Netflix:
UX Case Study


2021 | Timeline: 15 weeks | UX Research & Design

 

Overview

With more and more people turning to streaming services, our team wanted to analyse what could be improved on the Netflix desktop website, to ensure that it continues to meet the expectations of its users and to make their experience better.

Our aim was to use the lens of the user and design solutions based on our learnings about their behaviours, experiences, pain points and preferences.

Key Insights and Pain Points


Problem 01: Leaving Netflix to check ratings & reviews

Users like to view ratings and/or reviews before committing to a particular movie or show. They had to leave the Netflix platform to do so or had to use another device which was inconvenient and distracted the viewer.

 

Problem 02: Leaving Netflix to check Cast Information

Viewers often want to check additional cast information and had to leave the Netflix platform or use another device to do so.

 

Problem 03: Unclear feature and inability to hide disliked content

Users did not understand the functionality of the thumbs down feature because they could still see the disliked content on their wall which was frustrating. (Not intuitive; leaves the user guessing about the action).

Proposed solution 01: Check ratings & reviews within Netflix

Introduced a button with the functionality to open an IMDB pop-up window within Netflix. This allows users to check ratings & reviews from a credible source without leaving the platform.

 

Proposed solution 02: Check cast information within Netflix

Option to view cast info with ‘Cast’ option in player or by clicking on the cast member’s name in the description window)

 

Proposed solution 03: Allow users to hide & retrieve content

Added a functionality that allows users to add their disliked content to a ‘hidden list’ (Grey thumbnails show a visual distinction from other thumbnails). Content added to this hidden list is retrievable.

Approach: The Design Thinking framework was the backbone of the research and design process for this project


Process and Timeline

 

Competitor Study and Analysis

Netflix was player 1 in the market, but the competition is catching up; and they’re doing it well.

Purpose: To identify and examine Netflix’s competition and analyse what they are doing differently and doing well. Also assess what can be improved for Netflix.

Competitors examined: Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video

Parameters for analysis: Business Goals, User Goals, Usability, Heuristic Evaluations, SWOT analysis, Visual Design

 

Some shortcomings we chose to address:

  • Ratings and Reviews: Netflix does not display ratings and reviews for its content, leading its viewers out of the platform to check it (Prime Video has ratings within the platform)

  • Facts and Trivia: Netflix is missing the option to view facts and trivia (Prime Video does it well)

  • Thumbs Down feature: The function of the thumbs down feature is confusing and needs improvement

User Interviews

Conducted 8 remote user interviews of full-time students in Toronto, who are studying remotely

Aim: To dive deeper and get an understanding of users’ pain points while using the Netflix platform. We focused majorly on trying to get insights about the chosen findings from our competitor analysis.

 

Key Insights

Users checking ratings and reviews:
5/8 on IMDB; 4/8 with Google Search; 5/8 on IMDB;

Users looking for cast information (4/8):
6/8 users want to view it after or before watching
4/8 users want to view it while watching

7/8 users wanted an option to remove disliked content

To analyse our interview findings, we did an affinity mapping exercise


Based on our affinity mapping, we created our user persona: Rachel Green

User Persona


Feature 1: Ratings & Reviews

1.1 User Journey Map

1.2 Task Flow

 

1.3 Usability Testing and updates for Feature 01

We conducted 8 moderated remote usability tests on our low fidelity prototype and updated our designs based on the insights we got from there

 

1.4 Product Feature Demo: Ratings & Reviews


Feature 2: View Cast Information

2.1 User Journey Map

2.2 Task Flow

2.3 Wireframe to High-Fidelity mockup

 

2.4 Product Feature Demo: View Cast Information

 

Feature 3: Hide & Retrieve content

3.1 User Journey Map

3.2 Task Flow

3.3 Usability Testing and updates for Feature 03

3.4 Product Feature Demo: Hide and Retrieve Content

 

DISCLAIMER: It should be noted that this case study is the outcome of a college project, and was undertaken as an academic exercise completed at Humber College. The information used does not represent the views of Netflix or any other individuals referenced or acknowledged within it. No monetary profit was generated through this.

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