Disney+ App Feature
Case Study
In a world where technology and entertainment are constantly evolving, the Disney Plays feature on the Disney Plus app brings a new level of interactive and engaging gameplay, designed to provide a fun and educational experience for all ages.
UX/UI Designer and Researcher: Sabrina Aminov
Project Timeline: 2 Weeks
Tools Used: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Figma
Date Completed: April 2023
Design Thinking Process
I followed an iterative user-centered design approach in which I had to focus on the users and their needs in every step.
Background
Disney Plus, a subscription-based streaming service, has gained immense popularity since its 2019 launch.
Disney Plus stands out with its family-focused content, providing a trusted choice for parents seeking safe and enjoyable entertainment for children. Disney Plus proactively seeks innovative features to maintain its competitive edge. The streaming industry has seen a substantial shift in consumer behavior, driven by a growing preference for on-demand, at-home entertainment, further accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, solidifying streaming services' position as the future of entertainment delivery.
Problem
As the global gaming market thrives and consumers increasingly seek at-home entertainment options, Disney Plus faces the dual challenge of differentiating itself in the streaming service industry while catching up with competitors already integrating gamification into their platforms.
Solution
As a part of my contribution to enhancing the user experience, I envisioned a feature on the Disney Plus mobile app called Disney Plays. The Disney Plays feature would incorporate Disney characters into fun and interactive educational games and creative activities for viewers of all ages. This would provide a more engaging and immersive experience for users, promote learning through play, and add further value to the Disney Plus subscription.
Research
Competitive Analysis
Objectives
Evaluate Competitors' Gamification Strategies
Analyze how competitors have integrated gamification features into their platforms.
Explore the types of games, interactive elements, and user engagement strategies they use.
Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of competing platforms' gamification implementations.
Determine what elements are working well to engage users and where potential gaps or areas for improvement exist.
Extract Best Practices and Insights
Extract best practices and valuable insights to inform the design and implementation of the new feature.
Understand what elements resonate with users and could be adapted to enhance Disney Plus' gamification strategy.
Netflix offers a selection of games as part of its subscription service. These games are designed to be easily accessible to subscribers and can be played on smartphones and tablets.
Strengths:
Variety of Genres: While initially focused on storytelling and narrative-driven games, it offers a wide variety of game genres.
No Additional Cost: Netflix Games is included as part of the standard Netflix subscription.
Accessibility: Games can be played on multiple devices, including mobile phones and tablets.
Diverse Content Library: Their original content provides them with a vast catalog of popular shows and movies which they have leveraged to create games.
Interactive Shows and Movies: The integration of interactivity in shows or movies, allowing users to control the story's direction, sets Netflix apart. This unique feature enhances user engagement and immersion, offering an innovative and personalized viewing experience.
Weaknesses:
Netflix games are to be downloaded as separate apps, causing:
Lack of Storage Space
Inconvenience
Time-consumption and frustration
Content Discovery: Discovering and accessing games within the Netflix app may not be as intuitive as it is on dedicated gaming platforms. Users might face difficulties finding and exploring available games.
Absence of kid-friendly games.
Amazon has two gaming services:
Prime Gaming is included with Amazon Prime and Prime Video. It offers in-game content for your favorite games, free games to download, and where available, a free monthly channel subscription on Twitch.
Strengths:
User interface is integrated with Amazon Prime website and app
Free monthly games
In-Game Content and Rewards: Subscribers gain access to in-game content, exclusive skins, and virtual items for popular titles
Offers a range of games that are suitable for children.
Weaknesses:
No educational elements in children’s games
Region-Specific Availability: The availability of Prime Gaming and its benefits may vary by region, limiting its global reach.
Amazon Luna is a cloud gaming service.
Strengths:
Cloud Gaming Technology: Allows users to stream games without the need for high-end hardware.
Available in different operating systems and devices
Users can subscribe to different channels, such as Ubisoft+ or Luna+, for access to different games.
Offers a variety of games from different genres.
User interface is clean and user-friendly, with easy navigation to different games and channels.
Weaknesses:
Has a limited library of games
Users must buy a controller designed specifically for the platform.
No educational elements in children’s games.
Expensive with subscriptions to multiple channels
User Research
In order to design a feature that truly meets the needs and desires of my target audience, it is important to gather insights directly from the users themselves. For this reason, I decided to conduct an on-site study with 2 young parents and their 3-year-old daughter, Mia, to gain a deeper understanding of how families with children are using Disney Plus and what they would like to see in a new interactive gaming feature.
Observations:
Mia displayed interest in Disney characters, often pointing at the screen when they appeared.
Her screen time engagement averaged around 25 minutes.
Mia preferred interactive games and activities over passive entertainment like movies.
Mia was able to communicate what she wanted to watch or play but needed help selecting it.
Mia did play more with her toys than she did on her iPad, suggesting she may be more interested in hands-on activities.
Meet Mia, our 3-year-old Disney enthusiast, who became the heart of this project.
Interview with the Parents:
Mia's parents expressed a desire for more educational content and games that would help develop their child's skills and learning at home.
They were open to a gaming feature on Disney Plus, leaning towards those with educational elements like problem-solving, reading, and creativity.
Design and aesthetics were important to them because they wanted their child to be engaged and excited.
They tried to involve themselves by playing with Mia or watching her play, but they also tried to give her space to explore and figure things out on her own.
They believed it was important for children to be able to navigate the interface themselves so they could feel independent and confident.
Insight
Young children's love for interactive games, coupled with parents' interest in skill development and engaging design, presents an opportunity for Disney Plus to create an all-encompassing gaming experience.
