During our discovery phase, we spent time with families for observation activities, interviewed media experts, and performed moderated usability studies. Here are some insights that informed our design.
HULU
HULU.COM WEBSITE
As Sr. UX Manager for Hulu.com, my mission was to redesign Hulu's streaming service on the web and integrate live tv. Here's how I led the effort with IDEO to push the product design of Hulu into being a ground-breaking web-based platform that is personalized, predictable, encourages exploration, has delightful discovery, and fosters states of flow.
Role
Sr. UX Manager
ORGANIZATION
Hulu
SECTOR
Entertainment, SVOD
Year
2017
DISCOVERY
4
modes of viewing content are committed, snacking, binging, and backgrounding.
42%
share their passwords for streaming services.
27%
are more likely to cancel their subscriptions because of too many ads.
60%
of views on Netflix stem from recommendations.
30M
circulation of T.V. Guide Magazine at its peak.
4.5K
people tweeting, “what should I watch?” in the last month.
4
modes of viewing content are committed, snacking, binging, and backgrounding.
42%
share their passwords for streaming services.
27%
are more likely to cancel their subscriptions because of too many ads.
60%
of views on Netflix stem from recommendations.
30M
circulation of T.V. Guide Magazine at its peak.
4.5K
people tweeting, "what should I watch?" in the last month.
DEFINE
I defined Hulu.com as a platform for innovation that would empower consumers to become subscribers, improve the discovery and consumption of content, and help customers manage their Hulu accounts. Here are some examples of documentation that defined this experience.
DESIGN
The end-to-end web experience aligned with user goals in which they needed to learn about services, subscribe, onboard, and manage their relationship with Hulu. Here are example wireframes created by my team and me that depict acquisition and retention experiences such as subscription, dynamic layouts, and account management.
HOME PAGE
My team explored experimental home page designs with strategically important audiences. These exercises helped us develop compelling ways of engaging more deeply with content, various discovery methods, and novel lean-forward interactions.
HOME PAGE
My team explored experimental home page designs with strategically important audiences. These exercises helped us develop compelling ways of engaging more deeply with content, various discovery methods, and novel lean-forward interactions.
HOME PAGE
My team explored experimental home page designs with strategically important audiences. These exercises helped us develop compelling ways of engaging more deeply with content, various discovery methods, and novel lean-forward interactions.
MY STUFF
Our customers trust Hulu to provide them with the content they love efficiently and effectively. My Stuff is the place where users can add and find all their favorite shows and movies.
REWATCH
Customers can revisit old favorites. Whether the reason is nostalgia, therapeutic, or habit, users can quickly review and watch previously seen shows.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Our ethos was to recommend content with courtesy and transparency because suggestions are better received if users understand "the why."
CONTINUAL ONBOARDING
We bridged information gaps in the recommendation algorithm by placing continual onboarding questions throughout the content discovery experience.
FANDOM & SOCIAL WATCHING
We deepened engagement with content by fostering inspiration, discovery, and endorsement between friends, fans, and family.
SHOW PAGE EXPERIENCE
The design adapts to diverse situations and mindsets. It offers multiple paths to content exploration, including quick-access to related shows, cast & crew information, behind-the-scene extras, reviews, and much more.
SHOW PAGE EXPERIENCE
The design adapts to diverse situations and mindsets. It offers multiple paths to content exploration, including quick-access to related shows, cast & crew information, behind-the-scene extras, reviews, and much more.
LIVE PROGRAMMING GUIDE
The electronic programming guide is a proven and essential paradigm that aligns with information-seeking behaviors and promotes live tv content discovery.
WHAT I LEARNED
COLLABORATION ACROSS TEAMS DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH MUCH IF ALIGNMENT IS NOT ACHIEVED.
Alignment is as important as collaboration, so I started this mission by asking thirty Hulu stakeholders to define Hulu.com. I got thirty different answers. I realized that Hulu.com is many things to many people, and the challenge was to unify all definitions into one. Unfortunately, this approach was not shared by all. Marketing, Content, Product, and many other teams approached content strategy differently, and as a result, there was a misalignment of ideas.
As UX Designers, we should always take a human-centered approach when creating experiences. Why not do the same with our teams? Underlying many of the tensions between groups is miscommunication. Therefore, we need to empathetically bridge gaps between business, technology, design, and, more importantly, your users. Otherwise, your customers will feel the pain.