PROJECT OVERVIEW
Streaming fatigue is real.
With so many streaming platforms and endless content choices, finding something to watch has become harder than actually watching it.
I designed WatchBuddy, a unified app with color-coded availability indicators that instantly show users what they can watch right now across all their platforms.
Role
Product designer / Solo project
Timeline
12 weeks
PROBLEM
Between Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max, users spend more time searching than watching.
This cluttered, repetitive experience turns what should be effortless downtime into frustrating, time-consuming decision fatigue.
4
(Deloitte, 2025)
46%
(Nielsen, 2022)
18
(Fortune, 2024)
Biggest pain point
Remembering where a specific show lives
The question
How might we simplify content discovery across multiple platforms so users spend less time searching and more time watching?
solution
1
Universal search with smart availability platform indicators
Users search once to see instant availability across all platforms.
Color-coded badges instantly communicate status: green (free on your subscription), yellow (rent/buy), or no outline (platform not subscribed).
This eliminates the cognitive load of constantly asking "Where is it?" and "Do I have access?"
2
Smart watchlist management
The watchlist features platform filtering and separates Movies and TV shows into tabs, transforming a messy task list into an efficient viewing pipeline.
3
Personalized expression
“My Shelf" allows users to share reviews and create collections.
Collections function like playlists, with custom descriptions and visual previews, accelerating adoption through familiar mental models.
4
Community
Community shows real-time friend activity: watchlist adds, reviews, and ratings.
Users can explore friend profiles, collections, and reviews, leveraging the most powerful recommendation engine: friends.
HOW I GOT THERE
I interviewed 8 frequent streamers and surveyed 42 others to understand their viewing habits.
Through an affinity diagramming exercise, I reviewed user data, organized, and summarized key points. Three insights came up:
Insight #1: The "Where Is It?" problem
78.6% of users struggle to locate content, leading to 70.7% giving up on shows they wanted to watch.
Design Implication: Centralized search that immediately shows content location and user's current subscription access.
Insight #2: Watchlist chaos
Users relied on screenshots, notes apps, and mental bookmarks. 90% of users found watchlist categorization by platform valuable.
Design Implication: A content management system that allows users to easily add, sort, and filter content by platform.
Insight #3: The social (& tracking) gap
Users want to track watched content, leave reviews, and share recommendations (63.4%). Existing tools force texting.
Design Implication: Native social and tracking features for managing viewing history and sharing recommendations.
HOW I GOT THERE
HOW I GOT THERE
After seeing what was already out there and identifying user needs and frustrations, I translated the solution into a structural blueprint.
I mapped out the information architecture, key user flows, and wireframes to make sure that the journey (from discovering a show to seeing its availability, and adding it to the watchlist) was as easy as possible.
Usability testing
I conducted usability testing with six participants, testing four key flows: Onboarding, finding a moving and adding it to watchlist, navigating “My Shelf” (including editing a review and adding personal thoughts), and interacting with community and their profile.
This made it obvious what improvements my initial design needed.
2 - "My Shelf" separation
3 - Simplified watchlist cards
Card iterations
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Research is for reframing. User research proved my initial ideas wrong, showing users valued organization tools over algorithm-heavy recommendations.
Small cues solve big problems. A single color-coded badge eliminated multiple pain points and became the most noticed and appreciated feature.
Leverage mental models. Structuring collections like familiar services (e.g., Apple Music playlists) reduced cognitive load and made the concept instantly understandable.
Iteration defines quality. Two rounds of testing turned “My Shelf” from a confusing feature into the most-loved part of the app.
