Client Name
Netflix
Role
Research
Interface Design
Usability Testing
Timeline
4 weeks
Setting screen time limits
During my DesignLab UX Bootcamp, I was given the task of adding a feature to an existing app. My mind immediately went to a feature my husband and I discuss all the time - adding a timer to the Netflix app to end the arguments with our 7-year-old daughter around screen time being done for the day.
Originally founded in 1997 as a DVD subscription service, Netflix has become the most popular streaming platform in the United States. With award-winning original content and a wide range of usability features, it appeals to both kids and adults.
Is there an opportunity to expand Netflix’s parental controls and make it even more appealing to families with children?
This is a speculative project only. I was not hired or commissioned by Netflix to complete this task.
Effects of screen time
The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use by children younger than 2 and recommends limiting older children's screen time to no more than one or two hours a day.Too much screen time can be linked to a host of issues including irregular sleep, behavioral problems, impaired academic performance, less time for play, and more.
But even with this knowledge, are parents actively setting screen time limits? And if so, how are they going about it? Are they familiar with parental controls you can set on children’s app profiles or on their devices? I conducted three interviews and surveyed my local parents’ Facebook group to find out.
What did we learn?
85% of respondents set some type of time limit
Time limits often set based on time of day or activities planned
Knowledge of setting and using parental controls is limited
Typical Users
Two personas emerged from my research: the work from home mom and the busy dad of older children.
What's the end goal?
Combining my user research with a thorough competitive analysis of both streaming apps and kid-friendly devices such as Amazon Fire Kids and the Nintendo Switch, I outlined overall project goals.
How should it work?
Given the constraint of working within the existing app structure and design, I studied the Netflix app in depth, marking out the various paths a user takes to get to the account settings screens. I then simplified this down to a very basic user flow for the new Screen Time feature.
How does it work?
I created a main settings screen as well as several app screens to test among parents who are also Netflix users. View prototype here.
What did everyone think?
Using live interviews as well as a Maze test to online respondents, I tasked users with changing basic settings and requested design feedback.
User friendly settings screen
Netflix branding
User friendly settings screen
How did we do?
"I would use this across any app my children watch, assuming it was very easy to program."
“As a parent, this is a fantastic feature I would definitely use!”
Feedback was very positive among usability testers, with almost all saying they would use this new feature. It also seemed easy to use, with most having little to no issues adjusting settings for weekdays and weekends.
