Netflix Movie Moodboard
The Problem
In the emerging world of streaming services, when a user opens Netflix on their device, they are presented with a myriad of films and TV shows to choose from. According to RealGood, there are over 5,721 programs offered to Netflix subscribers. Individuals and families dread the process of choosing a movie or show to watch. In the end, users either make a rushed decision that they are unhappy with or just completely give up and watch nothing at all. Enjoyable at-home movie nights are out of reach.
The Solution
The Netflix Movie Moodboard is a feature that offers curated movie collections based on moods to simplify the process of choosing a movie or show to watch. It helps users find content that resonates with how they are feeling or how they want to feel after watching something, which is far more valuable than watching a movie based on its genre. The perfect movie night is now right at home.
My Role
UX design role for a school project aimed at creating a new feature for an existing app.
Tools Used:
THE PROCESS
01-Empathize
Conducting User Interviews
User Persona
Journey Map
Click to view journey map.
Current & Future State Narratives
Download and read the current and future state narratives created based on user research interviews.
02-Define
Research Synthesis and Analysis
My research highlighted two key problems for users trying to choose a movie to watch on Netflix:
1. The psychological problem humans face known as “the paradox of choice”. While it may seem positive to have an infinite list of movies and TV shows to choose from, having too many options is overwhelming for the human brain. The decision process becomes time consuming and often the brain might end up choosing nothing at all
2. Netflix’s basic categorization based on general plots and rankings is quite unhelpful and limiting, leaving users unsatisfied with their movie choices
I was also able to identify the following research insights:
1. A user's emotional state and mood is very important when deciding on a movie to watch
2. The biggest pain point for users is feeling overwhelmed by too many movie and show options in each genre
3. The most important criteria in movie selection is the trailer, summary, and actors/actresses.
I used this information to formulate a How Might We question that would guide me as I brainstorm and generate potential ideas for solutions.
How Might We?
How might we make users feel delighted, engaged, and inspired while flipping through Netflix and choosing a movie to watch?
03-Ideate
Brainstorming Potential Solutions
By empathizing with users and doing research on the Netflix industry, I reached unique insights that allowed me to design the following features that solved user pain points:
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The user can choose from various movie categories based on moods such as cheerful, nostalgic, contemplative, romantic, cynical, amused, reflective, to name a few
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Rather than presenting endless film and TV titles, each category will present a maximum of 10 movies that match that mood, so that the user isn’t overloaded
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The app is designed in a catalogue format which encourages users to browse through their movie options rather than feel overwhelmed by them
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Each movie and show has unique tags that are more descriptive than genre category labels
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Each screen is presented with a trailer, summary, and the actors/actresses, which are the most important criteria in choosing a movie
04-Prototype
Low Fidelity Prototypes
Click to view in Figma.
Maximum of 10 movies/shows presented per category
Movie categories based on moods
Movies/shows presented in catalogue format
Unique tags
Summary and
Actors
Trailer
05-Test
Usability Testing Sessions
Through usability testing sessions, I observed users interacting with the product. This helped me determine the user's satisfaction with the app and whether the project was solving their pain points. Users validated the following:
1. Increased interest in exploring movie and show options on Netflix
2. Excitement to flip through movies and shows
3. Appreciated the feature of being able to choose movies based on their moods
High Fidelity Prototype
After users validated satisfaction with the Netflix Movie Moodboard feature, I designed a higher fidelity prototype.
Click to view clickable prototype in Figma.
06-Deliver
Solution Benefits:
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Reduces time users spend to choose a movie or show to watch
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Eases the tension and frustration that comes with the paradox of choice
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Users feel engaged while flipping through catalogue of movies and shows
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Encourages movie lovers to choose Netflix over movie theaters and other streaming platforms
Final Presentation Video
What I Learned & Key Takeaways:
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Ask open-ended questions: this can allow you to reach unique insights and learn about pain points you would have never known
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UX gives businesses competitive edge: crafting enjoyable user experiences can encourage users to choose your product over others
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Remain curious: always question everything and intentionally ask "why"
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How to work within design constraints: this project gave me practice working within established design systems that most businesses have
What I Would Do With More Time:
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Explore various mood categories and establish which ones are most beneficial for users
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Consider AI capabilities to streamline movie selection
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Perform more rounds of user-testing sessions to improve and add new elements to the feature