Enhancing Content Discovery and User Engagement in the Netflix Mobile App
Netflix is an entertainment conglomerate that laid the foundation for digital streaming services of Movies, TV shows and is one the leading productions in the Industry. The focus of the study was to improve the content discovery and subscriber engagement with the mobile application
Entertainment
UX Designer
2 Weeks
Improve content discovery and user engagement while identifying business strategies for Netflix to compete effectively in a fast-growing market
Challenge
Users often struggle to find content due to the overwhelming number of choices available, making it difficult to navigate and select what to watch. Additionally, engagement with personalized recommendations remains low, indicating a need for more effective content curation. Another issue is the difficulty users face in accessing previously watched content, which can hinder their viewing experience. Meanwhile, competitors like Disney+ continue to gain a competitive edge by leveraging merchandise and subscription strategies, posing a threat to Netflix’s market position.
Goals
To address these challenges, I aim to enhance content discoverability and engagement by refining its recommendation algorithms and user interface. Improving the ease of access to previously watched content will further streamline the viewing experience and encourage continued platform usage. Additionally, integrating new business strategies—such as partnerships, merchandising, or tiered subscription models—will be key to driving Netflix’s long-term growth and maintaining its competitive advantage in the streaming industry.
55%
Reduction in content discovery difficulties
30%
Growth in Netflix Shop visibility and purchases
15%
Reduction in decision-making time with advanced filters
Research Process
Empathize: Conducted user interviews and focus groups to understand the pain points and user needs and also studied competitor apps and industry trends to gather insights.
Competitor Analysis: Based on the research findings, we restructured the app's navigation and content, prioritizing features and information according to user needs.
Content Analysis: Evaluated the impact of different content discovery models.
Define & Design: Proposed redesigns, added features, and business strategies based on research insights.
Competitor Analysis
Disney+ is already to the halfway mark of Netflix with 100+ million subscribers. It has over 200 stores in North America selling Disney, Marvel, and Pixar-branded products. The Revenue strategy through the entertainment sector drove more business towards their Disney+ as well. That is when Netflix also stepped into E-commerce with their Netflix Shop merchandize sector as well.
Disney Overtook Netflix in Q3 (2022)
Content Discovery Analysis
Netflix focuses more on the Curated Content and has 2 Curated Carousels in first screen. They have 1 User based carousel in 1st screen and thus having lesser user engagement.
Disney+ hotstar has its intial focus towards User Based Content. They have 2 User based and 2 Curated carousel in 1st screen and thus having higher user engagement.
Prime Video has 3 User based and 1 Curated carousel in 1st screen and thus having higher user engagement.
Research Data
This data was collected through a user survey to understand audience demographics and behavior. The findings reveal that 90% of users fall within the 18-40 age group, 85% use the mobile app, and 65% feel comfortable with it. Additionally, 45% use their own accounts, while 40% purchase merchandise. However, 55% reported difficulty in finding content, highlighting a key area for improvement. These insights help in enhancing user experience and optimizing app functionality.
Quick Questionnaire
Which OTT Platform do you use the most ?
How often do you use digital streaming services ?
Are you into buying merchandises of your favorite TV shows or movies ?
Do you use your own subscription account for viewing ?
Ever faced a problem in finding what you were looking for ?
Did you know there is a category choosing section in Netflix App ?
Had trouble in finding your recently watched or currently watching show ?
Common Identified Problems
Through the user survey, I identified key pain points affecting the streaming experience:
These insights help in refining content discovery, user accessibility, and subscription strategies for an improved streaming experience.
Devised Solution
Inclusion of Advanced filter with search to make the choice easier.
Addition of Previously watched list for users to find their watching pattern.
Introducing Merchandise pop ups to drive the user engagement and help the business model (Based on their watch patterns)
Adding ratings based on Netflix’s Rating System to give users more transparency
Added Features
In order to solve the problem of accessing the previously watched or history of watch. The following inclusions have been accommodated .
'Watched' Indicator to indicate the content has been watched.
Previously Watched in the settings page, where they can take a look at the list of shows watched and filter them based on categories they have watched.
In order to eliminate the cognitive load for choices and improve the existing visibility of filter and in the process ease the decision making process. Addition of Filter icon on the basis of the region is essential.
Added Filter to the search page and as well as additionally added the speech to find feature to simplify the search for the user.
The Advanced filter on click of the filter will let the user give their preference and will reduce the decision making time.
At end of the episode or the movie, the users feel the urge or the rush to associate with the events of the episode or the highs of the characters. Taking that into the consideration based on the research data, I am able to put forwards the idea of introducing merchandise popups relevant to the episode that will drive the user to check out and increase the accessibility and visibility of Netflix shop and increase the conversion rate as well.
Inference
By implementing these UX improvements, Netflix can enhance user engagement, simplify content discovery, and integrate business strategies to remain competitive in the streaming industry. These changes align with both user needs and Netflix’s long-term business growth strategy. Through User Testing of the prototype I was able to gather insights that these improvements thus provide Faster decision-making, reduced content discovery time and Higher conversion rates for Netflix Shop.