DIGITAL DESIGN
ROLE: UX Researcher · Concept Designer · Illustrator
SKILLS: User Research · Service Design · Prototyping · Illustration · UX/UI
TOOLS: Illustrator · InDesign · Zoom
CONTEXT: Dissertation MA
Netflix but make it shoppable
Exploring how entertainment-led discovery could make online shopping feel less transactional.
The Challenge
During the pandemic, streaming and e-commerce became deeply embedded in everyday life. Yet online shopping often remained disconnected from the stories, characters and cultural moments that influenced what people wanted.
I explored whether Netflix could use its existing entertainment ecosystem to create an optional
shopping experience based on discovery rather than interruption.
The Research Question
How might Netflix connect entertainment and commerce without making the viewing experience feel like an advert?
Research & Insights
01
People often discover products through culture and entertainment before actively searching for
02
Relevance matters, but overt personalisation can quickly feel intrusive.
03
Shopping feels more engaging when products are connected to context, narrative and identity.
The Concept
I designed an optional discovery layer within Netflix that allows users to explore products, locations and cultural references connected to the content they enjoy.
Rather than inserting sales messages into the viewing experience, the concept keeps explorations separate and user-led.
Prototype
The interface explored how Netflix’s familiar visual language could extend into commerce while maintaining clear boundaries between entertainment, recommendation and purchase.
Testing & Next Steps
The project became an investigation into how digital products can connect commercial value with emotional relevance.
The next step would be to test whether users understand when they are moving between Netflix and an external retailer, and how much control they expect over recommendation data.