Competitive Analysis

I began my competitive research analysis by exploring Netflix's top competitor's streaming platforms, analyzing their process of how they match their customers with suggested things to watch. I looked for strengths and weaknesses to identify ways for improvements within the design and deliver a shorter, successful streaming experience for our users.

Methodologies

I used three different research methodologies to identify and gain a deeper understanding of the audience and current market products available. This allowed me to further familiarize myself with the streaming services industry, and identify areas for enhancement.

Market & Secondary Research

Reading online resources, helped me gain knowledge of universal streaming platforms and the direction of growth in the value of the market. This allowed me to focus on defining the scope of the design process and ways to incorporate it for optimal results.

Besides reviewing competitors and researching the market, I have also been able to observe a handful of people streaming on multiple platforms to discover their current emotional experiences, actions, and behaviors they express in the process of selecting content to watch.

User Survey’s

I decided to use surveys because it enabled me to reach a wider audience from all over, and the responses will be essential in delivering a versatile product. I administered them to 4- 7 current Netflix subscribers that frequently use the streaming platform than, summarized my previous findings, and constructed a Survey Script ncluding a handful of questions for my participants to take part in user interviews as a part of my research.

User Persona

Once I gathered information from my research, I learned that current subscribers become bored with the shuffling of the same content. They find themselves being interested in what their friends are watching and like the idea of sharing. Having the online option is great for subscribers who have a hard time choosing something to watch to quickly accept friendly suggestions and eliminate the search window. I created the user persona Jake, who embodies the needs, frustrations, and goals of the audience.

Empathy Map

I created this empathy map to gain a deeper understanding of our users, helping me visualize what I know about my audience and create an understanding of their needs, what they feel, say, and think. This allowed me to use a customer-centric approach and focus on empathizing with users to be able to comprehend what they are feeling and experiencing when putting myself in their shoes.

Site Map

After reviewing the research findings I created a sitemap to help me visualize where best to incorporate the new feature and how a user would navigate the existing application with the new feature into it. I organized the content using the application's current categories set up and focused on simply blending the feature within the pre-existing navigation. I will use this to design my lo and mid-fidelity wireframes. I realized this part is important because it helped me visualize if the existing information architecture could support my new features, and if there is room for alteration. Fortunately, the existing visual hierarchy allowed me to integrate my feature seamlessly into the navigation menu.

Task & User Flows

In order to understand the user's journey and visualize the navigation of the application from the user's perspective, I created two main task flows: choosing to start sharing and viewing a friend's library and the process of recommending something to a friend. Creating these tasks gave me the perception of the screens and paths I needed to construct for the user to be able to complete them.

Mid Fidelity Wireframes

I concentrated on working through the current Netflix application to understand where this feature could fit in terms of functionality. I utilized my research findings and task flows to sketch out the initial layout then modifying the design to support the integration of the new feature. I wanted minimum disruption to the current design to avoid users the increase of users' cognitive load. The following wireframes exhibit the key concepts of understanding the new feature and an easy way to view your friend's library.

High Fidelity Wireframes

I used my initial mid-fidelity wireframes to create the high fidelity mockups and prototype for Netflix, to illustrate how I would aesthetically implement key elements by using the application's current brand’s style guide. Keeping my goal in mind and providing the users with a simple and familiar way to connect with friends. Adding the UI elements to the mid-wireframes helped me put in perspective the functionality of the feature and the process of competing for each task.

UI Kit

For the UI Kit, I chose to use the existing NETFLIX UI Kit and brand colors for continent visual hierarchy representation. I reference these components throughout my project to make sure the elements align with the company’s branding.

Prototype

Using the high-fidelity wireframes and my research findings, I created the first prototype in Figma and conducted usability testing of the processes. I used this to identify any room form improvements and observe the feature’s functionality within the platform needed to complete both tasks of begging to share and recommend.

Affinity Map

The feedback I received from my user testing phase helped me gained valuable insight into the participant's process of navigating through the feature. I received some positive feedback about the simplicity of the feature itself and the option of having this would particularly relieve some of the stress of selecting what to watch. To create my affinity map I used Miro, which groups the user’s successes and difficulties they encountered during each task they were asked to complete and presents the solutions I recommended to resolve the high tier frustrations.

Iterate & Implement

Using my initial high-fidelity prototype, I was able to conduct usability testing with 7 participants. Each of the participants was asked to complete task one of seeing what their friend is watching and recommending a show to a new friend. Once I combined my research information from the user surveys and usability testing, I was able to emphasize the screen and functions I needed to re-work.