Overview

Brief:

During a three week sprint, analyze an already existing and highly adopted app and incorporate a new feature into the existing product.

The final product will be a high-fidelity prototype that reflects the research, iteration, and testing.

Project:

For my project, I chose to focus on Netflix and learning more about current user habits, to create a feature which would improve the user’s experience.

Roles:

• UX Research

• UI Design

• Information Architect

Research

Survey and Interviews:

The survey and interviews revealed the most common method of sharing recommendations was via text, followed by verbal conversation.

Users who shared recommendations via text often shared only the name of the show without any direct links to the show in Netflix or any media related to the show. Users who received recommendations reported relying on their memory to remember the recommendation for later and often did not take any action after receiving a recommendation. 

Goals:

• To share and receive Netflix recommendations with others in a way which allows the user to easily add the show to their watchlist

 Competitor Analysis

Feature Comparison:

Currently, none of the streaming apps allow users to share lists of recommendations with other users. To get a better sense of how list sharing is done in other apps, I started with a feature comparison of Amazon’s Wishlist feature and the Gift Buster app. I learned that both allow users to create and name multiple lists, delete lists, and invite others to collaborate on lists by sending invitations via email, text or a copied link. 

Market Positioning Map:

Through further research, I found websites which allow users to create shareable show and movie recommendation lists, but theses sites do not integrate directly with the streaming apps. With this information, I created a Market Positioning Map which shows there is clearly a gap in the market for a streaming app which allows users to create and share recommendation lists directly in the app. 

Ideation

Task Analysis:

As the problem came into focus, I began to think about what a user would need to solve this problem. To better understand this, I completed a Task Analysis for Amazon’s Wishlist feature. By implementing a similar feature for Netflix, could we solve the pain points? How might we make it easy for users to build and share recommendations lists using the Netflix app and messaging apps and/or email?

Jobs to Be Done:

Completing a few Jobs to Be Done statements, from the user’s perspective, further confirmed the pain points and solidified the Problem and Hypothesis Statements. 

 Wireframes

Lo-fi Concept Sketches:

While sketching, I continued to reference what I had learned from my Feature Comparison, keeping in mind the final goal must be for a user be able to easily share multiple shows with others.

Mid-Fi Wireframes:

After sketching, and creating wireframes, I began testing the prototype for usability and feedback using Maze. 

The Maze results showed users struggled with understanding the hamburger menus. For the high-fidelity wireframes, this was replaced with individual icons for each function. 

Visual Design

Style Library:

Knowing I would be adding a feature to an existing app, with users who are very comfortable and familiar with it’s current design, my focus here was to smoothly integrate the new feature into their design system.

 Hi-Fi Prototype

My Lists:

From their profile, users will be able to access all of their existing lists and the lists friends have shared with them. They will also be able to start a new list from here, delete lists they no longer need, and remove themselves from shared lists.

 Prototype Walkthrough