The Good and Bad UX Practices by Netflix
My childhood memories won’t be complete without the excitement of purchasing and unwrapping new DVDs. After school, my siblings and I would race down the street to local vendors, eager to browse through stacks of Ben 10, Finding Nemo, and Power Rangers DVDs. On days when we had saved enough, we’d make a purchase and rush home, thrilled to watch our new finds.
But it wasn’t always like this. Before DVDs, we huddled around an old, bulky Black-and-White TV. When we didn’t have electricity, we settled for our analog radio for entertainment. VHS tapes soon followed, bringing movies into our home. Then came DVDs, transforming the experience yet again. Fast forward to today; everything’s just a click away with streaming services like Netflix, and we can watch on our smartphones or smart TVs. It’s incredible how much has changed. What’s next? Hologram shows? Lol!
The best part of these evolutions is what I could call to be the UX improvement. From just listening to the radio without seeing who is speaking to actually carrying what looks like a TV right in our pockets. That’s to say, the importance of establishing good UX is underrated.
In a very competitive market where most streaming platforms are fighting to be the top choice for viewers, Netflix has somehow established itself as the most popular and highly rated streaming platform. Netflix is widely recognized in different countries, which could be due to their product quality and features.
The best products are born from a deep empathy with the people who use them.” -Bill Buxton,
The popularity likely came from continuous improvement in their product as well as marketing. This improvement could be seen as the superpower Netflix has gathered over the years by nurturing, remodeling, and enhancing their user experience (UX) to create a product that users love
As much as there is a good side of every story, there will always be another side of the story.
Here is a break down of both good and bad UX practices by Netflix
Good UX Practices
- Privacy solutions in multiple users profile view
Privacy is not an option, and it shouldn’t be the price we accept for just getting on the Internet.” — Gary Kovacs,
Just yesterday, my cousin called abruptly to ask if I had been using her Netflix profile to watch movies, which I hadn’t. She noticed movies she hadn’t seen before were listed as her “Continue Watching.” It was a funny situation yet a reasonable one and I’m pretty sure she called everyone on the subscription.
People love their privacy, and it’s no secret that it is a crucial aspect of user experience (UX). Nobody likes to leave their doors open for neighbors to peep through or to walk in and out of their space. So, they shut it to prevent unnecessary visitors.
Privacy isn’t only applied physically but also in the products we use. Part of Netflix’s good UX is its addition of privacy protections for user profiles. Netflix prioritizes user choice, allowing users to add a passcode to their profile so that not everyone can use their profile, regardless of whether the other person is okay with it.
Users appreciate feeling safe while using a product. Just like my cousin needed a bit of privacy for her profile, some other users expect the same. A good UX should always prioritize user privacy without compromise.
What Netflix did better — Passcode (Optional)
To protect a user’s watch history, Netflix allows users to add an authorization method. This feature gives users a sense of ownership after clicking on their profile and peace of mind that no one else is peeking at what they are watching. Practically, my cousin’s concern would not have been an issue if she knew she could do this.
(Note: The passcode creation is optional and can be done during the profile creation process.)
Users enter a passcode for verification to confirm authorization, which provides a good sense of privacy as every user would like to know that their watch history is protected.
- Skip Intro Button
As far as the customer is concerned, accessibility and the interface is the product. — Jef Raskin,
One of the most important things in every product is the customer's choice and usability; no feature is worth forcing down the throat of any user or suffocating them with. To understand a user is to equally create a product that serves their needs and as much as serving them just as they would want.
Never force users to interact with features or make choices that are not essential to the product’s core function. Allow users to dismiss, hide, or turn off functions they do not want to engage with.
“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
What they did better: In this case, another obvious good UX practice by Netflix is the Skip Intro. They allow users to skip the intro video and focus on their viewing experience, which brought them to the app. They understood that there will be a probability that users may or may not be interested in seeing the intro, so they made it optional in such a way that a user could easily click to skip.
- Simple User Interface
Simplicity always wins the race. Doing too much has never been appealing. Just look around the internet, and you’ll see how simplicity stands out — from the clean, minimalistic designs to the intuitive interfaces. Humans are naturally drawn to things that are easy on the eyes and simple to recognize.
A simple user interface isn’t just about looking good; it’s about making things easy to use and understand. As Steve Jobs once said, “Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” A clean, simple design helps users navigate effortlessly and enjoy their experience without frustration
What Netflix did better:
“Netflix and chill” has to be the most popular trending phrase, and whenever it’s posted on social media, users don’t fail to attach a snapshot of Netflix’s home page UI. It’s a trend that’s recognized everywhere, and that’s no accident that it comes with a recognizable image with it from Netflix.
The simplicity of Netflix’s design has traveled far and wide. Simplicity, I believe, creates a lasting impression in users’ minds, and Netflix has somehow had this from the start, beginning with its simple yet iconic logo.
