← All Case Studies
UX Research Case Study

Disney+ Watchlist Usability Study

Improving discoverability, feedback, and confidence
in a core streaming task.
A usability study exploring how users add titles to their watchlist on Disney+, uncovering friction points and opportunities to create a clearer, more satisfying experience.
Disney+ interface annotated with usability issues affecting Watchlist discoverability, controls, and feedback.
Role
Lead UX Researcher
and Designer
Method
Moderated Usability Study
Participants
1 User
Duration
2 weeks

Overview

Adding to a Watchlist is a fundamental user goal on any streaming platform. When it's hard to find, unclear, or lacking feedback, users lose confidence and are less likely to engage.

Problem

The participant experienced friction locating the correct controls, interpreting the interface hierarchy, and confirming that the title was added to the Watchlist.

Goal

Identify usability issues and recommend design improvements that make adding to the watchlist intuitive, fast, and rewarding -ultimately increasing user engagement and retention.

Study Scope & Methodology

Scope

Focus on the “Add to Watchlist” task flow      
Assess discoverability, clarity, and feedback
Evaluate mental models and expectations
Identify simple, high-impact improvements

Methodology

Remote moderated usability session
Think aloud protocol
Task-based scenario
Post-task interview / SUS reflection
1
Participant
Adult streaming user
Remote moderated session

Key Findings

1
Low Discoverability of Search Icon
Disney+ homepage showing the search icon highlighted to illustrate low discoverability.
The participant initially overlooked the search icon on the homepage and relied on scanning, increasing time and effort to find a specific title.
2
Confusion Between Watchlist
Header & Add Button
Disney+ interface showing the Watchlist label and plus add button that caused user confusion.
The participant interpreted the Watchlist label as an action before recognizing the plus icon as the actual add control.
3
Insufficient Feedback After Adding
Disney+ confirmation message showing subtle feedback after content is added to the Watchlist.
The participant was not fully confident the action succeeded because the feedback was subtle and easy to miss.

Recommendations

1
Make Search More Prominent
Increase contrast, size, and spacing of the search icon and keep it persistently placed in primary navigation.
Recommended Disney+ search design with a larger, more prominent search icon.
2
Clarify Watchlist Controls
Use a clear “+ My Watchlist” button on content detail pages and treat the Watchlist header as navigation to the list.
Recommended Disney+ interface using a clearly labeled My Watchlist button.
3
Provide Stronger Confirmation
Use a larger toast with a checkmark, subtle animation, and auto-dismiss timing to reinforce success.
Recommended Disney+ confirmation message with a checkmark and clear Added to My Watchlist feedback.

Business Impact / ROI

Increase Engagement
Easier save actions lead to more titles being added and more time spent on platform.
Improve Retention
Users return more often when they can easily pick up content they planned to watch.
Boost User Confidence
Clear controls and feedback create trust and reduce abandonment
and churn.
Low-Cost, High-Impact
UI refinements with minimal engineering effort can yield meaningful usability gains.

Key Takeaways / Outcome

Small usability gaps in core tasks create outsized friction.
Clear hierarchy and feedback build confidence and speed.
Testing with real users reveals assumptions we can’t see.
Simplicity is not the absence of features, but the clarity of the path to accomplish what matters.
- Unknown
Outcome
The recommended improvements provide a clearer, faster, and more satisfying watching experience - driving engagement and loyalty.