Netflix For Non-Native English Speakers
UX Research & UX Design
Role
UX Researcher &
UX Designer
Team
Madelyn Leon
(UX Research/Design)
Alsa Khan
(UX Research/Design)
Timeline
Jan 2024 - May 2024
Designed For
Qualitative User Research and Design Methods course at Cornell University.
Research Methods
Contextual Interviews,
Ethnographic Study,
and Co-design Sessions
Overview
Streaming services have skyrocketed in popularity, replacing cable and letting you watch anytime—alone or with friends. This project discovers and addresses the challenges faced by non-native English speakers on streaming platforms hosting English content. After gaining insights from research methods such as contextual interviews, ethnographic studies, and co-design sessions, we designed practical solutions to enhance Netflix with features like customizable captions, an improved "Browsing by Language" section, and cultural notes.
For more details, feel free to check out my medium article or reach out to me at yp2859@nyu.edu
💪🏼 Motivation: To promote cultural inclusivity, address research gaps, and advance the design of inclusive technology.
🎯 Goal: To create solutions that enhance non-native English speakers' streaming experience, making it more intuitive, accessible, and enjoyable.
🔎 Project Space Refinement
Being non-native English speakers ourselves, we resonated with the challenges of engaging with streaming platforms designed primarily for native English-speaking audiences. From navigating unfamiliar interfaces to struggling with inaccurate subtitles and culturally irrelevant content, we identified several barriers that disrupt a seamless viewing experience. These issues are further compounded by the limited availability of content in native languages and the constant need to switch between cultural contexts. Reflecting on how these barriers have impacted our own viewing habits and those of our families, we recognized how language and cultural gaps often lead to frustration and a sense of exclusion.
Due to time constraints and the broad scope of the issue, we narrowed our focus to understanding and improving the navigation, accessibility, and viewing experiences for non-native English speakers on streaming platforms. This refinement allows us to better address the practical and cultural nuances that can make digital content more inclusive and enjoyable for diverse audiences.
📚 Literature Review
We started the research process with a literature review to understand the gaps in existing knowledge about the interactions and experiences of non-native English speakers with streaming platforms. This step allowed us to identify the limited scope of current research and highlight the need for inclusive design approaches. By addressing these gaps, our study aims to provide valuable insights and propose solutions to enhance the accessibility and enjoyment of streaming services for non-native English speakers.
🔑 Key Findings
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The streaming experience consists of three main components: access, navigation, and viewing.
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Access: Platforms offer limited language options, with English as the default.
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Navigation: Non-native English speakers struggle with search, query formulation, and language-switching, with limited research on how they navigate curated lists
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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 Plan
We created a research plan to ensure our efforts were aligned with our objectives. Here’s an overview of the key elements:
Participant Criteria:
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Must be a non-native English speaker.
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Regular users of streaming services, with occasional viewing in their native language
Research Methods:
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Contextual Interviews
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Ethnographic Study
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Co-design Sessions
🤨 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?
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🔑 Key Findings
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Streaming platform preferences are shaped by the variety and quality of content available.
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Improving dubbing and subtitle accuracy can enhance the viewing experience for international audiences.
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Language and subtitle preferences for non-native English speakers depend on the context, like who they're with and if they're multitasking.
💭 METHOD 2: Ethnographic Study
We conducted an ethnographic study to observe non-native English speakers using streaming platforms around campus, capturing their behaviors, navigation processes, and challenges with language, content, and cultural differences. This provided deeper insights into their streaming habits and addressed a gap in existing research.
Plan
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Introduction (5 mins):
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The research protocol was explained and consent was obtained from all participants.
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Think-Aloud Session (20-30 mins):
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Participants vocalized their decisions while navigating content. One researcher recorded their comments, while the other documented visual observations to ensure unbiased insights.
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Follow-Up Interview (15-20 mins):
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Based on the think-aloud session, participants were asked about their overall experience, specific interactions, and thought processes during navigation and viewing.
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Demographics:
🙎🏻♀️ 5 Females
🗣️ Chinese, Hindi, Tagalog, Twi & Urdu
Affinity Diagram:
Cross-analysis of data identified recurring themes and patterns in non-native English speakers' streaming service experiences through an affinity diagram, aiding in pinpointing areas for improvement.
🔑 Key Findings
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Subtitles & Language Barriers: Participants struggled with inaccuracies in auto-generated captions and the lack of cultural context in Netflix subtitles.
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Searching & Browsing: Participants mostly searched in English, with some using their native languages. Many preferred browsing and recommendations, favoring convenience over active searching.
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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.
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Frustrations:
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lack of diverse representation
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inaccurate auto-generated captions
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limitations with browsing and searching on Netflix
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delays in content on YouTube
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A significant frustration was the difficulty in understanding humor due to cultural differences, as one participant put it:
"No language barriers, but cultural barriers."
- Participant 5
This highlights the need for streaming platforms to address not only language challenges but also cultural nuances to improve the overall viewing experience.
💭 METHOD 3: Co-Design Sessions
The co-design sessions 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.
Plan
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Warm-Up Activity (10 mins):
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Introductions and an icebreaker to build trust and a collaborative, comfortable environment.
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Problem Identification (15 mins):
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Group discussion where participants share challenges they face with streaming services.
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Individual Ideation (10 mins):
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Participants brainstorm potential solutions for the frustrations that were mentioned in the discussion.
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Sketching Prototype (15 mins):
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In pairs, participants sketch a rough prototype based on their own or a teammate’s idea to help visualize solutions and refine functionality.
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Sharing & Feedback (15 mins):
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Participants role-play with their prototypes, sharing their ideal user experience and receiving group feedback on how well the solution addresses the problems. This helps uncover usability issues and fosters collaborative discussion.
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Revisions (20 mins):
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Groups revise their prototypes based on feedback, considering diverse user characteristics (e.g., age, culture, language) to ensure inclusivity and refine the design for broader needs.
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Closing Activity (5 mins):
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Participants reflect on insights from the prototyping activity and share final thoughts, capturing unexpected ideas and key takeaways.
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Demographics:
🙎🏻♀️ 6 Females
🙎🏻♂️ 2 Males
🗣️ Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Tagalog, Twi & Urdu
Execution:
Affinity Diagram:
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🔑 Key Findings
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Cultural Diversity: Participants were dissatisfied with Netflix's "International" tab, wanting more culturally diverse content and a feature to switch the interface by country.
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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.
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Contextual Context: Participants emphasized the need for cultural context, especially for viewers familiar with the language but not the references. One group suggested a "cultural notes" and "community notes" feature to provide context without disrupting the experience.
🗝️ Research Findings:
Our research found that non-native English speakers' challenges go beyond language barriers, revealing that cultural representation and relevance—rather than language fluency—are the primary factors affecting their engagement and enjoyment with streaming content, aligning with the theory of cultural proximity.
💡 Project Ideation
As a team, we held a brainstorming session where we bounced ideas off one another. After exploring a few concepts, we returned to the research findings and revisited the unresolved frustrations expressed by our research participants. Below is a summary of our brainstorming session.
🎨 Proposed Design
Based on our research, we proposed enhancing Netflix with features
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customizable captions
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improved "Browsed by Language" section
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cultural notes
We chose Netflix due to its popularity among participants and decided against external solutions, emphasizing that streaming services should prioritize supporting user identity and personalization.
📌 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.
![[Expanded] Cultural Node Page.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5d6f8d_c3bcf220b46742f482304b9a728c76b4~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_439,h_283,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/%5BExpanded%5D%20Cultural%20Node%20Page.png)
🎥 Video Prototype
We created a video highlighting the new features in a potential Netflix update, such as cultural notes, caption customization, and country-based browsing.
🤔 Reflection
What went well:
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We used various research methods to gain insights that informed our design, ensuring alignment with non-native English speakers' needs.
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Communication with our mentor was effective, offering valuable advice to refine our ideas.
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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:
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Ensured more balanced gender representation to better reflect the diverse non-native English speaker population.
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Continued refining the high-fidelity prototype.
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Facilitated user testing to identify areas for iteration and better meet non-native English speakers' needs.