Wireframing for Netflix

My Approach

Platform Choice

I initially considered designing my own platform for this project, but after careful research, I chose to work with Netflix. According to JustWatch data on the most-used streaming services in Brazil (supported by discussions on Reddit and reviews on Reclame Aqui), Netflix consistently ranked among the top platforms, highlighting both its popularity and key user pain points.

The wireframes were designed for Android mobile devices, aligning with the preferences of the majority of users in the target demographic.

Methodology

Assuming the role of a designer on Netflix’s team, I followed a Design Thinking approach to move beyond assumptions. Before diving into wireframes, I focused on validating whether the features I envisioned genuinely aligned with user needs. For this project, I chose to design for Android mobile devices and worked with medium-fidelity wireframes to emphasize user flow and functionality over visual polish.

Competitive Analysis

I reviewed Netflix alongside four other top services in Brazil to understand their usability strengths and weaknesses. I used feedback from platforms like Reddit for community insight and Reclame Aqui to identify recurring user complaints.

This provided a grounded understanding of what users expect and what gaps remain unaddressed.

User Research

To empathize with real users, I identified a target group based on device usage, age, and socioeconomic context. I conducted informal interviews with people from my personal network, using open-ended questions in a casual setting to avoid leading responses. This allowed users to speak freely, revealing insights that were surprisingly different from my own assumptions.

Key Insight

I initially assumed that social features would significantly improve the experience, but user feedback showed otherwise — those features didn’t even rank among their top concerns. Instead, users were more focused on discovery, content overload, and control over their watching experience.

With that in mind, I prioritized one major feature addressing discoverability, and two minor enhancements that build upon existing functionalities. I then wrote a clear problem statement that reflects real user needs and provided the foundation for ideation and prototyping.

Feature Rationale

Rather than inventing something entirely new, my focus was on enhancing usability within an existing, functional system. The ideas I introduced aren’t groundbreaking on their own — and that’s intentional. The value lies not in what was added, but in how it was integrated into Netflix’s current ecosystem.

Many competitors have attempted similar features but failed due to poor execution or disjointed integration. My goal was to show how Netflix could adopt these ideas in a seamless, user-first way — setting itself apart by doing it right.