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Video: Hulu Defines Six Key UX Tenets for 2019

Learn more about OTT development at Streaming Media's next event.

Read the complete transcript of this clip:

Dan Phillips: We're not just working, of course, to improve our app experience on the back end. We're also focusing, of course, on the front end and our overall user experience.

At the core of our experience, we have six key principles that are really our North Star when it comes to user design as we focus first and foremost on the viewer and evolve our experience to meet their needs.

The first of these is good, efficient design. TV at its core is a lean-back experience. We shouldn't have to work to get to our content. It shouldn't be that hard. A good UI is one that prioritizes ease of use as defined by clarity, simplicity, and fluidity. Menus, actions, collections are easy to understand. And what happens when you press the button is predictable. And our UI minimizes that cognitive load. You shouldn't have to think about it.

Number two, Hulu should feel deep. We aspire to become viewers' first and sole choice as a content provider. We have the richest catalog in the industry with over 85,000 titles, 85,000 titles. Our viewers should feel this richness as our UI should optimize for servicing the breadth and the depth of our catalog.

Number three, enable viewers to choose versus trying to read minds. To drive viewing, we present users with a broad stroke quickly and then empower them through collections that make sense, relevant metadata, and frictionless navigation for them to make the choice without being overwhelmed along the way. We strive to provide the best recommendations in the market. But we do not assume that we're always right along the way.

Number four, keep them watching. We seamlessly transition users from the end of a content or an ad back into content, whether that's the next episode in a series or other video that will extend their viewing session. If the viewers don't like what's on, they can easily pivot to something new.

Number five, be different with a purpose, not just to be different for different's sake. Watching TV is an ingrained, decades-old behavior. Changing that behavior is hard. We build on existing customs when they fulfill our needs. But we're not afraid to be different when there's really a better way out there to do it.

And finally, number six, be optimized and adaptable. This is so important in the dynamic market that we're all a part of. Our UI is flexible and positioned to take ownership of the future of TV-watching. We refine our experience for each platform and lean into device capabilities for the benefit of the viewer. We anticipate future needs, take cues from the industry, and look around corners to ensure that we can quickly jump on an industry-defining opportunity or trend.

These are our guiding principles that drive our decision making throughout our organization as we evolve our application in pursuit of delivering the best experience possible for our viewers.

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