Quick guide to understanding UI and UX: The case of Filmin

UI (User Interface) y UX (User Experience) are two key terms in the world of VOD platforms. But what do they consist of? How do they condition our relationship with applications? What are your current trends?

In this interview, Julia Slipenchuk, Head of Product Design at of the movie, opens the doors to this particular universe, while sharing the keys to the UI and UX of the popular video on demand platform.

What do we mean by UI/UX when we talk about a VOD application?

When we send a message to our mother or are checking Twitter, we don't want anything to distract us from our goal. Right now, what we want is to know when Mom is expecting us for dinner or to quickly share that photo from Twitter to a friend. At that moment we are users and we are communicating with technology to help us achieve our goals through a digital product like WhatsApp or Twitter. UI/UX is behind and only helps us.

Specifically, UX (User experience) focuses on deeply understanding the user. It is the process of investigating their needs and values, in order to know people's abilities and limitations. UX best practices help improve the quality of interaction and user perception of the product. On the other hand, UI (User Interface) is responsible for the aesthetic appearance of the elements through which a person uses the product. They are buttons, icons, typography, colors, etc. In addition, it helps convey the personality and brand of the digital product.

The essence of the entire user experience is interaction. It is a conversation between a digital product and the user. If the conversation is boring or stressful, the user will leave and talk to someone more interesting. UX / UI tries to make that conversation always more exciting. UX/UI concepts and laws are universal and apply in the same way everywhere: from the development of an electric kettle to a VOD platform.

Of course, at Filmin we take into account the characteristics of the use of our product. For example, the fact that people watch us in their living room on Saturday night, away from the screen and in low light. We take into account the specificity of the product and what devices people who consume our platform use. It can be a TV, a laptop, a tablet, a mobile phone or a PC.

We have a great editorial team and a great social media team; They help develop a product in a way that reflects the depth of cinema and what our users want. Many people think that VOD is movies, series or, for example, documentaries. But in reality, users don't perceive the world that way. A VOD platform is also current affairs, the processes of society, people and sometimes even escapism after a hard day or simply consolation when your heart is broken.

Everything affects the user

What are the keys that make a UX completely satisfactory?

People's impression of using the product, i.e. UX, is influenced much more than the design itself. People are affected by the reputation of the company. They are influenced by what other people say about the company or product. People are affected by the appearance of a product and how they have felt in the past about other similar things. People are affected by how they feel on this day, whether they are open to this new product at the time they use it. People are affected by how well they can learn to use the product, what they can get out of it, how disappointed they are with other products that have not lived up to their promise. Everything affects the user and all of these are key points for a satisfactory UX.

How has the Filmin UI/UX area worked in recent years?

UI/UX is continuous iteration, a process of constantly testing design solutions throughout the product lifecycle. The UX design process involves studying user behavior through research and testing to turn that knowledge into strategies that can be applied to improve product quality. Creating attractive and accessible products is a continuous evolution. Filmin is constantly learning, increasing its team, and becoming more multidisciplinary every day. All of this helps to improve the platform, and more importantly: Filmin users are constantly inspiring and helping to make the product better.

Innovation in UI/UX

To what extent can innovations be proposed in the area of ​​UI/UX, taking into account the public that usually uses these tools?

Recently, companies have begun to see design as the key to a massively successful product. Taking this into account, there are now more possibilities for innovation, because design was previously limited in its spheres of influence. The possibility of innovation is influenced not only by the role that design will assign in companies, but also by market development, the development of new operating systems and new devices.

If we look at any innovation individually, product redesign and improvement is often perceived negatively. For example, global improvements to products like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and many others have been criticized and met with a barrage of skepticism and confusion. In their day, Leonardo da Vinci and other great scientists were also initially considered psychopaths. Because, to do something new, you have to be brave and a little… psychopathic, let's say, to allow yourself to go further.

Psychology explains it. Our brain is designed not to like change, even good ones. This causes stress and requires a lot of cognitive work. It's hard for us to get used to another routine. Navigation when using the interface is also routine. People don't care about the design itself, they just want to get what they came for.

Moving the button to a more convenient location to make it easier to find sometimes doesn't convince the user. Because you're used to having to click 10 times to find that same button at the bottom of the page. This user is upset that some innovations have been made. There are many such phenomena and mental phenomena that apply to UI/UX.

What is the procedure to extract application usage information from users in order to evolve the proposal?

At Filmin, like other technology companies, we use A/B testing. It is a user experience research methodology. The test consists of 2 layout options: different users randomly see different versions. Based on statistics, we test our hypotheses and improve the product.

We also look at what time our users consume Filmin the most. For example, it increases on Saturday night and decreases during the beach period. Based on these statistics, at the end of each year we make a summary. Each Filmin user can see for themselves which genres they watched the most, on which days, how many hours in total they spent watching movies and much more.

Tomorrow

What would you say is the trend in the UI/UX field? Is there a trend towards simplification or is there a tendency to add layers of complexity as the user demands advanced control options?

The trends in the world of UI/UX are in sync with the general trends of the world. Digital products are increasingly more inclusive, diversified, transparent and open to people with disabilities.

Design helps people use technology more effectively and treat it as a tool that improves daily life. IBM Deep Blue once defeated world chess champion Garri Kasparov. It was amazing, because if the computer beat one of the best players in the world, what's the point of continuing to play? Kasparov saw an opportunity and the next time he played against someone else. In those games, both players used computers to increase their skills and improve their game.

On the other hand, many people in the world do not use the latest phone models, do not have a good Internet connection, or do not have Internet at all. This is 40% of the world's population, which is still offline. UI/UX must incorporate all these factors and develop interfaces for a broader audience.

Likewise, voice interfaces are gaining popularity. They can be used by people with disabilities, people who cannot read or children. Augmented reality, virtual reality - all these are different types of interfaces. Interfaces don't get simpler or more complex, but they definitely get more fun and inclusive.

What improvements could we find in applications (web or mobile) like those of a platform like Filmin in the future?

We try not to make any prior announcements, but many new things await Filmin users, improved interfaces, improved applications and some surprises. We are aware of the problems that exist in Filmin applications and we are working on them. Very soon, the world will see a complete redesign of mobile and tablet applications on Android and iOS platforms.

What would be the keys to your ideal UI/UX, Julia?

For me, the key to an ideal design is not the UI/UX itself, but a product that solves users' problems through design. This is why I love Filmin. I feel like our users appreciate it. During the quarantine, our team received a very nice letter from a user who thanked Filmin for helping him survive the quarantine. I call this a good product!

For me, the perfect UI/UX will change the way we live and work. It helps and supports us. It is a design that does not use psychological traits to manipulate us with bad intentions.

One of my favorite products is Google maps, which help me basically every day. Other examples of good UI/UX design are the bluetooth bracelets designed by an American company to help women. They have invisible buttons that can activate a call to 911. There is an online tool developed by Artefact Studio for children, which in a playful way tells how algorithms are biased and how dangerous it is. A chatbot that teaches other people how to talk to LGBT teenagers in crisis. The Helsinki Hot Heart is a floating reservoir off the city's coast that will supply heat to the city to reduce coal use. It's not perfect, but another great example of a cool UX/UI is Tesla.

An interview by Sergio Julián Gómez

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