Timeline
2 MONTHS (2022-2023)
Product Info
Letterboxd: social app focused on sharing opinions about and love of film
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Letterboxd promises to "bring social aspects of film watching to the forefront…" However, there an an unsatisfied want/craving for more social networking opportunities.
The current platform does not allow for enough active engagement between users as evidenced by their feature requests.
BACKGROUND
Few common themes remain on top of the user-populated feature request log
One that spoke out was the 9th most requested suggestion based on votes: the option for groups that users can join and watch film together.
GOAL
Add feature(s) that would allow users to create customized "clubs" (groups) and talk to fellow Letterboxd users
Look for ways to incorporate social networking with film watching that are in line with Letterboxd's mission
Up average session duration for Letterboxd users
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Letterboxd. This was a concept project.
Research
I conducted 4 interviews with active Letterboxd users to uncover what opportunities there are for social networking through club features. I then conducted a survey with 20 Letterboxd users to quantitatively back up interview assumptions and to find out how the feature will take shape.
Let’s talk Interests
Participants have many interests and want to have extended interactions with people who hold the same interests.
Cultivated feed
Users want to easily find and follow the "right" people to cultivate their activity feed and recommendations.
Friends, Family, and influencers
Users enjoy recommendations, media discussions and events, and reading reviews with their friends, family, and social media influencers.
Protecting the bubble
Users, especially power users, enjoy the film geek atmosphere and dislike disruptions to that culture through megafans/non-filmgeeks.
From this, I derived 3 main actionable insights:
Narrowing down essential features
When adding features, it's important to avoid getting too caught up in trying to gain a competitive advantage. I also want to avoid feature overload, as it can hinder user adoption. Thus to identify the essential club features expected by users, I analyzed existing companies that offer media-focused club features.
Information Architecture
Now that I knew my features, I created the two overarching flows that illustrate how the new feature will integrate with the app and detail the club creation and the club interaction process. I kept in mind the different user types that came up in research
1) passive users who wish to lurk, observe, and join
2) active users who wish to take initiative and create clubs
3) users who are mix of the above
IDEATION
Tackling usability challenge and incorporating the current design system in the solution
Before brainstorming, I audited the Letterboxd Android app, pinpointing usability issues like thin icons, unclear navigation, and limited text space to left usernames. Initially, aligning solutions with the app's design posed challenges, but through multiple ideation phases, I refined my design by incorporating elements from Letterboxd's current design system.
first screen of club creation flow
Sketch
(based on app's Add a Review flow)
Mid-fi
Mid-fi testing
Participants focused on the overall structure, and sequence of the flows without visual distractions
After iterations, I was ready to put the mid-fis to the unmoderated testing with 10 participants.
Top research goals:
How do users feel about the ease and sequence of the flows?
Do users have all the information they need to join a club?
Are users able to easily create a club and add a film?
Are elements in the right areas, for users to complete their tasks?
Changes based on testing:
HI-FI Testing
Uncovering users’ feelings, aesthetic opinions, and feature interest
I performed 4 Moderated User Interviews with Letterboxd users for high-fi testing, gaining confidence in the flow's sequence post mid-fi testing and revisions. Beyond initial research goals, I explored overall user sentiments, encompassing both the feature's visual design and user interest.
Creating visual consistency by drawing from the existing Letterboxd Design System
The flow predominantly utilized native components, with new elements inspired by the existing design language to seamlessly integrate. For new features with extended user paths, establishing a sense of familiarity is crucial.
