Fred, a 32-year-old school teacher, unwinds after work by binge-watching his favorite shows.
While he loves sci-fi, he often switches genres based on his mood and enjoys discovering new movies and shows.
Fred's streaming experience was plagued by several critical issues that transformed his leisure time into a frustrating hunt for content. The platform's categorisation system is weak making navigation time-consuming.
Fred often struggled because navigating on his TV with a remote was cumbersome. Since he prefers watching different genres based on his mood, he had to search on Google beforehand just to find what to watch — a frustrating experience that disrupted his streaming routine.
I conducted comprehensive user research including 3 interviews, and a survey of streaming users sourced from Chat GPT. My research revealed pain points that were affecting user satisfaction.
Based on my research insights, I designed a Sub Genre level categorization + an AI integrated genre recommending Information Architecture system that provides recommendations. The Smart recommendation feature suggests sub genres based on Fred's genre selection giving Fred a great user experience.
The new interface prioritizes solutions to Fred's problems. The new Sub Genre with AI integration intelligently suggests shows that Fred might like, giving Fred the flexibility to explore shows without searching on other platforms.
The process began with brainstorming the core problem: how to help users like Fred spend less time searching and more time watching across all streaming services.
I then created detailed wireframes focusing on information architecture. My initial plan was to sub divide the genre so that users can land on their favourite show but later thought of introducing an AI along to do the hard job.
The final design was ready after 13 different iterations, ensuring that Fred and users like him could effortlessly find their favorite shows, eventhough they use a simple T.V remote.
The Smart Genre categorisation is expected to have a huge impact on user engagement and satisfaction, with significant improvements across all key metrics.
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If you are interested in checking the unpolished but fully working prototype with AI integrated suggestions click here.
This project reinforced the importance of user-centered design and the power of solving real, everyday frustrations. By focusing on Fred's core needs rather than adding more features, we created a solution that truly improved the user experience.
Key learnings included the critical importance of cross-device continuity in modern streaming habits, the value of progressive disclosure in interface design, and how small improvements in user flow can lead to significant engagement gains.
Future improvements will focus on enhanced accessibility features, voice control integration, and even smarter content recommendations based on viewing context and time of day.
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