Human Communication Interface Comparison - Netflix - Case Study Example

Human Communication Interface Comparison Introduction With the current trend in development of technology, many innovations are finding their way to the market to make the experience of the consumer more pleasing and more interactive. One of such creative innovations that has revolutionized the movie industry is the ability to stream movies directly from the internet and watching at the comfort of one’s seats. The advent and improvement of 3G and 4G broadband networks has made it possible to transmit digital content over the internet and stream it at high speeds to enjoy high definition programming and movies (Li, Park and Villasenor, 7). On the other hand, the user interactive design of the website being used in streaming the digital content has a large impact on the pixel density that a customer will enjoy. The physical user interactive display enhances the richness of the media content being displayed, making it more motivating for a customer to search through such content with much ease. This paper will compare the physical interactive user interface in Netflix.com and Hulu.com in determining which interface presents better user interactivity in movie watching and streaming. A good interactive physical user interface makes it easy to use for audience with different abilities. Fitt’s law and Hick’s law of interactive user design will be used in comparing between the two websites. Interface Description Netflix.com and Hulu.com are two movie streaming and TV content streaming sites respectively, used by movies lovers and those who like streaming digital content directly. In this paper the desktop interactive interface presented by Netflix.com and Hulu.com will be compared in investigating the system that has been designed according o the principles of interactive design, and according to Hicks and Fits design laws of interactive design. Li, Park and Villasenor (7) explain that the contrast ratio, Density Pixels per inch (DPI), and the number of pixels produced in video streaming have a large impact on the visual experience of the viewer. For high definition and quality pictures, streaming has to be quality and minimize any errors in compression of videos. Neflix.com has its graphics in a much better resolution at 1080p, while Hulu.com offers 720p, making graphics in Netflix to be of much higher definition compared to those in Hulu.com. Interaction Description Both Hulu.com and Netflix.com require member subscription where in order to access the content, one has to sign into a private account. This implies that they both charge varying subscription fees to their members and are considered cheaper alternatives by many movie lovers and in TV content streaming. Both Netflix.com and Hulu.com are accessed over the internet and use a broadband to stream digital content. Therefore, the display of the film graphics, online TV shows, documentaries among many digital contents that are stored and streamed from the two sites either through a free service for Hulu.com, or through subscribed services for both Hulu and Netflix. The main difference is that Hulu Plus is mainly dedicated to TV shows, with its user interface display being made of a wide collection of TV shows and documentaries, while Netflix mainly focuses on movies, with its user interface portraying the numerous movies that can be obtained from the service, all in an interactive graphic (Kanouse, 110). Hulu.com will thus attract more TV and documentary lovers while Netflix has its audience across both TV lovers and movie lovers. The main interaction in the two websites takes place as viewers access the sites, log into to private accounts, and search for the required contents to watch. The desktop before logging into private accounts is thus critical in guiding and assisting the viewer through the available contents to make searching easy , speedy with the least number of non-repetitive actions required to access such content being critical in determining the ease of use in each website. Users are required to use a few tools in Hulu.com compared to Netflix.com to access the required content. Comparing the webpages to the principles of design by Hick’s law, as the number of choices on the web page increases, so does the time required for the user to make their respective choices. This implies that Hulu.com has a better design in its user interactive interface compared to Netflix.com. Norman Model of Interactive Design Norman designed 8 stages to be followed in ensuring an interactive design. These design factors may be summarized into three broad categories of activity design, interaction design, and information design (stages of action, 5). Considering the design rules, in activity design, Hulu.com has a better design compared to Netflix.com. Hulu.com offers a wider range of selection in its physical user interactive interface from which the user is supposed to choose the required