NETFLIX QUICK-PLAY

Reimagining Streaming: Easing Decision Fatigue with Intuitive Discovery

Imagine sitting down after a long day, ready to relax—but instead of watching something, you’re stuck endlessly scrolling.
Why does choosing a show often feel harder than committing to it?

While chatting with a coworker, I realised how common this experience was. What should be a simple, satisfying moment of choice was becoming a point of friction. Streaming platforms, designed to offer endless possibilities, were overwhelming users instead.

I set out to explore how we might help users discover content with confidence—minimising decision fatigue, and bringing joy back to the browsing experience.

How might we turn overwhelming choice into confident discovery?

ROLE

Product Designer

TOOLS

Figma, Figjam

TIMEFRAME

1 month

TEAM

Solo Project

Short on time? Go straight to High-Fidelity mockup →

01. CONTEXT

Understanding Decision Fatigue

Decision fatigue is a common psychological phenomenon: when we make too many choices, our mental energy runs low, and the quality of our decisions declines.

While often associated with high-stakes decisions, it impacts everyday experiences too—like choosing what to watch after a long day.

On streaming platforms, vast content libraries should feel empowering. Instead, they often overwhelm users. Endless scrolling replaces relaxation with frustration.
The more options users face, the harder it becomes to commit, leading to disengagement and dissatisfaction.

For this project, I set out to reimagine content discovery on Netflix: minimizing cognitive load, speeding up decision-making, and helping users rediscover the joy of effortless streaming.

**“The more decisions you ask someone to make, the more likely they are to choose the easiest option - or avoid choosing altogether.”**

Roy Baumeister on Decision Fatigue and Ego Depletion

02. EMPATHISE

When Streaming becomes Work

To ground the project in real user needs, I created an empathy map for Jamie, a typical Netflix user.

Through this exercise, I uncovered key frustrations driving decision fatigue:

The exhaustion of endless scrolling
The pressure to pick the “right” content
A lack of personalised recommendations that truly felt personal

Mapping what Jamie says, thinks, does, and feels helped clarify the core problem: users weren’t just overwhelmed by options; they were burdened by the emotional weight of choice.

This insight shaped the foundation of Quick Play: a mood-based feature designed to reduce cognitive load and make content selection faster, lighter, and more intuitive.

03. DEFINE

When Discovery becomes a Chore

To understand how decision fatigue plays out on Netflix, I mapped key points of friction across the interface. Each area introduced small moments of overwhelm that, together, made browsing feel heavier than it should.

Continue Watching

While convenient, this feature sometimes feels like a guilt list. An unfinished queue reminds users of "work left to do," rather than inviting easy relaxation.

Search Results

Broad searches returned overwhelming lists with little refinement.Without clear filtering tools, users had to manually sift through dozens of options—turning a quick query into a long session.

Personalised Recommendations

Suggested content often felt repetitive, creating the sense of endless scrolling rather than fresh discovery. Instead of surfacing something new and delightful, the algorithm sometimes trapped users in a loop of sameness.

From Frustration to Intutition

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.

05. ITERATE

Refining the Flow with Real Feedback

I built a prototype of Quick Play in Figma, testing an early version with four input questions:

Pick a Time, Pick a Vibe, TV or Film?, Want a Rewatch?

User testing quickly revealed areas of unnecessary friction. By removing steps that didn’t add value, I made the experience faster, smoother, and better aligned with real user behaviour.

Format Choice Was an Extra Step

Users already linked short time slots with TV shows & longer ones with movies. Removing this question made the flow feel more intuitive.

Rewatching Didn’t Need Prompting

Comfort viewers arrive already knowing what they want. Asking about rewatching became an unnecessary step, adding friction instead of easing it.

A Simple Flow Built Confidence and Trust

Focusing only on mood and time inputs made Quick Play feel smart, lightweight, and intuitive - helping users commit without second-guessing.

06. PROTOTYPE

High-Fidelity Prototype

Final Thoughts

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.