Going to school in Los Angeles, next to Hollywood, I have grown more fondness in the film industry. I have watched more movies since and approach them more creatively and thematically, and love having conversations about them. I downloaded Letterboxd last year after getting recommended it by my cinephile friends, but have barely used it because of its non-intuitive UI.
Product thinking lies in between two disciplines: UI/UX design and product management. As an aspiring product manager with a special interest in UI/UX design, I wanted to challenge myself to take on the criticisms of this app to make it more friendly for beginner-level movie enjoyers like myself. I also wanted to explore how all parts of a platform (e.g., product features, UI/UX, tools) interact with each other, and how cohesion among all parts of a team (developers, designers, PMs) allows users to receive a more enjoyable experience, a platform to thrive, and drives business (and industries) forward.
Thus, this case study is split into two major perspectives: UI/UX and product management.
Letterboxd is a social film discovery platform, launched in 2011 by Matthew Buchanan and Karl von Randow. It provides a space for cinephiles to document their film-watching experiences while connecting with others alike.
Users are able to find new movies, add films to their watchlist, as well as log, rate, review films they’ve already watched—all while seeing their friends and other users do the same.
It’s a hobbyist ecosystem that is only increasing in popularity. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, people started binge-watching movies and other content, as indicated by the increased demand in streaming services like Netflix and Disney+. Yet the in-person experience of film has been in recovery since, citing almost $30 billion lost in box office sales in 2020. Domestically, the United States film industry has steadily recovered, yet the 2024 box office gross amount ($8.5B) is still at a level comparable to the early 2000’s and not at pre-pandemic levels ($11.8B).
While Letterboxd was created almost 15 years ago, it saw a massive surge in users during the pandemic. It’s no doubt that this app has been a contributor in healing the film industry, creating a designated virtual space for media discourse. This platform combines this discourse with features like “Recent News” and “Recent Stories,” allowing users to immerse themselves more with the app and film as a whole. This unique concept of Letterboxd allows users to voice their opinions and discover more films, all while being connected with a community with a similar interest.
How might we empathize with the user to make Letterboxd more accessible and marketable?