Netflix Games establishes Netflix as the destination for digital entertainment. With social play and multiplayer a fundemental part of many gaming experiences, it is a clear area of value and opportunity.
Overview
Netflix Games was expanding beyond a collection of individual titles into a connected gaming ecosystem. As Product Design Lead for Social, I was responsible for defining the vision, strategy and foundational user experience for Social across the Netflix Games platform.Working as the sole designer dedicated to Social, I led the design of core platform capabilities including identity, onboarding, friends, invitations, privacy, safety and relationship management systems. These experiences spanned the Netflix app, Netflix Game Controller and individual game experiences across iOS and Android.Alongside feature design, I partnered closely with Product, Engineering and Design Systems teams to evolve Netflix’s Hawkins Design System, ensuring it could support a new generation of highly interactive, utility-focused gaming experiences.
Year: 2023-2024
Platform: Mobile App, TV App, Web
Role: Product Design Lead, Social
Team: 1x Content Designer1x CI Researcher2x Product Managers1x Technical PM2x Engineering Leads
Problem
Social interaction is one of the strongest drivers of engagement, retention and discovery in games. While Netflix had established a growing games catalogue, members lacked meaningful ways to connect with friends, share experiences and engage with the wider gaming ecosystem.Our challenge was not simply to add social features, but to define how Social should exist within Netflix. We needed to create systems that strengthened connection and discovery while maintaining member trust, privacy and safety.The resulting platform needed to scale across multiple products, devices and game experiences, whilst integrating seamlessly with Netflix’s existing infrastructure, design systems and member expectations.
Process
I approached Social as a platform rather than a collection of individual features. Early discovery focused on understanding player behaviours, identifying opportunities to increase connection and engagement, and defining the foundational systems required to support future social experiences.Working closely with Product, Research and Engineering, I defined the interaction models, platform architecture and design patterns that would underpin Social across the ecosystem. This included identity, onboarding, relationship management, invitations, privacy controls, safety features and player interactions.Throughout development we validated concepts through prototyping, usability testing and iterative design reviews, ensuring solutions could scale beyond immediate launch requirements while supporting Netflix’s long-term vision for connected gaming experiences.