Our task was to investigate a digital service, and find a way to improve its usability. We started out with the HBO Nordic-website, a service we knew had some problems. Through a series of in-depth interviews we found that many HBO-users are drawn to the service by certain shows, but end their subscription because they don't discover new interesting content. We wanted to make HBO's content more accessible, by making the site easier to navigate and to understand. The site should enable the user not only to find specific titles, but also to explore new ones according to their interests and mood. Working with scenarios, personas, physical workshops and thorough testing, we produced a prototype for a new HBO website.
We have granted categories a central role, moving them into the navigation bar to improve accessibility. The categories are divided into different genres, as well as "documentaries" and "moods", the latter presenting a selection of titles based on feeling/situation, across different genres and formats.
When hovering over a title, the user can see its duration (in number of seasons for tv-series, and minutes for films). The thumbnail is also enlarged, and the "add to watchlist"-button appears. These features provides the user with the important information about the title, without having to leave the main menu.
We have simplified the header, and limited the number of lists below. These lists include "recently watched", and "recently added", and other recommendations that change over time, for example "HBO favourites", or "christmas specials". The page can be narrowed down to tv-series or films only, and the content can be sorted alphabetically, or by "IMDb-score" or "most popular".
We have implemented a "smart" search function, giving the user positive respons to any input, correcting for typos, and allowing to search not only for titles, but also for directors, genres, etc. If the searched-for title is not available, this will be clearly stated, and similar titles will be suggested instead.
If the user reaches the bottom of the starting page without finding something to watch, he/she will encounter an overview of genres, inviting him/her to start actively sorting the content.
We have softened up the visual impression with a dark gray background, while the colour contrasts ensures good readability. We have simplified the layout, providing a better overview but keeping the HBO branding.