Bad UX Practices
“Usability is like love. You have to care, you have to listen, and you have to be willing to change. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but that’s where growth and forgiveness come in” — -Jeffrey Zeldman, Principal Designer at Automatic
1. Password Sharing and Exposure
Netflix originally introduced password sharing as a way to promote family and social sharing, which was an impressive and user-friendly approach. It was a decision that was aimed to please users by allowing multiple people to enjoy the service without needing individual accounts. However, the lack of restrictions when the maximum number of logins is reached creates a serious UX issue.
When users share their passwords with multiple people, especially beyond their intended circle, they unknowingly expose their credentials to unauthorized individuals. For instance, consider this scenario:
“Hi Joy, can you share your Netflix password? Joy replies, ‘The account isn’t mine; it’s my sister’s, but I can share the login. She wouldn’t know.’”
Now Joy’s friend has access to the account, and who knows where that password might end up. This puts users in a vulnerable position, all because password sharing has no so strong security or safeguards.
In this case of password sharing, I believe that some users perceive their account as vulnerable when multiple people can access it without proper controls. Should a user feel so?
“The user’s perception is your reality.” — Steve Jobs
What Netflix should do: Users need to feel safe using a product. Instead of relying on password sharing, Netflix should allow individual users to create their own accounts but join a subscription through invite links. That way, no one has to share passwords, and personal information remains secure. Everyone gets access, but no one’s credentials are being passed around like candy.( I love candy though.) Throwing candy with no caution like that could cause it to open and be exposed to ants.
2. No Notification Prompts for New User Logins
One of the scariest things about Netflix right now is how you can have multiple people accessing your account, but you have no idea who they are or where they’re logging in from. There’s no prompt to notify you when a new user logs in, and that’s a huge red flag. As a user, I’d want to know if someone logs into my account because it’s my personal information at stake.
Here is the thing: one of the core principle in UX design is “feedback,” Users expect immediate feedback on important activities that affect their accounts. Not getting a notification account activities is more like leaving a user in the dark.
What Netflix could do: Netflix needs to implement a simple notification system that tells users when a new device or user accesses their account. It’s all about security and peace of mind.
Users need to know what’s happening with their account so they can react if something seems off. Notifications are a basic feature that would instantly improve user trust. The same way every relationship is about trust applies to that of a product and a user; a user should always trust the product in use.
3. Inaccessibility of Netflix on Mobile Browsers
Not everyone likes downloading a ton of apps on their phone, especially if their phone storage space is small. Or in a case where i don’t have a laptop coupled with my tight phone storage. But with Netflix, there’s no option for me to use a mobile browser — it’s the app or nothing; this will probably cause me to find an alternative. UX is about prioritizing user’s needs, not causing a frustrating experience for people who either can’t or don’t want to install yet another app
This is where Inclusive design comes in. Inclusive design is fundamental to good UX. According to the principle of “universal usability,” products should be designed to accommodate all kinds of users, including those with limited resources or specific preferences, user should be given the opportunity to use a product with built-in preference
What Netflix could do: Netflix should make its platform accessible on mobile browsers, just like on desktop. There’s no reason to limit users who either cannot or prefer not to download the app. I strongly believe that it would create a more inclusive product, ensuring access for all potential users, regardless of device limitations or personal preferences.
4. Account Deletion Upon Subscription Cancellation -10 months or less later
Netflix is always like, “ Hey, your account has been inactive for the last 10 months; I’m cutting you off.” Boom, they delete the user's account.
That's very inconsiderate of Netflix -
This typically causes a user to start account creation or registration again from scratch. It's simple and harmless, but a very bad user experience. It seem like a lack of faith in customers. When an account is deleted just because there’s been no recent activity, it feels like the company is assuming users won’t come back.
Users would appreciate products that show they believe in their return, rather than cutting them off after a short period. Building a usable product is as important as building trust and showing that you value users relationship, even if they’ve been away for a while.
“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology, not the other way around.” — Steve Jobs
Deleting accounts after a subscription lapse shows that Netflix is prioritizing technology over user experience.
What Netflix could do: Deleting a user's account is like cutting off that friend who you have not seen or heard from for a while. You assumed she or he was doing alright and should have reached out first to say hi.
Instead of deleting accounts after a short period of inactivity, Netflix should keep accounts safe for a longer time. This would allow users to return when they’re ready without the stress of starting from scratch. It’s about building trust with users and making them feel welcome, even if they take a break.
Final thought
There are billions of Netflix viewers worldwide, and while marketing is important, UX plays a crucial role. A product that’s hard to use won’t last long. Continuous improvement in UX is key because it makes a big difference in how users experience and stick with a platform.
There’s always a good and bad side to every story. Netflix has done a great job with features like profile passcodes, the Skip Intro button, and others that weren’t mentioned here, but there’s still room for improvement in areas like password sharing and mobile browser access. The important thing is to stay on the side that prioritizes users’ needs, choices, and privacy.
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