This is a conceptual academic study on HBO Max
The problem: HBO Max believes that the needs and expectations of its users have changed due to the pandemic.
The solution: HBO Max would like to explore reconfiguration of social activity: users interact with each other and with content on the platform in new ways.
Role and Timeframe
UX Designer & Researcher in a team with three other designers
Two-week sprint
Process
Research & Synthesis: Surveys, interviews, affinity mapping & user personas
Ideation & Delivery: Building a solution, rapid prototyping, usability testing
Tools
Asana
Figma
Miro
User Surveys
In order to figure out how users interact with digital media we conducted a survey asking 8 questions and we got over 80 responses.
Some of the questions we asked at first were things like
What are your favorite video streaming services and which features do you enjoy most?
How do you recommend TV or movies to friends and family?
Is there a specific time you have used a chat function within a video streaming app?
As you can see we did not get our desired results
We pivoted our questions to things like:
What is your favorite digital media platform and why?
How do you interact with others on digital entertainment services?
How do you choose what to watch?
We got much better results like
“I love being able to tell others i like their content, can lead to more convo”
“I enjoyed being able to watch with my family long distance”
After our user interviews and surveys, we synthesized our data and created our User Persona. Meet Aiden
Aiden’s Problem
Aiden would like an intuitive way to interact with their friends while watching HBO Max.
They would like to engage with others on one device so that it’s easier to manage
How might we?
How might we help Aiden recommend content to a friend more easily?
How might we help Aiden find another show to watch on HBO Max?
How might we help Aiden view content with their friends remotely and have it feel as if they are in the room with them?
How might we keep Aiden’s content separate from what they are sharing?
These how might we statements led us to our ideation sessions
Ideation Takeaways
Things that are important to Aiden:
Quality of content
Ability to share with others
Visual connectivity to friends and family
Tailored content
User Goals
Aiden wants an easy way to share and recommend HBO Max content within the desktop app with their friends.
Aiden wants to feel connected with others while watching HBO Max programs through online social interaction.
Task 1: Aiden wants an easy way to find and share recommended HBO Max content within the desktop app with their friends.
Task 2: Aiden wants to feel connected with other friends while watching HBO Max through online social interactions.
Sketch Prototypes
Takeaways:
Not clear how to watch a movie
Some graphics confusing - balloons, logo
Party Room - busy, confusing
Low Fidelity Testing
“The second path confusing as to where to go & what to do. I wished everything was labeled.”
“Party room very busy. Would skip profile building. Likes 'saved shows' category.”
High Fidelity Screens
Welcome
Building profile
Profile is complete
Sign in
Party Room
Signup Screen
Building profile
Show selection
Who is watching
Friends profile
Confirmation
Building profile
Watching
Options
Party room options
Watch with friends
High Fidelity Prototype
Takeaways
Things go so much smoother when you have a great group
Communication and collaboration are key when doing a group project