Year
2024

Hulu Search

Redesigning Search navigation pattern for 10ft-UI

Year
2022

Role
Lead Designer

Target Platform
Roku, tvOS

Design Process

  • Research

  • Wireframes

  • Prototypes

Challenge

In 2022, I led the redesign of the Search experience for Hulu across Connected TV, Search was a high-traffic entry point into content discovery, yet engagement metrics showed friction in query refinement, zero-result searches, and content discoverability. Our Core app design team had implemented a move away from the more Web-feeling horizontal navigation to a new vertical design pattern.

While Hulu had strong personalized recommendations on the home experience, Search lacked the same intelligence and clarity. Users often relied on Search when they had high intent, (looking for a specific title, genre, actor, or live event) but the UX did not consistently support those different search behaviors.

The challenge was to design a scalable, intelligent, and cross-platform Search experience that:

  • Reduced time-to-content

  • Improved result relevance

  • Supported both direct lookup and exploratory discovery

  • Worked seamlessly across remote-based (CTV)interfaces

Current LR Design.png
Current LR Design Spacing Notes.png

Research

To begin the process, I partnered with Product and Research teams to better understand user behavior and friction points.

I analyzed:

  • Search query logs

  • Zero-result rates

  • Content type searches (TV, movies, sports, add-ons, etc.)

I discovered:

  • A high percentage of users were searching for content already available on the Home screen.

  • Users frequently searched by actor or franchise rather than exact titles.

  • Connected TV users had significantly higher abandonment rates due to typing friction and unclear functionality.

.

Prototyping

I created two high-fidelity prototypes in Figma:

  • Back-stack query moving through each step

  • Back-stack opens vertical nav

Takeaways

  1. Established a balanced approach to Back-button behavior on Roku and tvOS, ensuring it worked seamlessly with left–right directional navigation.

  2. Identified and resolved an issue in Search, where relevant results were being deprioritized and pushed too far down the screen.

  3. Intelligent ranking and clear categorization significantly reduce friction.

“The challenge was finding the right balance between adding just enough friction to guide users, while still enabling a fast and intuitive exit from Search.”

— Darren Weik

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