\n\tBigger \u2014 much bigger \u2014 but is it better? <\/p>\n
\n\tNetflix<\/a> has been gradually rolling out a new homepage redesign to users around the world (as shown in the photo above). It marks the first major shakeup<\/a> to the streamer\u2019s layout in 12 years.<\/p>\n \n\tThe move is a bit of a gamble. Netflix\u2019s classic user interface has been an extraordinary success, one that later-to-the-game rivals (such as Max, Peacock, Paramount+, Hulu and Disney+) have all tried to match \u2014 or even improve upon. While one can debate how successful those rival designs have been, Netflix has remained the industry frontrunner regarding subscribers (with more than 300 million subscribers worldwide).<\/p>\n \n\tSo far, a sizable percentage of users have been switched over to the new homepage (it\u2019s being rolled out to LG and Samsung smart TV\u2019s first), and many online reactions have been critical. The new homepage features program thumbnail icons that are much larger, which means users have to scroll further to see more options. Yet the design is also more interactive, expanding thumbnails as you scroll over them with more information about a title (such as a description, cast and any awards won), and it also supports other elements Netflix sees as mission-critical for its future.<\/p>\n \n\tOne Reddit thread on the Netflix subreddit criticizing the design kicked off with a user summing up the complaints like this: \u201cI have been saying for YEARS that Netflix has the best layout of any streaming service and have been annoyed that other streaming services have an inferior layout. Now, Netflix seems to be copying other services rather than the other way around. Why? Does anyone here actually like seeing fewer options on the screen? \u2026 You have to scroll endlessly to make it through what used to be a single screen\u2019s worth of content info. I hate this.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThis is, of course, not the kind of reaction that Netflix had hoped for. Yet the company\u2019s redesign was the result of a year of beta testing in markets around the world and changes to user interfaces always get met with some online backlash (whether YouTube, Spotify or Instagram). While the testing was unable to definitively prove the new layout boosts engagement (the streamer\u2019s programming is frequently changing, which makes this tougher to pin down), the company did find that more users said they preferred the new design compared to the old one.<\/p>\n \n\tA spokesperson added that Netflix understands that changing an interface after more than a decade is going to be met with some upset, but \u201cwith bigger boxes, we\u2019re showing more information up front to help you make a better decision. Instead of seeing 20 or 30 titles at a time, now you\u2019re seeing information at a glance.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tThe new format accomplishes other goals as well, setting up the platform for live events and sports, a smarter search function using Open AI, and enabling more personalized and real-time suggestions. Essentially, Netflix felt the older interface had reached its full capacity and that the new design is more future forward. <\/p>\n