Analysis revealed most apps lack a social focus, while Letterboxd thrives on connection. Adding a follow feature would spark more discussions and engagement.
90% of user participants say that directors and actors significantly influence their movie choices
Frustration for Multiple Apps and Time-Consuming Searches
User research revealed a movie enthusiast who views films as a personal escape and enjoys discussing them with friends. They seek new directors but struggle with scattered discovery sources and missed updates. The empathy map highlights their need for a centralized, social platform to stay connected and explore films effortlessly.
Developing the Persona
Meet Jake - a true cinephile who lives for film scores, director updates, and theater trips. Letterboxd is his social hub, where he tracks movies, competes with friends, and stays in the know. For him, movies are more than entertainment—they’re a way to connect and discuss.
How might we address user frustrations with navigating multiple apps?
Guided by my research findings, I crafted "How Might We" statements to deeply understand user frustrations, pain points, and tree testing insights, enabling me to prioritize features that directly address their needs.
Defined the solution by identifying key features—enhancing social connections, centralizing movie updates, and implementing notifications—based on user needs and competitor insights. This ensures a focused approach to improving engagement and staying competitive.
Ideate
Users Engage with Letterboxd in Diverse Ways
People use Letterboxd for everything from discovering new films to tracking diaries, exploring friends’ watchlists, and creating lists. This insight highlighted the importance of designing flexible navigation flows, ensuring users can interact with the app in ways that best suit their unique preferences.
Prototype
Rapid Prototyping to Understand User Flows
I designed low-fidelity wireframes to test with users and understand their thought process, gathering rapid feedback on where the feature fit best. Ultimately, I chose to create a dedicated page, allowing users to stay up-to-date in one central place.
Redefining How Fans Stay Connected with Their Favorites
Making it easier (and way more fun) to stay connected with your favoruite creators—streamlined navigation, a dedicated hub, and real-time updates keep you in the loop effortlessly!
Simplified pathways to easily access and manage favourite creators.
Testing
Refining Content Design and Hierarchy to Meet User Needs
Conducted unmoderated usability testing with six app users, revealing navigation issues and unclear feedback that hindered task completion, highlighting areas for improvement.
Refined after feedback to deliver a sharper, more impactful solution.
Clear navigation
After some confusion in usability tests, revised copy to provide clear context and guide users seamlessly, eliminating uncertainty about their actions and destination.
Content Hierarchy
Minimized excess white space to prevent confusion with loading errors and updated the 'Coming Soon' section to 'Similar Directors' for better content consistency.
Final Designs
Reflection
The new feature for Letterboxd allows users to follow their favourite creators and stay updated on their reviews, lists, and activities, all while maintaining Letterboxd's signature tone and community-focused approach.
People use Letterboxd for everything from discovering new films to tracking diaries, exploring friends’ watchlists, and creating lists. This revealed a key takeaway: users have different purposes and levels of engagement with the app, requiring a design that caters to everyone—not just movie enthusiasts. By showcasing flexible navigation flows, I aimed to support a wide range of needs and enhance the experience for all types of users.
