Hulu Redesign

Hulu Redesign

Background

Hulu is a leading streaming service offering a vast library of TV shows, movies, and original content. While users enjoy the diverse content available, the challenge lies in helping them discover new and relevant content tailored to their preferences. Enhancing the content discovery experience can significantly boost user engagement and satisfaction.

Objective: Design a new feature or set of features within the Hulu app that improves personalized content discovery, making it easier for users to find shows and movies they love.

Step 1: Define the Design Challenge

Hulu is a widely-used video streaming app with a unique target market that primarily focuses on TV series rather than movies. As a UX designer, I see an opportunity to enhance the app’s user experience and make it more user-friendly. By leveraging my skills and understanding of user needs, I aim to redesign the Hulu mobile app to provide an intuitive, engaging, and seamless experience for its users.

Step 2: Understanding Hulu

Hulu is a leading entertainment platform available as both a website and a mobile app. Despite being a popular choice for streaming TV shows and movies, Hulu’s business model heavily relies on advertisements, which cannot be skipped during playback. Recently, Hulu introduced new subscription options, allowing users to choose plans based on the level of advertising they prefer. Users can opt for an ad-free experience by paying extra for the “No Ads” membership.

According to the 2017 Hitwise Industry Trends & Audience Analysis Report, 87% of Hulu’s user base consists of women. This demographic insight plays a crucial role in tailoring the user experience to meet their preferences and needs.

Step 3: User Research

I conducted an interview with 10 users who fit into the main user group. I ask about their user preference, observe them using Hulu, and try to understand how they want to improve the current design.

Step 4:Research Findings

Based on our comprehensive user research, we have gathered several key insights that will inform the redesign process to enhance the user experience of our app:

1. User Profile Login:
   • Insight: 80% of users prefer logging into their own profiles.
   • UX Implication: This highlights the importance of personalized experiences. Ensuring a seamless and intuitive login process will be crucial. Enhancements may include single sign-on (SSO) options, biometric authentication, and persistent login states to streamline access and improve user convenience.
2. Voice Search Feature:
   • Insight: A majority of 90% of users express a need for the voice search feature.
   • UX Implication: The demand for voice search underlines the necessity for hands-free and efficient navigation options. Implementing a robust voice search functionality that accurately understands user commands and provides relevant results will significantly improve usability and user satisfaction.
3. Finding Show Episodes:
   • Insight: 70% of users experience difficulty in finding specific show episodes.
   • UX Implication: This indicates a need for a more intuitive content discovery and navigation system. Enhancing the episode browsing experience with clear categorization, better search filters, and a more intuitive layout will help users locate their desired content more efficiently.
4. “Keep Watching” Category:
   • Insight: 70% of users want to see the “Keep Watching” category first.
   • UX Implication: Prioritizing the “Keep Watching” category on the home screen will cater to user preferences for quick access to their ongoing shows. This can be achieved by placing it prominently at the top of the home screen and ensuring it is easily accessible upon login.
5. Mobile Viewing for Home Engineers (Gwen):
   • Insight: 60% of users, particularly Home Engineers (like Gwen), watch TV shows on the go.
   • UX Implication: This demographic requires a mobile-optimized experience that supports viewing on various devices. The app should offer adaptive streaming quality, easy offline access, and a responsive design that ensures seamless viewing across different screen sizes and environments.

UX Recommendations:

1. Personalized Profiles:
   • Develop a robust user profile system with personalized recommendations, watch history, and custom settings.
   • Enhance the profile login experience with options like SSO, biometric authentication, and persistent login.
2. Advanced Voice Search:
   • Integrate advanced voice recognition technology to support natural language processing.
   • Ensure the voice search feature is prominently accessible and can handle a wide range of commands accurately.
3. Enhanced Content Navigation:
   • Redesign the content discovery interface to include clear episode categorization and improved search filters.
   • Implement features like episode previews and quick access buttons to facilitate easier navigation.
4. Prominent “Keep Watching” Section:
   • Ensure the “Keep Watching” category is the first thing users see upon login.
   • Include visual indicators and progress tracking to help users quickly resume their shows.
5. Mobile-Optimized Viewing:
   • Design the app with a responsive layout that adapts to various screen sizes.
   • Offer features like adaptive streaming, easy offline access, and user-friendly controls for on-the-go viewing.

By incorporating these insights and recommendations, we can create a more user-centric app that addresses the specific needs and preferences of our diverse user base, ultimately enhancing overall user satisfaction and engagement.

Step 5: App Critique

Base on the current application flow, I found some problem with the application that can be improved.

Step 6. Wireframing

Redesigning the user flow to make the app easier to use involves several critical steps aimed at enhancing usability, efficiency, and overall user satisfaction. Here’s a comprehensive outline of the redesign process:

1. User Research and Analysis:
   • Conduct thorough user research to understand the pain points, preferences, and behaviors of the target audience.
   • Analyze feedback from existing users to identify common issues and areas for improvement.
2. Define User Personas and Scenarios:
   • Create detailed user personas representing the different types of users who interact with the app.
   • Develop user scenarios and journeys to map out how these personas typically use the app.
3. Streamline Navigation:
   • Simplify the navigation structure to make it more intuitive and user-friendly.
   • Ensure that key features and frequently used functions are easily accessible with minimal taps or clicks.
   • Implement clear, consistent, and easily recognizable icons and labels.
4. Optimize Onboarding Process:
   • Design an engaging and informative onboarding process that helps new users quickly understand the app’s core features and benefits.
   • Use tooltips, tutorials, and interactive guides to assist users during their initial interactions with the app.
5. Enhance Visual Hierarchy:
   • Redesign the visual hierarchy to prioritize important elements and actions, making them stand out clearly.
   • Use consistent typography, color schemes, and spacing to create a cohesive and visually appealing interface.
6. Improve Search Functionality:
   • Enhance the search experience with advanced filtering and sorting options.
   • Implement predictive search and auto-suggestions to help users find content quickly.
   • Integrate a voice search feature that allows users to search hands-free, improving accessibility and convenience.
7. Optimize Performance and Responsiveness:
   • Ensure that the app performs smoothly and responds quickly to user inputs.
   • Optimize loading times and reduce any lag to provide a seamless experience.
8. Conduct Usability Testing:
   • Conduct usability testing with real users to gather feedback on the redesigned flow.
   • Identify any remaining issues or areas of confusion and make necessary adjustments.
9. Iterate and Refine:
   • Continuously iterate on the design based on user feedback and testing results.
   • Stay updated with user needs and industry trends to ensure the app remains relevant and competitive.
10. Provide Comprehensive Support:
    • Implement in-app support options, such as FAQs, chatbots, and customer support contacts, to assist users with any questions or issues.
    • Ensure that help and support are easily accessible throughout the app.

By following these steps, the redesigned user flow will make the app significantly easier to use, enhancing both user satisfaction and engagement. The focus on user-centric design principles will ensure that the app meets the needs of its users effectively and efficiently.

Step 7. New Design

Based on user research insights, I have redesigned the high-fidelity screens to create a more user-friendly and enjoyable application experience. This redesign includes intuitive navigation, streamlined workflows, and visually appealing interfaces that cater to user needs and preferences.

Additionally, I have designed a new screen for voice search functionality. This feature allows users to interact with the application more naturally and efficiently, reducing the time it takes to reach their desired content. The voice search screen is optimized for quick response and accuracy, ensuring users can easily find what they are looking for without the hassle of manual input.

These enhancements not only improve overall usability but also significantly elevate the user experience, making the application more accessible and engaging for all users.