During the Covid-19 pandemic, streaming service use has skyrocketed. People use virtual watch parties as a way to stay connected to loved ones while forced to stay physically apart. However, precious time is lost on decisions- what to watch, what platform to watch it on, etc. Users need a better way to find media to watch together.
Watch It- an innovative app that uses watch history and preferences to ‘match’ with other users, generating curated lists of shows and movies that can be watched on whichever platforms are available to the users. This app seeks to cut down the time spent arguing over what to watch, so that people can spend that time doing what’s most important- being together, even miles apart.
This project was completed as a speculative project. All ideas and work contained within belongs to me.
Product Designer
Pen and Paper, Google Forms, Figma, Whimsical, Maze
Market Analysis
Interviews
Persona
Site Map
Task and User Flows
UI Kit
Lo-fi Wireframes
Hi-Fi Prototype
Usability Testing
Iteration
Project Takeaways
This new app is not for streaming; however examining streaming services and seeing their user interfaces and how they allow users to interact will help with planning the interactivity of the app.
Through market analysis, the following was determined:
• A home screen with content customized by user data, similar to Pinterest's home screen, will help users discover new content.
• Users will need to have a way to select/filter the genres, streaming platforms, etc. This affects what content they are recommended during the Stream Party.
• Users should be able to cut time deciding what to watch; something like Reelgood’s Search Party feature based on each user’s personal preferences can help with this.
• Viewing of the media should happen externally, not within Watch It.
I interviewed fourteen participants to better understand the motivations and needs of those who streamed media with others, as well as the better understand what features would best suit a product like Watch It.
• Motivations for watching/streaming media with friends and family included hanging out, sharing laughs/the experiences of shows/movies, connecting, and discussion.
• Users cited being unsure if the other person/people would enjoy their suggestion(and vice-versa), technology errors, not sharing the same streaming services for the selected media, and inattentiveness/talking as pain points when watching media with friends and family.
• Users also cited difficulty in selecting something to watch as a pain point.
• Users need a service that uses watch history (tracked across all streaming series) and personal interests to curate lists of things to watch, both for themselves and to be used when watching with others.
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Kelly King represents an average user of Watch It- someone who wants to keep connected to distant friends and loved ones through sharing her favorite shows and movies, but faces the problems of 1. everyone having varied tastes and 2. not everyone subscribing to the same services. Based on her needs and pain points, Watch It needs take into account preferences/tastes of viewers and streaming services subscribed to in order to generate appealing watch suggestions for all parties.
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The main goal of the app is to help users decide what to watch with other people- this can be done through the use of the app's Search Party feature, represented in the task flow. However, the app can also be used to keep track of personal watch history, search for where to watch (platforms available for streaming), and get personalized suggestions for media to watch. These features, as well as the main Search Party feature, are represented in the user flow.
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The UI design was based on design patterns found in the apps I analyzed in the research stage. I wanted users to be able to intuitively navigate the app, and based the UI patterns contained within on streaming services and other commonly used apps. The color scheme was selected for its modernity, as well as its resemblance to the neon lights and dark ambiance of a move theater.
I designed the main screens for the prototype based on the flow followed by a first-time user.
The onboarding process includes selections for location, services subscribed to, genres liked, and shows/movies previously watched. This allows the app to customize suggestions for the user, as well as provides data for comparison with other users during the Search Party.
In the Search Party, the username(s) of other Watch It Users can be input to generate a custom list of ten pieces of media that both users 1. would enjoy and 2. can watch on streaming service they are both subscribed to.
Swipe through for details on each main page.
The following was revealed through the usability study:
• Overall, the design was well-received. Familiarity with navigation and design patterns that exist in other commonly used apps assisted users in navigating the app.
• Users did struggle with seeing which services were highlighted (onboarding). This could be rectified with a light colored check mark over the selected services.
• The UI for the Stream Party, specifically the part where participants are added to the stream party, was confusing. The button currently used for adding participants is a simple ‘plus’ button, and could be easily overlooked; a more prominent ‘add user’ button would make the task easier for users.
From brainstorming the idea and validating it through user research, to creating an app that can be further validated through usability tests, the quick creation of the Watch It App was not easy. However, after completing what would normally be a team effort by myself, I’ve come to appreciate how much really goes into creating the apps we take for granted. The research stage of this product in particular was illuminating. No matter how pretty and functional an app is, without research validating the need for it, it will not succeed. Based on my findings, there is a great need for an app like this, especially with the current pandemic and boom of streaming services.
Were I to continue work on this project, I would continue to do more research into the need for this product, as well as add in features that would make the product more valuable and competitive. I believe with many more rounds of iteration and testing, a viable product would be ready for the market.
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