A better way to browse and discover movies on NPO Start

NPO Start is a free video-on-demand service from the Dutch Public Broadcaster. I use it frequently to watch movies on both my laptop and tablet, as I don't have a TV. But here's the thing, I need to click four (4) times just to go back-and-forth between the full movie description and the movies overview page. This, coupled with the added wait time from page loads, is really frustrating.

I felt the urge to find a better way, to design a more intuitive and user-friendly browsing experience for discovering movies on NPO Start.

Create a prototype that simplifies the browsing and discovery process on the NPO Start platform, reducing clicks and eliminating page loads.

For this project, I used the Double Diamond process, a Design Thinking method. It's a strong fit for this challenge as it promotes exploring opportunities and refining solutions, centred on user needs. This method systematically drives a user-friendly and impactful design outcome.

I began by inspecting the movie data-attributes tied to each movie card on the NPO Start platform using the browser's developer tools. This analysis was crucial for discovering and identifying what information is available and how it's structured.

Next, I looked at other streaming platforms to discover potential solutions. A competitor analysis revealed best practices and approaches to similar user needs. Combining this research with my understanding of NPO's movie data-attributes, I sketched ideas to enhance the user experience.

With the insights from studying movie data-attributes and analysing competitors, I was ready to redefine the user flow. Below are images comparing the 'before' user flow and the 'after'. The new flow speeds up browsing and improves movie discovery.

Building on the insights from the research phase, I created an overlay component. It reduces clicks and keeps users on the movies overview page for a seamless discovery experience. The component's scalability allows for adding new sections like 'Others also watched', and/or the ability to expand movie summaries with even more details.

The new design has significantly improved the browsing experience on NPO Start. I've cut the clicks in half, from four to just two. This means users can navigate the site with half the effort. Also, by keeping users on the movies overview page, I've removed unnecessary page loads. This makes navigation faster and more enjoyable, while also lightening the load on the servers.

But these improvements aren't assumptions that can be left untested - they need to be validated with real users. If necessary, I'm ready to make further changes based on user feedback. This project has been a great learning experience, showing how thoughtful design can significantly improve user experience and engagement.