Project Overview
Project: UX Case Study
Context: COVID-19 Pandemic
Role: UX/UI Designer
Duration: Conceptual project
Status: Conceptual (not affiliated with HBO)
Context
During the pandemic, the consumption of streaming platforms increased significantly. As people spent more time at home, expectations regarding digital experiences also grew.
In this context, HBO GO presented recurring user complaints related to navigation, content discovery, and overall usability, which negatively impacted user satisfaction and continuity of use.
The Problem
Users struggled to navigate the platform, resume previously watched content, and discover relevant titles, leading to frustration and a poor overall experience.
Key problems identified:
- Unintuitive navigation
- Difficulty discovering relevant content
- Unclear information hierarchy
- Inconsistent experience across screens and flows
Project Goal
To improve the HBO GO user experience by restructuring navigation and interface elements, focusing on:
- Easier content discovery
- Reduced friction in key user flows
- Increased user engagement and retention
My Role
I worked as a UX/UI Designer, responsible for the end-to-end process, including:
- Research planning and execution
- Quantitative data analysis
- Usability issue identification
- Opportunity definition
- Wireframing and interface design
- Prototyping
Research & Analysis
Methods Used
- Quantitative user research
- Heuristic evaluation
- Benchmark analysis with other streaming platforms
Key Insights
The research revealed clear patterns in user behavior and pain points:
- Users struggled to resume previously watched content
- Lack of personalization negatively affected content discovery
- Poor visual organization increased cognitive load
- Key elements lacked sufficient visual emphasis
User Profile (Persona)
Based on the research, I identified a recurring user profile:
User characteristics
- Frequent streaming user
- Consumes content continuously
- Values speed and ease when resuming content
Main needs
- Quickly resume watched content
- Discover relevant new titles
- Navigate the platform effortlessly
User Journey
Mapping the user journey helped identify critical friction points, especially during content discovery and content resumption moments.
Main pain points:
- Difficulty finding where the user left off
- Too many options without clear hierarchy
- Lack of emphasis on relevant content
Problem Definition (How Might We)
How might we improve navigation and content discovery on HBO GO, making the experience clearer, more intuitive, and aligned with user needs during the pandemic?
Ideation & Proposed Solutions
Based on the insights, the following solution directions were defined:
- Homepage reorganization focused on content continuity
- Stronger visual emphasis on in-progress content
- Improved information hierarchy
- Simplified navigation to reduce cognitive load
Each design decision was directly linked to a user pain point identified during research.
The solution to be proposed is highlighted in light purple on the sitemap below.
UI Design & Prototyping
The interface proposal prioritized:
- Visual clarity
- Fast content scanning
- Consistency across components
- Reduced navigation complexity
Wireframes and prototypes were created to validate the new information architecture and key user flows.
Expected Impact
As this is a conceptual project, the outcomes below represent expected results if the solution were implemented:
- Increased user engagement
- Improved content discovery
- Increased time spent on the platform
- Overall improvement in usability perception
Key Learnings
This project reinforced the importance of:
- Aligning UX decisions with users’ emotional context
- Prioritizing content continuity in streaming platforms
- Translating research insights into clear design decisions
- Balancing user needs with product goals
Check the Prototype in 🇧🇷 pt-BR
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