Hulu
O V E R V I E W
Endless hours of TV shows and movies for you to browse at the touch of a fingertip…
Hulu is a streaming service app allowing users to browse hundreds of TV shows and movies. Hulu has a mobile app for users to watch their favorite shows on the go.
This was a solo passion project for my Useful School course. The assignment required me to redesign a product of my choice.
During the duration of this project, I redesigned the Hulu mobile app as a Product Designer & UX Researcher over the span of 4 weeks from October to November 2022. On a macro-level, I conducted user research to create a problem statement, adhered to a pre-established style guide and design system, and designed lo-fi to hi-fi wireframes on Figma.
Check out the prototype!
P R O B L E M
Hulu’s gender-based TV show and film recommendations are not inclusive…
One day, I was playing around with Hulu’s mobile app and I discovered that Hulu required users to state their gender identity in their “Edit Profile” section, only giving them three options (“female”, “male”, and “prefer not to say”) to choose from. When I tapped on the question mark icon, it revealed that Hulu bases recommendations on the user’s gender identity. I thought that the language was not inclusive and that including “prefer not to say” does not create a gender-affirming environment for the LGBTQIA+ community.
After some investigation, I found that users had a problem with the app’s lack of inclusivity.
My reaction when I discovered this information…
This inspired the question of…
How do I provide more accurate recommendations to users and create a more gender-inclusive environment?
Goals
User goals: Discover shows that are relevant to their interests, especially if they watch a wide range of TV show and film genres
Business goals: Increase retention and frequency of use
R E S E A R C H
Users were frustrated by how Hulu caters recommendations to them based on gender…
Primary Research & User Testing
I recruited a sample size of 4 research participants between the ages of 18-30 years old to understand the pain points of using the mobile app and to gain insight on their reactions to Hulu’s gender-based recommendations. I conducted user testing on the “Edit Profile” feature and discovered that users were having a difficult time navigating to to their profile page and thought that collecting information, such as gender, to provide users with recommendations makes Hulu’s TV show and film recommendations too narrow.
How I focused on creating a more inclusive experience for users…
More clear visual cues
I reorganized the profile page and made the “Edit Profile” button more noticeable to allow users to have an easier time navigating the “Edit Profile” page.
Provide more accurate recommendations based on users’ interests
Rather than requiring users to state their gender, I implemented a “Favorite Shows” and “Favorite Movies” feature that allows users to select their favorite shows and films. This feature allows Hulu to cater recommendations to users based on their interests, increasing user retention.
Transparency and personalized preferences
Each user has different goals and preferences towards specific shows and films. The “Favorite Shows” and “Favorite Movies” feature allows users to edit their preferences and tailor their Hulu experience to their needs. Also, I made it clear to users how Hulu uses their selection of favorite shows and movies to personalize their preferences.
Results
After doing final rounds of user testing with 5 research participants between the ages of 18-30 years old, I found…
Takeaways
If I had more time, I would create a strategy to make the “Favorite Shows” and “Favorite Movies” feature more discoverable (i.e., adding “Favorite Shows”/ “Favorite Movies” icon on each show/ film).
I learned that it’s important to create an inclusive environment for users to enhance their mobile app experiences, especially since users have a wide range of interests and goals when using streaming services.
✨ Projects that will add more sparkle to your day…
Keep in Touch
☕ For work inquiries or to grab a cup of coffee (… or bubble tea), e-mail me at hello@alyssaguo.me.
Thank you so much for reading! 💖