Challenge: Designing For A New Mental Modal & Content Type
Based on consumer insights, Netflix subscribers required game-focused branding elements to understand the difference between games and film-based content.
Solution: Designing A Mobile-First Experience
We designed the Netflix Games experience with a mobile-first mindset, aligning with audience behavior and the platform’s biggest growth opportunity.
While introducing gaming, we ensured the experience stayed true to Netflix’s core design system—subtly adapting familiar patterns to feel native to gamers without alienating existing members.
Lastly, to increase discoverability and reduce friction, we introduced contextual UI patterns like educational modals and toast notifications—guiding members on where to find games and how to use second-screen controllers intuitively.
Outcome: Slow & Stealthy Launch
Our design decisions across the product for the Netflix Games vertical attracted over 1.7M daily active users (1-3% of total subscribers) at launch and increased on-service discovery by 15% on mobile devices.
With a mental model that differs from the current film & tv approach, we also learned that creating friction to educate our members on the value props of Games helped spark interest in the new offering