content, which is in accordance with Hick’s law of reducing time required in searching for content, compared to Netflix.com that offers none (Erlandson, 2006). In design, Fitt’s law requires the use of well-designed drop down menu to ensure the user accesses it in the shortest time despite their location (Zhao, 2002). This has been observed in Hulu.com. In addition, in interactive design, which relates to forming the intention, specifying and executing an action (stages of action, 5), Hulu.com has a better interface. The intention is for more people to watch as much TV stations and movies as possible. Thus Hulu.com offers many captivating graphics of TV stations and documentaries in their interactive interface, and classifies them into different classifications such popular, trending now, top 25, among other classification. Fitt’s law in design rule suggested that commands and tools used more often have to have a larger button, justifying the use of such sizeable graphics and menus on Hulu.com. This simplifies accessing the favorite and most watched shows in saving the time required to search for such content through the menu, an element of a good design (Zhao, 2002). This follows the design rule by Hick’s law that as tools and options increase, the user reaction time is compromised, requiring users to go directly to search their required movies instead of displaying too many graphics and leaving minimal white space in Hulu.com. Principles of universal design Equitable use As required in interactive design, both Netflix.com and Hulu.com offer a captivating user design, though Hulu.com presents more graphics on the desktop without the need to log into one’s account. This follows the design requirements in both Hick’s law and Fitt’s law that emphasizes on a simple non cluttered web page. The high definition display in Netflix.com has a better pixel density, which appeals to many users whose main aim is high definition graphics. Both Hulu.com and Netflix.com provide security measures to ensure only members access the content. Considering the design requirements Hulu.com is more marketable to people with diverse abilities compared to Netflix as Rimmer (3) explains. People not conversant with the various TV shows in the media today can arrive at such shows much easily; Hulu.com offers TV shows and documentaries graphics under various categories on its interactive interface, making it easier for those not well informed in movies and shows to choose, which assists in reducing the user reaction time as required by Hick’s law. Flexibility in use Considering effective design, Rimmer (4) argues that a design of an interactive desktop has to provide choice for the methods of use, facilitate accuracy, and adapt to the pace of the user. Hulu.com in their design provides a number of dropdown menus, a viewer can use the graphics that lead to respective TV shows and documentaries even before logging in to a private account to watch, which is not possible in Netflix.com. Fitt’s law requires commands and menus used often to be placed near the view of the user to improve the reaction time of the user (Zhao, 2002). Moreover, Hulu.com facilitates accuracy by providing graphics and video trailers that lead to the actual show as required. As the design procedures require, such graphics reduces the reaction time of the user in selecting the required show in accordance with Hick’s law (Erlandson, 2006). The picture slide play command on the menu bar increases the accuracy and appeal of Hulu.com compared to Netflix in that the picture slide play command reveals the variety of shows in the library. Netflix does not follow this design approach. Simple and intuitive to use In laws of design, both Fitt’s law and Hick’s law advocate for reduced complexity to enable the user to find the required content much easily and increase their reaction time (Zhao, 2002). While Netflix dos not provide options in its interactive interface that a viewer may access to learn more on what to find in the library, but leaves considerable white space, Hulu.com provides a drop down menu command that gives options of various shows and documentaries in various categories such as the recent added, the leading, and most watched, which makes navigation easy compared to Netflix.com. The design orientation of Hulu.com facilitates arrangement of information according importance, improving its usability compared to Netflix. Low physical effort Ergonomics of use require that the user maintains a natural position, minimize repetitive actions and minimizes their physical efforts (Rimmer, 5). In accordance to the laws of design, Fitt’s law advocate for a design that minimizes relative human movement by placing the most used commands close to the user (Zhao, 2002). Netflix does not provide an alphabetical listing of available movies and fails to provide menu on its interactive interface where the viewer may choose the required content. Hulu.com on the other hand has an