Key elements of the role
User Experience Strategy | Stakeholder Management | Stakeholder Workshops | Customer Research | Guerrilla Testing | Usability Testing | Wireframes | Interactive Prototypes
Summary
In a year overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, Netflix aimed to deliver joy and humour with its innovative "2020 Rewrite" campaign, with the tagline "Star in your own Netflix Original and give it the ending you want.". This online campaign invited users to reimagine their year by starring in their own Netflix custom trailer, complete with a personalised story utilising the power of the popular face-swapping app Reface on how they're year went and how they'd like their 2020 to end.
This case study explores the UX strategy and design process that made this campaign a beacon of humour and joy in a challenging year.
Discover
Our initial phase involved understanding our audience's journey through 2020. I conducted stakeholder workshops, user interviews, and data analysis to tap into the emotional pulse of our viewers. Their experiences shaped the strategy to create an engaging and cathartic experience.
Define
The user personas developed during the 'Define' stage included seeking escapism, entertainment, and a sense of control over their narratives. Empathy maps and user stories illustrated the need for a campaign that acknowledged the year's hardships and offered a creative outlet.
Prototype
The prototyping phase was crucial in refining user interaction with the campaign. I created low-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes, testing various user flows to ensure the experience was intuitive and enjoyable across devices, with the focus being on mobile.
Low-fidelity wireframe for the Netflix 2020 Re/Write mobile homepage.
Strike a pose, using the Reface App get ready for your likeness to be used to swap onto the actors faces.
Your chosen picture is displayed to ensure you’re happy with the results. If not, then strike a pose and reshoot.
The first prompt in creating the trailer is choosing from predefined emojis from ecstatic to a blubbery mess.
Once you’ve selected the prompts for your storyline, sit back, grab your popcorn as it processes the trailer.
Design
High-fidelity designs were iteratively tested for usability. The priority was creating a seamless onboarding experience that allowed users to easily upload photos, select emotions through emojis, and navigate through the story prompts.
Deliver
The final product was an integrated system where users could craft and share their personalised trailers. User testing ensured sharing across platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, was a one-click process.
Selected screens from the final designs
Engagement Strategy
To captivate our audience and their networks, we leveraged:
Social Media Ad Placement: Strategically placed ads on social media platforms to attract a broad user base.
Netflix's Social Channels: Utilised Netflix's social media presence to create buzz around the campaign.
Email Marketing: Engaged our existing subscriber base with personalised invitations to participate in the campaign.
Hashtag Creation: Encouraged #rewrite2020, #netflix, and #2020myway to foster community and virality.
YouTube Takeover: A dedicated channel on YouTube featured user-generated trailers, inspiring others to join in.
Design Research Principles
Our design research adhered to principles such as:
User-Centred Design: The campaign was structured around user input, ensuring an experience tailored to their emotions and feedback.
Iterative Design: Continuous iterations based on user testing data refined the product to its best version.
Accessibility: The experience was designed to be inclusive, ensuring users with different abilities could participate fully.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Ensuring a cohesive experience across mobile and desktop platforms.
Results
The "2020 Rewrite" campaign achieved widespread participation, with an impressive share rate across social platforms. User feedback highlighted the campaign's success in delivering joy and engagement during a challenging year.
Conclusion
The "2020 Rewrite" campaign provided a creative escape and strengthened the Netflix community during a demanding year. By leveraging UX design principles and a multifaceted engagement strategy, the "2020 Rewrite" experience resonated with users, gaining new subscribers and driving participation and brand loyalty. With this, Netflix created a memorable and impactful user experience beyond mere entertainment.
Major achievements
• Successful launch of the 2020 Re/write Campaign
• Excellent customer feedback was key to enhancing and improving the campaign
Tools & tech stack
• usabilityhub.com
• surveymonkey.com
• Google Docs
• Keynote
• Confluence
• Pen & paper
• Figma
• Miro
Client
Netflix (APAC)