Screening Room
make it social
screening room
make it social.
Netflix: Screening Room
DISCLAIMER: Neither myself nor my project partner are employees or past employees of Netflix. The views displayed here are our own, and do not reflect on Netflix..
Netflix makes television and film accessible from the comfort of one’s home. The leader in streaming entertainment is available across multiple platforms around the world. I, along with a partner, believe we can take Netflix to the next level by implementing Screening Room, a feature that makes the often solitary act of streaming just a bit more social.
My Role
- User Research
- User Interviews
- Research Analysis
- Ideation
- Sketching
- Wireframing
- Flows
- Prototyping
- Visual Design
- Interaction Design
Device
- iOS (iPhone X)
Year
- 2019
Tools Used
- Photoshop
- Illustrator
- Whimsical
- Sketch
- InVision
- Google Apps
The Problem
Geographical barriers can make it impossible for friends and family members to stream entertainment in the same place, at the same time.
While Netflix has revolutionized how, where, and when we consume our favorite pieces of entertainment, it lacks a social component that people have come to expect from today’s media. Netflix can be enjoyed as a solitary activity, or with friends and family. Third-party applications make it possible to stream with friends or family over long distances..
The Solutions
- Create a simple, intuitive interface that allows users to find and connect with friends and family, and add them to a “Friends List” (Richard Willson). This will facilitate the sharing of content, and allow friends to to watch content together, remotely.
- Implement the "Screening Room". Similar third-party plugins are only available for Netflix on computers in Internet browser environments. We will implement the feature in-app to make it readily available on all devices.
As the density of online content increases and consumers are inundated with choices, the ability to easily find and access content is crucial to the application’s success. We looked at users and their behaviors surrounding their use of the app to better understand how they stream entertainment.
Competitive Analysis
Netflix is one of the leading subscription-based streaming services in the world, but it can still be improved. Companies like Youtube and Twitch enable social features during live streaming, while unconventional company Plex has chat features built into its’ system. We developed a questionnaire after analyzing these successful--and unconventional--streaming services, and interviewed streamers around the world to see how they’re making use of all these features.
User Interviews
We conducted 1-on-1 interviews with users, and distributed survey questionnaires. These combined tactics allowed us to establish a base understanding of our users, and have a more informed conversation with users during 1-on-1 interviews. These findings established our direction and gave a more holistic view of what users really need in their streaming services.
Initial User Questions
- Which streaming services do you use? Why these ones/why not others?
- How often do you use them?
- Explain any given experience when you watch a streaming service
- Would you want to watch shows/movies with other people?
In person or long distance? - What keeps you from watching Netflix with other people?
- Do you prefer texting or talking on the phone?
- How do you decide on what to watch?
The Analysis
Affinity Mapping
After collecting (a lot of ) data from user interviews and questionnaires we looked for trends. From here, we were able to see a few key points that stood out: the majority use Netflix as their main streaming source, people often watched shows together, and the things that hindered groups to watch was travelling (living far away) and coordinating a designated event.
MVP
To ensure our new feature was aligned with user needs, we performed an MVP test to edit out any extraneous add-ons and streamline the new offering.
User Personas
We created user personas to enhance empathy and identify the journeys represented in our user flows. This allowed us to focus on the who and why behind our new feature.
User Flows
The basic pathway users take when they use our new feature. The friend's list component is more involved, as there are various ways to add and search for friends.
Flow for Creating a "Screening Room"
Flow for "Friend's List" (Richard)
Wireframes (Lo-Fi)
We started with the basics and built out the layout Netflix currently uses on their app, and branched out from there.. This allowed for a seamless visual design, and a smooth transition for new features.
We experimented with options in the phone’s natural viewing position, as texting when in portrait mode is something used in other forms of communication and online livestreaming. While this deviates from Netflix's aesthetic, it allows for the visualization of where Netflix can go should it adopt portrait mode viewing.
High Fidelity
The most time-consuming element of building our feature--and the most rewarding--was building upon the lo-fi frames to match Netflix’s brand and visual design aesthetic. These high fidelity frames help us illustrate how seamlessly our new feature can be added to existing Netflix apps across platforms. This video shows the high fidelity mockup of the Netflix home screen as titles change, and staying within the stylization of the brand.
A/B Testing
Two tests were run to help with the overall UI of the messaging layout.
- Whether the full-screen notch on the iPhone X was preferred over having the screen cut and blacked out (it wasn't).
- Where the chat screen would live when viewing messages was preferred: on the video playback, or within the cutout/directly adjacent to the notch on the X (directly on the playback was preferred).
Iterations
Search Optimization
1. The addition of a search bar for searching the friend's list was an oversight in the first iteration and was later added.
Optimizing Notifications
2. The chat icon and functionality of the messaging feature was made more intuitive by switching it to a from a multi-tap to a swipe function in the final design. This made for a cleaner design that more closely resembled the Netflix branding.
Creating a Screening Room
Messaging in a Screen Room
Demonstration of how a user would use the app to create a Screening Room and then to view and message their friends.
Impact
Being aware Netflix had already tried to implement a “friends” feature on their app, we anticipate some hesitation in adding friends and making viewing habits public. However, given proper security settings and with the growing want for social interaction, implementing a feature like this is a likely next step for the streaming giant.
Recent statistics show that while 30% of users sign up using a mobile device, within 6 months of subscribing only 10%, roughly 13.7M, of users continue using the mobile app. Comparatively, YouTube sees over 50% (30M+ daily, 75M+ monthly) of its usage on mobile. From this, we projected that there would be a 20% increase in current mobile use and a 10% overall monthly increase in users.
Where I See This Going
I see this feature going much further in the future. Once implemented the addition of live events could attract old and new users to Netflix. These events would involve live commentary from directors or actors, giving insights on the filming process and behind the scenes stories that could be shared. Also, I'd like to implement a dual screen function that would allow for syncing video playback and messaging on two devices, ie: using a phone to type messages while using a television to play the video. Finally, the ability to add viewers in to a screening room once the video has started, would be implemented, instead of having to add everyone at the beginning could be a potential hindrance.
What I learned
Through this project, I developed a greater appreciation for collaboration, the value of trusting one’s intuition, and the role of research when designing for the user experience.
Morphe Rework