To better understand the target users and their needs, I have developed two personas that represent different user types for the Disney Plays feature. Understanding the distinct goals, preferences, and behaviors of these user groups, the design process remains user-centered and aligned with the expectations of both children and their parents.
Personas
Lily’s all about dreams and adventures, while Anna’s focused on nurturing and learning. By understanding both, I can create an experience that captivates kids and reassures parents.
Meet Lily, our little explorer
Meet Anna, the loving mom who guides Lily’s journey with care and creativity.
How might we create a personalized and playful gaming feature on Disney+ that promotes children's independence, allows interaction with favorite Disney characters, and fosters both fun and educational experiences?
Project Goals
The project goals were set to ensure alignment with Disney's values and vision, aiming to create a concept in harmony with Disney's dedication to offering family-friendly entertainment and educational experiences for young audiences.
Task Flow & User Flow
By understanding the needs and behaviors of the target audience, I identified the key task as game selection and exploration, and the user flow as interaction for first time users to develop effortless navigation and a joyful experience.
DESIGN
PHASE
In order to cater to the needs and interests of both children and parents, I have created wireframes with an aim to provide an engaging and interactive experience with a strong educational component, while also emphasizing the beloved Disney characters and stories that children love.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
Home Screen
Character Screen
Game Description Screen
Game Play Screens
Mood Board
I created a mood board to ensure that the new gaming feature for Disney Plus was consistent with the platform's existing aesthetic, user interface, and values.
Keeping a child's perspective in mind, I aimed to make the feature engaging, fun, and interesting for young users while aligning with Disney's core principles.
The mood board served as a visual guide throughout the design process, helping to maintain a cohesive look and feel across all aspects of the feature.
UI KIT
Background image capturing the essence of story-telling and an immersive world.
Vibrant Disney character icons that add a touch of magic to the interface.
Disney Plays logo, designed with the iconic silhouette of Mickey ears surrounding the play button
Buttons to ensure intuitive navigation and interaction
Game covers that entice users to explore and play
High Fidelity Wirerames
This design ensures that the Disney Plays feature is consistent with the Disney Plus aesthetic and values while being engaging and fun for children.
Categorized with various games catering to different interests and skills. From interactive adventures that bring Disney worlds to life to creative and educational games, there’s something for every child’s preferences and needs.
Character Category: A special category for all the beloved Disney characters, allowing kids to easily find games that feature their favorite characters.
Home Screen
Dedicated spaces where children can explore games, stories, and activities featuring their favorite characters. Each screen is uniquely designed to immerse the user in that character’s world.
Character Screen
The game description screen provides a brief introduction to the game, along with its recommended age limit and category.
Game Description
The gameplay screens are designed to be engaging and immersive.
A visual cue on the bottom right screen displays a user’s profile icon. This can be pressed at any time to bring up options to keep playing the game, restart, or quit. This helps to make the experience more intuitive.
Game Play
User Testing
I conducted a moderated, in-person user test for the new Disney Plays feature with two young parents, Gabby and Nicholas, and their 3-year-old daughter Mia. Both were avid Disney Plus users and were excited to try out the new feature with their daughter.
For the user test, I created a prototype on Maze.co with clickable screens and images to simulate the experience of using the feature.
During the testing, participants were asked to perform specific tasks like exploring the home and character screens, finding the game description screen, starting the game, and locating the exit button. I observed their behavior and requested feedback on design aspects such as the layout, visuals, and ease of use.
Observations
I noticed that Mia was immediately drawn to the character category section and picked Elsa from Frozen as her favorite character.
Nick and Gabby were pleased with how easy it was to navigate, and they appreciated the variety of categories for the games, such as "Play Along Adventures" and "Learn and Play."
They found that these categories could be helpful in selecting games that matched Mia's interests and developmental level.
As for the game play screens, they identified the button for the menu options quickly and agreed that it was prominent and engaging enough for kids.
Key Insights
Familiarity and Excitement: Mia was immediately drawn to the character category.
Ease of Use: The parents found the feature easy enough to navigate for both them and Mia, and appreciated the layout of it. This feedback reassured me that the feature is user-friendly for all ages.
Educational and Developmental Value: Parents recognized the potential of the feature in supporting Mia’s developmental skills, which aligns with the commitment to educational content.
Positive Game Play: Both parents and Mia quickly identified the menu options, confirming that our design engages and captivates young users.
The user testing phase affirmed that Disney Plays effectively captivates young children like Mia while providing a more engaging learning experience. Parents, exemplified by Sarah, value the user-friendly navigation and diverse game categories that ensure a safe and enriching environment for their kids. This concept not only benefits families but also strengthens Disney Plus' competitive position by offering a unique and educationally focused gaming feature in the streaming market.
Final Thoughts
The Disney Plays feature has been designed with the goal of creating an engaging and fun experience for children while staying true to Disney's aesthetic and values.
One of the key takeaways from this case study is the importance of understanding the target audience, especially young children, and creating an experience that captivates their imagination and fosters their curiosity. By incorporating beloved Disney characters, interactive gameplay, and educational elements, the Disney Plays feature has the potential to create a truly magical and enriching experience for young users.
As a Disney fan myself, I felt a deep sense of responsibility to create an engaging and delightful experience for users. Seeing the wireframes come to life and imagining the joy that children like Mia would experience brought a smile to my face.
In the end, the Disney Plays feature represents a step forward in enhancing user engagement, expanding the Disney Plus experience beyond passive viewing, and providing a platform that promotes learning and exploration. I am confident that this feature has the potential to captivate young users and further solidify Disney Plus as a leading streaming service.
