Netflix For Non-Native English Speakers
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Overview
Streaming services have skyrocketed in popularity, replacing cable and allowing people to watch content anytime, whether with friends or alone. This project is motivated by a commitment to promoting cultural inclusivity, addressing research gaps, and advancing the design of inclusive technology. It focuses on the challenges faced by non-native English speakers when using streaming platforms that primarily host English content. Drawing on insights from contextual interviews, ethnographic studies, and co design sessions, the project aims to create solutions that enhance the streaming experience, making it more intuitive, accessible, and enjoyable. As a result, we designed practical enhancements for Netflix, including customizable captions, an improved Browsing by Language section, and culturally relevant notes to support deeper understanding and engagement.
For more details, feel free to check out my medium article or reach out to me at yp2859@nyu.edu
Literature Review
We began the research process with a literature review to examine existing studies on how non-native English speakers interact with and experience streaming platforms. This review revealed significant gaps in current scholarship, particularly the limited attention given to inclusive design and multilingual user needs. The literature highlights three core components of the streaming experience: access, navigation, and viewing.
- Access: Platforms offer limited language options, with English as the default.
- Navigation: Non-native English speakers struggle with search, query formulation, and language-switching, with limited research on how they navigate curated lists.
- Viewing: Dubbing strategies are evolving for authenticity, but more research is needed on non-native speakers' preferences. Subtitles aid learning and comprehension, depending on accuracy and customization.
Research Question
How can we make video streaming services more accessible and enjoyable for non-native English speakers, for purposes such as entertainment and education?
Methods
We conducted 6 contextual interviews with non-native English speakers to understand their interactions with streaming platforms.
Demographics:
3 Females
3 Males
🗣️Chinese, Urdu & Spanish
We conducted an ethnographic study to observe non-native English speakers using streaming platforms around campus, capturing their behviors, navigation processes, and challenges with language, content, and cultural differences. This provided deeeper insights into their streaming habits and addressed a gap in existing research.
Demographics:
5 Females
🗣️Chinese, Hindi, Tagalog, Twi & Urdu
Provided participants an opportunity to actively contribute to developing a product that addresses their specific needs. This approach was chosen to ensure their voices were directly incorporated into the design process. We conducted two sessions, each with four participants representing a range of native languages facilitating meaningful engagement and diverse input.
Demographics:
6 Females
2 Males
🗣️Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Tagalog, Twi & Urdu
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Findings
Our research found that the challenges faced by non-native English speakers extend beyond language barriers and show that cultural representation and relevance, rather than language fluency, are the primary factors influencing their engagement and enjoyment of streaming content, which aligns with the theory of cultural proximity.
Key Findings:
1. Streaming platform preferences are shaped by the variety and quality of content available.
2. Improving dubbing and subtitle accuracy can enhance the viewing experience for international audiences.
3. Language and subtitles preferences for non-native English speakers depend on the context, like who they're with and if they're multitasking.
Key Findings:
1. Subtitles & Language Barriers: Participants struggled with inaccuracies in auto-generated captions and the lack of cultural context in Netflix subtitles.
2. Searching & Browsing: Participants mostly searched in English, with some using their native languages. Many preferred browsing and recommendations, favoring convenience over active searching.
3. Cultural Representation: Participants wanted more cultural representation, citing frustration with the limited content in their native languages and a desire for more culturally relevant shows.
4. Frustrations: Lack of diverse representation, inaccurate auto-generation captions, limitations with browsing and searching on Netflix, and delays in context on YouTube.
A significant frustration was the difficulty in understanding humor due to cultural differences, as one participant said:
"No language barriers, but cultural barriers." - User Research Participant
Key Findings:
1. Cultural Diversity: Participants were dissatisfied with Netflix's International tab, wanting more culturally diverse content and a feature to switch the interface by country.
2. Subtitles: Participants wanted more control over subtitle appearance and emphasized that captions should be created by native speakers to ensure accuracy. They also requested multilingual options for better representation and accessibility.
3. Contextual Context: Participants emphasized the need for cultural context given that they are familiar with the language but not the references. One group suggested a cultural notes feature to provide context without disrupting the experience.
Final Prototype
We selected Netflix because of its popularity among participants and chose not to rely on external solutions, reinforcing the idea that streaming platforms themselves should prioritize support for user identity and personalization. Based on our research, we propose enhancing Netflix with the following features:
Customizable Captions
Participants in both methods reported difficulty reading captions due to text size, color, and contrast. To address this, we’ve added customization options for text background, color, font, and size, ensuring a more inclusive and personalized viewing experience.
Browsing By Countries
We updated the Browsing by Languages section to Browsing by Country, enabling users to filter content by their native country. Participants reported feeling a stronger connection to their identity and culture, enhancing their sense of belonging.
Cultural Nodes
We introduced a cultural notes feature to clarify cultural references. Users can toggle notes on/off beneath subtitles for context, such as a brief explanation of "Willy Wonka," with an option to expand for more details, enhancing comprehension and the overall user experience.
Final Video
We created a video highlighting the new features in a potential Netflix update that include cultural notes, caption customization, and country-based browsing.
Reflection
What went well:
- We used various research methods to gain insights that informed our design, ensuring alignment with non-native English speaker's needs.
- Communication with our mentor was effective, offering valuable advice to refine our ideas.
- The literature review guided our preliminary research and helped set the direction for the project.
If I were to do this project again, I would have:
- Ensured more balanced gender representation to better reflect the diverse non-native English speaker population.
- Continued refining the high-fidelity prototype.
- Facilitated user testing to identify areas for iteration and better meet non-native English speaker's needs.
