'Rent or Buy' on Netflix
One of the reasons people use streaming services like Netflix is for the convenience of having a wide selection of movies and TV shows available at their fingertips. However, there are many popular movies that are not available through the subscription model, and users may be hesitant to pay for them elsewhere. Allowing users to rent movies directly through the Netflix platform could lead to increased engagement and user satisfaction.
Netflix is a leading streaming service that offers a vast library of movies, TV shows, and original content, providing on-demand entertainment to millions of users worldwide.
Main Project Goal
The main project goal is to design a seamless and user-friendly 'rent & buy' feature on Netflix for movies unavailable in the subscription model.
My Role
Product Designer
UX Researcher
Time
5 weeks
Challenges
Project Goals
Discovery
{01} — Competitive Analysis
For my competitive analysis, I researched key players in the movie rental space, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and Rakuten TV. I evaluated each platform based on the criteria below:
{02} — Customer Feedback
In addition to competitive analysis, I explored customer feedback from online reviews, forums, and social media to understand user pain points and expectations regarding movie rentals and purchases. By analyzing real user experiences with our competitors, I identified what users appreciate and what could be improved, which helped me to shape a more user-centric 'rent or buy' feature for Netflix.
{03} — Secondary Research
I also conducted a secondary research by exploring industry articles and studies to gain a deeper understanding of the video rental market and user behaviors. I reviewed sources such as Medium, ResearchGate, and academic papers to uncover trends, challenges, and consumer preferences. This research helped inform the design decisions for Netflix's 'rent or buy' feature, ensuring it aligns with user expectations and market demands.
Definition
{04} — User Flow
After my research I've realized that a user flow similar to Amazon Prime Video's approach would be the best fit for Netflix.
{05} — Concept Wireframes
Idea #2: Adding options called “ Rent or Buy”, and “ All” under the TV shows and Movies headings in the navigation bar. The “Rent or Buy” page lists all the movies and TV shows that are not available for free under the subscription model; users can filter the content for different genres, access the deals for some content, and see personalized recommendations for paid content. The “All” page has all the content Netflix has including the free content.
Idea #3: Adding the “Rent or Buy” content to the home page, under some different categories such as Top Picks, Recommended For You, Action, Comedy...etc. Users can explore the paid content by scrolling through the home page, accessing the content’s page, and purchasing them.
“My List” heading has two different titles now “Watchlist” and “Purchased”. All the rented or bought content goes to the “Purchased” page so the user can access them later easily. The “Watchlist” page has all the contents that the user saved for watching later.
Develop
{06} — Prototype
After considering advantages and disadvantages of each concept, I decided to combine Idea 1 and Idea 3 to leverage the strengths of both concepts and, create a more integrated and seamless user experience. By having a "Store" heading for easy navigation to all rental and purchase options, alongside "Rent or Buy" content into the home page under various categories, users can enjoy both a focused browsing experience and the convenience of discovering paid content organically as they explore Netflix. This approach enhances visibility and accessibility of rental and purchase options, aligns with user browsing habits, and provides a clear organization of purchased content in the "Purchased" section, ensuring users can easily manage and access their paid content.
{07} — Usability Testing
I was interested in understanding:
How users navigate the ‘rent or buy’ feature within the Netflix interface
If users can easily find and access movies available for renting or buying
If the rental or purchase process, including payment and confirmation, is clear and intuitive
If users can successfully locate and watch their rented or purchased movies without confusion
If users can easily differentiate between subscription-based and paid content
I conducted usability tests with 4 participants of various experience with Netflix and movie rental habits to evaluate my prototype and gather insights on its usability.
Design
{08} — Iterations
Based on the usability testing results, a key design iterations have been implemented to enhance user clarity and experience.
Final Design
{09} — Walk-Through
{10} — Details
Results
To evaluate the impact of the 'Rent or Buy' feature on Netflix, I set the following UX metrics: