Crafting an engaging community for movie & TV-show enthusiasts
Reel Talk is an online movie/TV-show community that is a combination of IMDB and Reddit, for movie/TV enthusiasts.
It provides a platform for users to:
We use the onboarding process to understand users' content preferences.
Users can join a community that matches their interests.
Users can share content relevant to the community’s topic to spark discussions.
How did the team come up with the idea of creating a community for dedicated movie and TV show enthusiasts?
The founder of Reel Talk, who is a Movie/TV-show enthusiast himself, found that the existing platforms such as IMDB or Rotten Tomato cannot fully satisfy his needs. He believes that there is a gap in the market for a platform that caters to the needs of movie/TV-show enthusiasts. To validate his hypothesis and uncover specific pain points, surveys were conducted.
The respondents primary needs on the existing platforms are:
For their discussion needs,
Youtube and Reddit are their go-to platforms.
Since they're general-purpose platforms, they also express lack of confidence in existing communities (since their are pro users), and want more features dedicated to content discussions.
Based on the survey results, our team concluded that:
The movie/TV-show enthusiasts only have general-purpose platforms to discuss content, and there are no platforms that cater to their specific needs.
This insight presents an opportunity to create a platform tailored to their needs.
However, before moving forward, we need a deeper understanding of the pain points they have on current platforms and their specific expectations for a new one.
"How are your experience on movie- & TV-show-oriented online connections and discussions on the existing platforms?"
Movie/TV show enthusiasts struggle to find:
Peers who share their passion
The group of movie and TV-show enthusiasts is relatively smaller compared to general viewers, and current social platforms lack effective ways for them to identify and connect with one another. They want to talk to people who are also deeply interested in the nuances and details of a movie or TV show.
In-depth discussions
On current social platforms, most conversations stem from reviews and take place in the comment sections. It does not facilitate in-depth discussions effectively. Some interviewees also expressed a desire for specialized features, such as the ability to embed custom lists and movie/TV show listings directly into conversations.
How might we help movie/TV enthusiasts (1) find each other and (2) have quality discussions?
"find each other"
Solution 1
Finding out user's taste
By identifying users' taste, the platform can recommend groups and content they might
enjoy, fostering engaging conversations.
Additionally, if we could incorporate users' tastes into their profiles, it
would allow them to learn more about each other without direct interaction.
"have quality discussions"
Solution 2
Foster a great discussion environment
I can employ various design techniques to create a discussion environment that encourages in-depth and friendly conversations.
Let's take a closer look at how I crafted these solutions to respond to the specific needs and insights gathered during our research.
Noticing that shared interests often spark meaningful conversations, we started looking into ways to understand users' tastes.
Through brainstorming and interviews, we identified few potential ways to find out user's taste.
Most liked content
Age
Although it's not directly related to taste, we thought it's a good indicator of the user's preference.
Most hated content
We initially thought this would be equivalent to "most liked content", but then we realized that while people might enjoy different things, they often dislike the same ones. A bad movie or TV show often shares common weaknesses, such as a weak plot or poor acting.
We also checked with our engineers to determine if this would improve our algorithm's accuracy, and they confirmed the effect is minimal.
Content released year
ex. user indicates that he/she doesn't watch anything before 1990.
Release year is excluded as a taste indicator because a viewer's aversion to content from certain time periods often stems from technical factors like dated special effects or unfamiliarity rather than the actual storytelling quality, potentially causing them to miss timeless narratives that they would genuinely enjoy if presented in a modern format.
With a clear understanding of what indicate a user's taste, I shifted focus to exploring effective ways to gather this information.
Through brainstorming, I developed three integration plans.
From user’s watch history and ratings
It leverages user's viewing record and ratings to understand preferences.
Answer few questions during the onboarding process
Users select their interests and preferences when first signing up.
Feed-side quick surveys
The platform would presents quick preference questions while users browse content.
We ask our prospective users to evaluate and score the three approaches with prototypes.
We also carried out internal design reviews and feasibility assessments for the three approaches.
After considering all factors, including user scores and internal evaluations, we believe
approach #2 is the clear winner.
Regarding the cons listed from internal evaluation, we believe that with thoughtful design,
we can make the process
more
enjoyable, ultimately reducing the drop-off rate.