elaborate arrangement of graphics of different TV shows and documentaries on its white space where one can choose their favorite programs with much simplicity. The drop down menu detailing the various clarifications of documentaries makes it easy to avoid repetitive actions; the viewer can choose the provided documentaries without assessing the menu or using any other command. This makes Hulu.com design to be more ergonomic compared to Netflix. Perceptible information While both Hulu.com and Netflix.com provide adequate contact between the essential information and eh white space, Hulu.com does much more by giving titles and short text previews to the numerous trailers provided in their website, in addition to providing audio trailers that can be used by those with sensory limitations such as blind people who can adequately listen to such trailers. The use of graphics and verbal techniques on its user interface makes the website much more sensitive to perceptible information. However, considering the design principles, Hick’s law advocates for minimal use of such tools and for minimal use of colors to have very few commands and graphics such as presented in Google.com interface (Erlandson, 2006). Netflix.com in their design extensively used colors and graphics, which according to Hick’s law makes it cluttered and complex. However these options as Fitt’s law are essential in principles of a database design as they offer reduced reaction time to the user (Zhao, 2002). Areas of required changes In using the principles and laws of design, Netflix would be required to undertake several changes that will make their user interface much usable and convenient to navigate similar to Hulu.com. Though Netflix has thousands of movies, they require an easy to access and easy to use drop down menu and other commands on the interactive user interface, which will facilitate easy and speedy choice of the required movie. Similar to Hulu.com Netflix will be required to make it easy for all audience with different abilities to retrieve and find the required content easily. This will be achieved through listing movies in different classifications and offering graphics and movie trailers in the interactive interface. Such classification will include the top 10 movies, general exhibition movies, most watched, and other modes of classification. Providing video trailers and video headings simplifies navigation to the required movie with precision and accuracy. Generally, offering a captivating orientation of the database will make it interesting to viewers even before logging into their accounts, which will be essential in retaining and encouraging more customers to watch movies. The laws and principles of design require user interface that is easy to use, avoids clutter, has the right commands to lead to its content and increases simplicity in use. The design of user interactive interface is critical in in ensuring the audience to any digital content have an easy access, the design is easy to use, it has to promote accuracy and precision, it has to be usable by people of different abilities, it has to include features that facilitate perceptible information by different types of users and has to be appealing to the user to make them use the service over and over with little efforts and without repetitive work. Most of these feasters have been embraced by user interactive interface in Hulu.com while, Netflix.com fails largely to make their design easy to use by its customers by failing to embrace most of the listed features. Therefore a good iterative user interface will require detailed design strategies as outlined in the principles of interactive designs to make it easy for use by a wide range of users. Work Cited Erlandson R.F., Hick’s Law in Relation to Accessible & Universal Design Enabling Technologies Laboratory, College of Engineering, Wayne State University. 2006. http://www.etl-lab.eng.wayne.edu/adrc/Human_Factors/Hicks/Hicks_law.htm(Accessed 20th April, 2013) http://www.hulu.com/ (Accessed 20th April, 2013) http://www.netflix.com (Accessed 20th April, 2013) Kanouse Patrick, The NOOK Book: An Unofficial Guide,IN: Que Publishing, 2012 Li Adam H., Park Dong-Seek and Villasenor D. John, Video Streaming Services – Stage 1, 3rd Generation Partnerships Project 2, “3GPP2,” 2000 July 10 http://www.3gpp2.org/public_html/specs/S.R0021.pdf (Accessed 20th April, 2013) Norman’s Stages of Action, A different look at design, http://courses.cs.vt.edu/~cs3724/summer2-03somervell/lectures/cs3724-stagesofaction.pdf (Accessed 20th April, 2013) Rimmer Simon HCI and User Engagement - Design Guidelines, Version 1(Rev 5), SAPHE (Philips), 2007, March 8, http://ubimon.doc.ic.ac.uk/Rimmer/public/RIMMER_D05d_HCI_Guidelines_Public.pdf (Accessed 20th April, 2013) Zhao H., Fitts’ Law: Modeling Movement Time in HCI, 2002. http://www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall2002/cmsc838s/tichi/fitts.html(Accessed 20th April, 2013)   Read More