It’s not just high-quality content that sets a streaming service apart from its competitors. Improving user experience remains an important part of reducing churn. On Monday, Netflix rolled out an update to its iPhone app, introducing an improved interface with a new billboard layout, new card transitions, new animations for the startup and profile screens, updated haptics, and more.
Janum Trivedi, ex-Netflix product designer tweets Videos about updates and showing new versions of the app. Trivedi wanted the app to “feel smoother, more enjoyable, and more refined,” he wrote.
When iPhone users open the Netflix app, they see a large card taking up most of the screen. This billboard layout was done to promote a proposed title available on the streaming service. What’s interesting about the update is that the card now uses a parallax effect, whereby the wallpaper moves or shifts slightly when an iPhone user tilts the device back and forth. Additionally, title cards are now surrounded by a colored border, which is the dominant color in film/TV productions.
The “Information” tab at the bottom of the card also appears to have been removed. Instead, users can simply tap the card, which takes them to a separate page with information about the show or movie.
Previously, card transitions on the app were less smooth. After selecting a title, the information section will simply slide up. A new card transition shows the card getting bigger and then the information opening to a full-screen version.
Another interesting update is profile screen animations. Instead of the classic side-swipe action that occurred when users switched profiles in the old app, users see the profile icon grow larger as it jumps to the center, then shrinks back to its normal size and pops to the top right of the page.
Netflix subscribers will likely appreciate the iPhone app update, as navigation feels more fun and interactive.
