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Succinct Solutions
Simplifying Streaming Management for
Modern Consumers
ROLE
UX Researcher/Designer
Content Creator
TEAM MEMBERS
Gillian Benson
Casey Ernsting
Justin Gudani
Jingtian Wu
DURATION
3 months (March - June 2023)
DELIVERABLES
Research Finding
Surveys
Affinity Diagrams
Usability Observations
User Flow
Interviews
Wireframes
Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Executive Summary
Research Objectives
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Investigate how Gen Z and Millennials currently manage their streaming service subscriptions, and how they might look to improve that system.
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Discover user pain points, needs, desires, and how we can empathize with our audience.
Methodology
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Contextual inquiry field study
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Individual in-depth interviews
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Survey
Findings
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Prevalence of shared accounts complicates subscription management
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Consumer preference for transparency in pricing and payments
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Many consumers do not actively track their subscriptions
Potential App Features
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Notification of upcoming payments and price changes
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Streamlined tracking of free trials and subscription renewals
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Convenience and organizational benefits to consumers
Conclusion
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An app would be useful to consumers for convenience and organization
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Future direction: Comprehensive bill management app
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Streamlining and simplifying subscription management for consumers
Problem Statement
Individuals that fall into the Gen Z and Millennial generations subscribe to multiple digital streaming services and lack reliable, centralized views of their subscriptions. This lack of visibility and control leads to negative financial impact and unsatisfied customer experiences.
Research Questions
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What are the behaviors of the users and their relationships with streaming service subscriptions that they’ve signed up for?
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What are the main challenges faced by consumers in managing their subscriptions
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How do people feel about subscription services?
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What steps do people take today to manage their subscriptions?
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What are the ethical considerations in managing subscriptions, such as issues related to data privacy, consumer protection, and sustainability?
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What are the key factors that influence consumer satisfaction and efficiency in managing multiple subscriptions, such as ease of use, subscription tracking tools, and billing consolidation options?
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What are the emerging trends, technologies, and strategies that can streamline the management of multiple digital streaming subscriptions, such as subscription aggregation services, subscription management apps, and automation tools?
Stakeholders
Customers/Consumers
Streaming Service Providers
Potential Streaming/
Digital Service Providers
Marketing Professionals
Data Analysts
UX Designers
Other Researchers
Research Methodology
Contextual Inquiry
Field Study
Individual In-Depth
Interviews
Survey
Helped inform our journey mapping; provided qualitative data about how people currently navigate their management of streaming services. It helped to lead into our interview and survey questions.
Helped inform our users’ main pain points, which helped us solidify our user personas. Provided key insights about our consumer needs and desires. Helped lead into our survey questions.
Our final research step; provided the quantitative and qualitative data we needed to determine potential solution features, as well as helped determine whether our app would be useful to consumers, overall.
Participant Profile
Journey Mapping
Survey Results and Analysis
1. Users find price, content, and ad-free support as adding the most value to their service experience.
2. Shared accounts account for half of accessible streaming services.
3. Most users do not need assistance in paying or cancelling their services as needed. But some do...
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50 % of survey respondents rarely set up auto-payment for a subscription service without knowing it
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39 % of users would settle for losing the service completely once the account is cancelled
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61 % suggested the typical streaming service user would take action to restore access to the service.
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26 % of participants report that they often forget to cancel services in timely manner
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69 % indicated forgetting to cancel subscriptions in time is not a concern.
4. Results indicate range of utility and relevance for subscription management solution.
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57% feel it is important to have a clear overview of active subscriptions in one place (outlined in green)
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52% feel that an app would be helpful to some degree (outlined in orange)
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Only 13% of responses reported any level of difficulty in managing their streaming service subscriptions. And 67% classify subscription management as at least “somewhat easy.”
Product Recommendations
User research results collected by Succinct Solutions suggest that members of Gen Z and Millennial generations experience relatively minimal challenges in managing the streaming services to which they have access and for those wherein they are the primary account owner.
Although challenges are minimal, four concerns persisted across research methods of surveys, field study, and interviews that we feel should be addressed in a subscription management app.
Concerns to address in a user-centric service management app:
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Timely service and trial cancellations
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Timely service and trial payments
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How to find connections to share accounts
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How to find desired content and shows
User Flow
Wireframes/ Low-Fidelity Prototype
As displayed in the wireframe illustrations, features include notifications, pop-ups, budget calculators, account-sharing marketplace functionality, and an overview of all accessible streaming services.
Conclusion
Our research indicates that a streaming service management app can add value, but expanding its focus to include broader money management aspects would create a more comprehensive solution.
Incorporating user preferences and insights from ongoing research will enhance users' experience in managing budgets and recurring payments, ultimately improving their overall financial well-being.
Team Presentation
Further Research
These research results should be leveraged to inform the design of a comprehensive bill management app that goes beyond the management of streaming services.
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A broader “cost center” app would bring enhanced clarity for regularly billed services such as internet, cell phone, utilities, and loan payments.
Suggested Features for Comprehensive Bill Payment Management
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Integration of multiple bill types,
including streaming services, internet, cell phone, utilities, and more, allowing users to view and manage all their bills in one place.
Notifications and reminders for upcoming bill payments, ensuring users never miss a payment deadline.
Customizable alerts for bill due dates, payment confirmations, and any changes or issues with billing.
Option to set up automatic payments or reminders to streamline bill payment processes.