Reimagining Streaming: Easing Decision Fatigue with Intuitive Discovery
ROLE
Product Designer
TOOLS
Figma, Figjam
TIMEFRAME
1 months
TEAM
Personal Project
Transforming streaming experiences by tackling decision fatigue & enhancing content discovery with intuitive design.
"I just wanted to put something on in the background, and 20 minutes later, I'm still scrolling. At this point, I could’ve just rewatched The Office again." - my tired coworker
One afternoon, during a casual conversation about our streaming platform habits, a coworker mentioned how exhausting it sometimes felt just to pick something to watch. This offhand comment struck a chord with me; I realised that decision fatigue was something I often experienced myself on streaming platforms, as did many others.
The more I considered the problem, the more I recognised how this overwhelming choice paradox could hinder users’ enjoyment and engagement with the platform. The simple act of browsing through endless options was turning what should be a seamless experience into a chore. This realisation set the stage for my project: to find a way to help users discover content without the frustration of choice overload. I wanted to create a more intuitive and enjoyable experience that guides users to the right content with ease and efficiency, minimising decision fatigue and enhancing satisfaction.
Why Streaming Feels Overwhelming: The Decision Fatigue Dilemma
Decision fatigue is a common psychological phenomenon that occurs when people become mentally exhausted from making numerous choices. As the brain tires, the quality and efficiency of our decisions often diminish. While this is a familiar issue in high-stakes scenarios, it also affects seemingly simple tasks—like choosing what to watch on a streaming platform. In the context of streaming, decision fatigue arises from the overwhelming number of options available.
Users can find themselves endlessly scrolling, which turns a relaxing activity into a draining experience. The vast content library, while a strength, often leads users to struggle with indecision, ultimately diminishing their enjoyment and satisfaction with the platform.
For this case study, I focused on addressing decision fatigue as it directly impacts user engagement. By exploring ways to streamline content discovery and reduce the cognitive load associated with choice, my goal was to reimagine a more intuitive, enjoyable streaming experience that helps users reach a decision faster—keeping them engaged and satisfied with minimal effort.
Decoding Discovery: What Netflix Gets Right & Wrong
To better understand the user experience challenges leading to decision fatigue, I conducted a detailed analysis of Netflix's interface and recommendation features. I identified areas where users may feel overwhelmed or experience friction while browsing, providing a clear foundation for the design improvements.
The Trending Now section showcases popular content, which can lead to users feeling pressure to watch what’s currently popular, even if it doesn’t align with their preferences.
The Continue Watching feature can be both a convenience and a source of fatigue. For users who have started multiple shows or movies, seeing a long list of unfinished content can feel like a to-do list rather than an invitation to relax.
Personalised Recommendations can be helpful but they often present a cascade of options that feel repetitive. This can create a sense of decision fatigue as users feel like they're endlessly sifting through similar options, rather than discovering something truly new and exciting.
When using the Search Feature, users are often presented with an overwhelming number of results, especially if their query is broad. The lack of refined filtering can make it difficult to find exactly what they're looking for, turning a simple search into a long browsing session
Key Takeaways: Lessons from Tackling Decision Fatigue
This project was an opportunity to reimagine how users discover content on streaming platforms, focusing on reducing decision fatigue. Along the way, I uncovered surprising insights and learned lessons that will inform my future designs.
Decision Fatigue Isn’t Just About Choice Overload
While an abundance of options contributes to fatigue, this project revealed deeper psychological factors, like the fear of making the “wrong” choice. Addressing these underlying anxieties—through clearer guidance and reduced cognitive load—proved more impactful than simply cutting options.Subtle Questions, Big Impact
Some questions, like “Want a Rewatch?”, initially seemed helpful but ended up disrupting the flow. Removing it not only simplified the experience but also highlighted how even small tweaks can significantly affect user satisfaction. This taught me to scrutinise every interaction for its true value.Personalisation Shouldn’t Overwhelm
Users appreciated mood-based recommendations when they felt specific and relevant. However, too many options - even personalised ones - risked recreating the same sense of overload. Balancing personalisation with simplicity is key to creating truly engaging experiences.Designing for Flexibility Pays Off
By focusing on adaptable elements, like mood categories, the solution catered to a variety of user needs without forcing rigid pathways. This approach not only enhanced usability but also underscored the importance of flexible frameworks in addressing diverse behaviours.
Final Thoughts
Reimagining content discovery reinforced the power of reducing cognitive load. Instead of endless scrolling, I focused on guiding users toward meaningful choices—turning decision fatigue into seamless engagement.
The takeaway? Great design isn’t about adding more options; it’s about making the right ones feel effortless. That’s the kind of experience I strive to create.
Want to chat about UX and product design? Get in touch.
Insights from Empathy Mapping
Creating an empathy map for Jamie, a typical streaming user, helped me gain insight into the frustrations of decision fatigue.
This exercise clarified the primary user problem and guided my design approach, leading to the development of Quick Play—a mood-based feature aimed at reducing cognitive load and making content selection quick and enjoyable. By mapping out what Jamie might say, think, do, and feel, I identified some key pain points:
Exhaustion of endless scrolling
Pressure to pick the "right" content
A lack of personalised recommendations
Crafting a Seamless Experience: From Frustration to Intuition
To address decision fatigue and enhance user experience, I designed a Quick Play interaction flow for Netflix that helps users find relevant content with minimal effort. The flow starts on the Home Screen, where users can select Quick Play to bypass traditional browsing.
After choosing Quick Play, users arrive at a Mood & Time Selection screen to specify their current mood and available viewing time (e.g., "Relax" for nature documentaries, 20-45 minutes). The system then presents a Personalised Preview Carousel—a curated selection of swipeable recommendations. Users can quickly skip, save, or play any suggested title, creating a streamlined path to viewing.
Once users select a title, playback begins. After watching, they can either explore another mood or return to the Quick Play menu for fresh suggestions, maintaining a fluid and uninterrupted experience.
Early Prototyping & Feedback
To bring the Netflix Quick Play concept to life, I built a prototype in Figma to test the flow and validate my assumptions. Initially, the Quick Play feature included four key questions:
Pick a Time
Pick a Vibe
Format (TV or Film?)
Want a Rewatch?
However, usability testing uncovered two key insights that informed refinements to the design:
Format (TV or Film) Was Redundant
Many users naturally associated shorter time slots with TV shows and longer slots with movies.
This allowed me to remove the "Format" question entirely, streamlining the experience.
Rewatching Didn’t Need a Dedicated Question
Users who revisit Netflix for a comfort rewatch already know what they want to watch before logging in.
The "Want a Rewatch?" question felt unnecessary and disrupted the streamlined experience.
I removed this step, leaving just "Pick a Time" and "Pick a Vibe" as the core Quick Play inputs.
These changes simplified the flow while aligning the experience more closely with user behavior, reinforcing the value of reducing unnecessary friction in the design process.
Bringing the Vision to Life: The Final Design
The high-fidelity prototype showcases the fully realized solution, complete with polished interactions and visual design.
For the best experience, I recommend pressing the expand button on the embedded prototype below to explore the flow in detail.