After finalizing the direction with approach #2, I proceeded to design the high-fidelity version and conducted a usability test.
Test setup
Positive feedback: Our users love these questions!
Prior to testing, there were concerns about the onboarding's length. However, none of the tested users raised this issue, indicating their strong interest in preference questions.
Negative feedback: Users struggle with decision-making
Some users find it challenging to identify their top movies/TV shows when asked because they can't decide immediately.
Iteration
I changed the word used in the title from "top" to "favorite." This removes the need for users to rank their choices.
I also adjusted the quantity restriction from a mandatory 5 choices to "up to 10," allowing greater flexibility.
Additionally, it also includes more options to choose from (trending content)
My decision-making process
Through the validation process, we found that users had privacy concerns to provide birth date, even though I made some efforts to explain why these inputs were necessary and tried to make the process more enjoyable (see on the right).
I then decided to address these privacy concerns by updating the interface from requiring users to enter their birthday to simply selecting their age range (e.g., Under 18, 18–29, 30–39, etc.).
My decision-making process
How did we approach designing a discussion environment that fosters in-depth conversations?
I distilled insights from our research with prospective users and developed three key design principles.
Effortless connections with like-minded peers
With the information users provide, we can create an environment that makes it easy for them to connect with one another.
Format that facilitate in-depth discussions
Users should be able to engage in meaningful and in-depth discussions with ease, fostering an environment that encourages thoughtful interaction and exchange of ideas.
Control
Users have the option to choose whom they want to talk to.
Following these principles of good discussion, I developed three distinct formats for conducting conversations.
Episode- or movie-specific chat rooms
Provide chat rooms dedicated to each movie, TV show, or specific episode. Users can join in on discussions with others who’ve watched the same content.
Community with topic-based discussion posts
Set up a community where users can post about specific themes or genres (e.g., “Top Psychological Thrillers” or “Everything Batman”). Users can engage by commenting or reacting to posts and tagging specific movies or shows.
“Discussion circles”
Enable users to create public or private groups where they can chat about a specific show or movie together. These groups can be small or large. The environment allows users to share thoughts in a more intimate, real-time environment.
We ask our prospective users to evaluate and score the three approaches with prototypes.
We also carried out internal design reviews based on the 3 design principles.
After weighting pros and cons, I decided to implement the second approach to build a
Reddit-like community where users can post and discuss topics they are interested in.
From there, I moved on to designing the high-fidelity version of this solution.
We carried out the same research as previously mentioned.
Positive: Clarity
Users value the convenience of accessing linked works to the community, enabling them to promptly understand the topics discussed within.
Negative: Need additional methods to understand the applicant
When users create a private community instead of a public one, they become even more selective about who they want to include in this community. Consequently, they seek to learn more about the applicant beyond the two customizable questions.
Iteration
The community owner can enable options in settings to receive additional information about the applicants from the platform.
These options include:
When reviewing applications, the system will show how many additional criteria are met and the owners can choose to look into the details if they wish.
Design process
When users engage with a platform to discuss movies/TV shows, they anticipate not only discussing familiar content but also discovering new options to watch.
We first asked the engineers to adjust the algorithm to provide more diverse recommendations, rather than sticking to the safe zone.
I also introduced two additional methods for users to discover communities that match their interests:
My decision-making process
Over the course of five months, we successfully developed a functioning MVP, completed all core features, conducted internal validity testing, and established a solid foundation for future development with our design system.
After each of the two usability testing sessions, newsletter email sign-ups grew by 146% and 215%, respectively, compared to the average daily rate. This significant increase highlights the positive reception of our efforts and demonstrates users' confidence in the platform's future potential.
In this project, our PM opted for the Waterfall methodology, and prioritized the design phase before development to allocate time to define the problem and polish the details. However, I've come to recognize the importance of early collaboration with developers. This ensures validation of design ideas' technical feasibility and cultivates a shared understanding of both constraints and possibilities.
As a firm advocate of user-centric design, I strongly believe that understanding of our users is fundamental to effective design. Given more time, I would prioritize spending additional time with our users, particularly with niche audiences like movie/TV enthusiasts.
Avenir Next was chosen as the typeface because of its universal application and modern vibe.
Product design + Design research / iOS / Contract
Product design + Design research / Web / Contract
