movieQ

This project is collaborated with Kuan-wen Chen.

Challenge

Design a third-party desktop website or desktop app (not Netflix-branded) where the community can celebrate shared stories together through communal and authentic experiences.

Problem Statement

When we grew up as queer, we could only spy on LGBT films in bed after our parents left. We often felt isolated in society, but those movies gave us the strength to live our lives. Thus, in the pride month, we decided to launch a platform where queers can connect through LGBT films and potentially find their date on it. We use movies as an icebreaker and let LGBT-identified connect their people talk to even during the quarantine time.

In 2020, over 151.6 million people subscribe to Netflix. With the COVID-19 situation, Video Streaming service revenue is predicted to continue growing in the future. However, global pandemic limits the interaction between people. So we want to explore:

How might we help the community utilize video streaming platforms and share their experience with content such as series television shows and movies they love?

Research

Since both team members identify as queer, we decided to focus on the LGBTQ community and think about how to bond the community through video streaming services.

A 2017 Gallup poll concluded that 4.5% of adult Americans identified as LGBT, with 5.1% of women identifying as LGBT, compared with 3.9% of men. A different survey in 2016, from the Williams Institute, estimated that 0.6% of U.S. adults identify as transgender. According to a 2019 research by Community Marketing & Insights, about 84% LGBTQ people in the U.S. read or watch LGBTQ media content regularly.

Target Audience

LGBTQ+ members who subscribe to streaming platforms and regularly watch LGBTQ-related media. Our target audience likes to meet people and share opinions about movies with communities.

LGBTQ people often suffer from isolation and disconnection from the LGBTQ community. They don’t feel comfortable talking about sexuality or LGBTQ-related issues with others or can’t find access to it. From a personal perspective, I learn about LGBTQ and discover my sexuality mostly through movies and T.V. when growing up. However, it’s hard to discuss it with others since no one I know was watching the same thing, which sometimes leads to depression and a sense of isolation.

How can we integrate social functions into a video streaming platform to empower the community?

movieQ puts our members first, so when we delivered our user flow, we decided to let the flow go to user profiles from most of the pages. When signed in, there will be profiles displayed on the front page based on the recommendations. Users can also explore other profiles from the movie details and community page. The flow is designed to let users find other people through the website with movies as icebreakers and a communal bond.

Meet New Friends

As a social and streaming platform, movieQ helps users find other LGBT-movie lovers within a few touches. After adding others as friends, users can invite them to enjoy a movie and discuss the latest acclaimed film they both love.

Share within the Community

Finding people with similar tastes can never be easy, but movieQ provides multiple communities that allow users to chat with other members. We want people to find a sense of community through joining discussions.

Watch Together

movieQ helps our users organize watching events with friends. When watching movies together, people can discuss the plot and turn on video chat at the same time. We create a friendly and cozy environment for you to enjoy your time with the other half.