Introducing "Netflix Follow": Social-Driven Content Discovery
12 min read
Role
Product Thinking
User Research
Ideation
User Flow
Wireframing
Prototyping
Usability Testing
Project Type
Independent
Timeline
1-week
August 2022
Overview
With the push Netflix is making into producing original content, the influx of unrecognizable Titles on the platform is widening the disparity between the Content and the Audience—making it a timely task for the User to find something worth watching.
​
The goal of this project was to create a solution for Netflix that brings an added level of validation to Netflix Originals content and gives the User confidence in their selection.
The Problem
Netflix Users Spend Too Much Time Browsing Through Titles
Undestanding Netflix Users
Netflix Users, broadly speaking, can be categorized as one of the following: an Intent User or a Discovery User.
​
The Intent User, is a User that opens the Netflix application with the intention of watching a specific show, movie or documentary—they come to the platform ready to watch.
​
The Discovery User, is a User that opens the Netflix application with the intention of finding a show, movie or documentary to watch—they come to the platform searching.
Analyzing The Problem
There are more Discovery Users on Netflix than than there are Intent Users.
​
When a Discovery User opens Netflix, they are often inundated with a slew of Titles they are unfamiliar with—notably Netflix Originals. Unrecognizable titles, especially ones with an unrecognizable actor/actress, creates friction in the User's ability to make a selection. Discovery Users question if the Title they are being recommended is worth watching— suggesting the Recommendation system for content has room for deeper personalization.
The Data
Netflix Users Spend 18 Minutes Picking Something To Watch
Thats 2x the time it takes cable users
2,000
Netflix Users, based in America, were surveyed on their behavior using Netflix.
17.8 min
On average, the time Netflix Users spent browsing before selecting a program.
Analyzing The Current User Journey
Open Netflix
User browses through recommend Titles
User finds a Title that peaks their interest
User dissatisfied with validating factors and repeats the process
User validates interest through synopsis, trailer and accolades(if any)
User satisfied with validating factors and makes selection.
Data collected by The Wrap
Ideation
How Might We Give Users More Confidence In Selecting A Title?
Allow Users To Leave Star Ratings?
Allow Users to leave a star-rating, up-to 5 stars, on a show, movie or documentary after they've watched it. Then display the ratings, collectively, for other Users to see.
Display Professional Critic Reviews
Gather reviews from professional critics on each Title and display these when a User looks for more information on the Title(synopsis, accolades, trailers, etc.)
Show How Many Times A Title Has Been Added to A List
Piggyback off of the already establish List feature in Netflix and use this data to show Users how many times a Title has been added to other User Lists.
Allow Users to Follow What Other Users Are Watching
Introduce a social-like feature where Users can follow each other and their activity on the Netflix platform(what they're watching)—allowing for deeper profile personalization.
Planning