Netflix: watch Party
The added feature of Netflix Watch Party cultivates a digital space for increased engagement and connection through a shared Netflix experience.
Role: UX Researcher, UX/UI Designer
OVERVIEW
Netflix is one of, if not the biggest streaming platforms that has given users a wide variety to watch TV shows, movies, documentaries and more. Almost every day there is new media content funneling into the platform and has garnered a huge user base. There was a notable rise in feelings of loneliness and isolation throughout the pandemic, which further exacerbated an issue individuals were already facing prior to the global health crisis. The need for a form of social connection is essential for people.
Goal: Add a feature to the Netflix desktop experience that enables users to connect with each other virtually through Netflix content.
RESEARCH
User Interviews
Participants: 5 User Surveys: 15 participants
Who: Netflix Users
What: We want to explore how people engage with each other through Netflix and media content when they are not in the same proximity as well as how their behavior with one another affects their connection and interactiveness.
Learn how people engage in watching media when they are not physically together
Understand what barriers people face when wanting to watch media content with others
Identify ways to increase connection and engagement between people through Netflix
Research Objectives
Research Findings
Survey participants ranked the importance of the 4 categories of engagement. The visual and quantitative data from the user survey helped me prioritize what features are necessary to build to reach the MVP.
Findings: Barriers
Barriers faced include: technical issues, too much effort needed to achieve goals.
Findings: Engagement and Connection
Participants enjoy interactions with others such as chatting, hearing and watching together in real time.
“I love watching with friends who are not physically close. Quality time is definitely one of my love languages so having a show that we can watch together keeps the bond and also gives us a reason to keep in touch.”
Many individuals view watching Netflix together as a form of quality time: feelings of relaxation, enjoyment, fun
Being able to communicate through hearing, seeing or texting others increases engagement and one’s connection
Having to put in effort to press play at the same time disrupts and decreases the quality time spent together
Core Insights
80% (12 out of 15) of survey participants have wanted to watch Netflix with someone who was not physically there
73% (11 out of 15) of survey participants watch Netflix on a computer or laptop
60% (9 out of 15) of survey participants find a level of importance in communication through text chat AND voice chat while watching Netflix
Competitive Analysis
I focused on identifying competitors who catered to a similar target audience. However, despite their shared goal of improving time spent together, these 3 competitors fall short when it comes to providing a seamless user experience from start to finish. As a result, users are left unsatisfied with their overall experience.
Define
So, who are we solving for?
Amelia - “The Quality Time Seeker”
Our user persona, Amelia, is looking to increase the quality time she spends with her friends and partner who are physically away.
How might we increase engagement and connection through a shared Netflix experience?
And, what does our persona need?
Ideate
Based on research and targeting the goals and pain points of our user persona, prioritizing users to watch Netflix content and interact together in real-time is what is most valuable and aligns with their needs. Both chat and voice features were equally important to users, but due to time and limitations, only one feature could be implemented.
So based on the constraints …which feature should be prioritized??
Let’s dig into the barriers of voice chat:
Voice chat can interrupt the audio from Netflix which can
defeat the purpose of watching together in sync (Source: user interviews)
lead to decrease in engagement when watching at different times (Source: user interviews)
Chat Feature Wins!
User Flow: What will our persona accomplish?
The user flow shows the paths a user would take to navigate and complete tasks. Essentially, a question of what effective steps would be required for our users to have a successful/desired outcome? The user flow has 2 starting points to account for 2 use cases: a user creating the watch party and a user joining a watch party.
Design
The pre established Netflix brand allowed me to utilize their screens as a starting point and then figuring out the many ways I can address the watch party feature within the wireframes.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
I always start my design process with the Crazy 8’s exercise, which involves delving into my mind and fostering divergent thinking within a limited time constraint! I sketched out screens for Home Page, Starting a Watch Party, Watching Content Together, and Chat Function.
Mid Fidelity Wireframes
Netflix Home Screen
The home screen follows Netflix’s exact screen, with very slight but complimentary changes to enhance the new feature of a Watch Party. Users can create a Watch Party from the top navigation or CTA button next to “My Watch Parties”.
Watch Party Invite Screen
One step of the party creation includes inviting party members to the group via copying a link. Party members will be added to the group after clicking the invite link.
Watch Party Countdown
One of the biggest hurdles found through user interviews is the difficulty of starting the show at the exact same time and constantly having to retry multiple, or even endless, times to get it exact. Therefore, the countdown function allows users on both ends to see the time.
Netflix Brand Library
Before we move on to our high fidelity screens, we need to hone in on Netflix’s already established brand library. This includes looking at color palette, typography, icons and the usage other various elements that make Netflix, Netflix!
The new icons, buttons and imagery are seamlessly integrated into the brand library while maintaining consistency with the stroke, color and size. Something important I noticed within Netflix’s brand library was how there is always an icon right before the CTA text. The way finding signals are new components that are not within the pre existing library, however, with the usage of their color palette, this new element blends in smoothly.
Usability Testing
With all the insightful and highly valuable feedback from users, I iterated in on my high fidelity wireframes. The biggest insight was that half of the participants strayed from the expected path! I took some time to review the data to fully understand why and how participants arrived to this unexpected path before starting my iteration process to address the issue.
Expected Path: Participants will create a watch party from the home screen.
Unexpected Path Taken: Participants tried accessing watch parties from the top navigation.
Iteration 1: Unexpected Watch Party Creation Path
Solution: Add corresponding responsive screens for creating a watch party through the top navigation
Participant Feedback
“Very simple and easy to use. I think it can be very useful. Would love to see this feature on Netflix.”
Final Product
Netflix Home
Create Watch Party: Invite Party Members
Watch Party Countdown
Party Chat
Key Takeaways
Designing a Watch Party feature for Netflix was a challenging process of adding a new feature to an established brand. To fully immerse myself with the brand, it’s essential to take the time to learn and observe the brand’s library before confidently executing new ideas and design solutions. This project was extremely valuable!
When I was onboarded as a UX Designer at Olivus in Dec 2022, I went through a similar process of familiarizing myself with the preexisting features and it’s design system, which is vital for me to successfully contribute to the team and company as a designer. One of the biggest and most important things I’ve learned that apply both to my professional career as a UX/UI Designer and my personal life is striving for understanding and clarity through asking questions even if I feel like it may be a “dumb question”.
So, what’s next for Netflix: Watch Party?
Building out the voice chat feature
This feature had the same exact level of importance as the text chat and the addition of this feature would provide an extra layer of connection and increasing the quality time spent together