to see if the feature is easily navigable/intuitive for users.
4.
Another idea was to scroll through movies and you can see who has watched it and left a review.
5.
After a user finishes watching a film or series
on Netflix, they're prompted to write a review. The review page resembles Letterboxd’s interface but features different icons. The user is then given the option to add the content to their “recommended” list.
Created new icon
for FlixFeed
4
We introduced FlixFeed as a new feature within the footer that already exists on their app. The Icon helps for faster navigation. The homepage was enhanced to offer more personalized categories and display which of the user’s 'friends' are currently online.
Users can then navigate to FlixFeed to view their profile, see online friends, access their groups, and browse their feed, which features reviews from followed users and recently watched TV shows and films. The design draws inspiration from Letterboxd.
Browsing interest groups makes it easier to find others with similar tastes, streamlining the process of discovering films they want to watch while also fostering meaningful interactions with others.
The interest group page displays online members, a spotlight film chosen by the group, group recommendations, and other curated lists.
To assess how users might engage with FlixFeed and evaluate the feature's overall usability, it was time to test our low-fidelity prototype.
TASKS GIVEN:
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Navigate to FlixFeed
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Enter “Vampire Fwens” interest group
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Enter user profile within interest group
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Find and play recommended Vampire Romance movie
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Write a review of Vampire Romance
TESTING GOALS
Our user goal is to have the user sign into Netflix. Find the new feature "Flixflix" check out their groups and pick a suggestion from a friend's profile in one of their groups.
RESULTS FROM TESTING
5 users completed
the tasks
3 users liked the recommended match
3 users found
certain actions that
lacked clarification
2 users found styling & prioritization disjointed
Users expressed interest in the ability to curate lists and appreciated the '% Taste Match' feature on
other profiles, along with the social community-building aspects of FlixFeed.Armed with candid feedback, it was time to develop a more refined, high-fidelity prototype, incorporating the insights gained from our initial round of usability testing.
MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY IN DESIGN WiTH OUR NETFLIX BRAND
Before implementing any significant changes, we needed to assess the accessibility of Netflix’s current color scheme and establish a design system to ensure consistency. This also addressed one of the key insights we discovered during usability testing.
DISCOVER → DEFINE → DEVELOP → DELIVER
INTRODUCING NETFLIX'S NEW FEATURE
TAKE AWAY AND REFLECTIONS
This was my first Group UX Team Project, and I want to share what I learned and gained from this experience.
I discovered that group research can be both overwhelming and rewarding, as it provides valuable opportunities for discussion with peers. However, I also realized that sometimes, your opinions may be overlooked if others disagree. Throughout this project, my teammates significantly contributed to my growth in communication, presentation skills, and my understanding of Figma.
This experience taught me a vital lesson about being a UX designer. With a background in Art Direction and Advertising, I previously viewed UX/UI design merely as the blueprint for an app or website. However, I gained deeper insights through user interactions, data synthesis, and real-world testing, which further enhanced my creative thinking.
Additionally, this project ignited my passion for interviewing and conducting research,
while also helping me improve my skills in Figma.