Enhancing The Streaming Experience
A UX Case study on designing a browser extension that automatically skips potentially inappropriate scenes in streaming content.
Project Overview
My Role
UX Designer, Researcher
Timeline
4 Weeks
Tools
Figma and Miro
43%
of GenZ viewers turn off movies during intimate scenes.
27 %
of Americans feel that intimate scenes and nudity have “no place” in movies and TV shows.
35%
of Americans find watching movies with intimate scenes with parents rated extremely awkward.
80%
80% of Parents are concerned about inappropriate content in movies.
The Problem
Streaming platforms offer parental controls, but they often don’t let you filter content at the scene level. I wanted to create a tool that could automatically skip scenes users might find inappropriate, based on a rating or filter of their choice
The Goal
Design an extension that makes streaming content more family friendly and customizable without needing to pause, skip, or pre-screen content.
Users
I created three sample personas
Elijah, 36
Protective Parent
Goal: let his children (ages 7 and 10) watch shows safely and avoid constant supervision while streaming
Pain Points: Doesn’t trust age ratings to catch everything. Is frustrated by the lack of filtering options on platforms like Netflix
How Skipbuddy helps: Automates scene skipping based on pre-set ratings. And gives Elijah his peace of mind without having to hover.
Mrs. Brooks, 46,
High school history teacher
Goal: Use documentaries and films to support classroom learning, and ensure content shown is school appropriate
Pain Points: Can’t preview entire videos during planning, risks showing content with unexpected inappropriate scenes
How Skipbuddy helps: Provides a safety net with smart skip automation, allows her to filter content with PG or PG-13 levels easily
Samantha, 20,
The College Student
Goal: Watch thrillers without intense violence or trauma triggers, and stay focused on well-being and manage stress
Pain Points: Finds it hard to enjoy shows with sudden graphic content, doesn’t want to avoid entire genres
How Skipbuddy helps: lets her enjoy curated versions of shows, skips disturbing scenes based on custom filters (e.g, “violence”
Initial Concepts to Refined Interfaces
After identifying key user needs through my personas, such as parental control, seamless content filtering and customizable viewing experiences. I translated those insights into early low fidelity wireframes. These wireframes helped me quickly to test the layout ideas and interaction flows for SkipBuddy.
once the core structure was validated. I refined the designs into high-fidelity mockups, focusing on accessibility, responsiveness, and visual clarity. Below is a side-by-side comparison showing the evolution from rough wireframes to polished UI screens.
Low Fidelity
High Fidelity
When users hover over or click on a movie thumnail, just like on Netflix, they’re typically met with a play button, trailer preview, and brief details. With Skipbuddy, I reimagined this familiar interaction to include built-in content control tools that feel natural and non-invasive. I wanted the core controls—like rating preferences and skip options—to be available before playback, so users don’t have to dive deep into settings. Inspired by real-world parental control struggles and the need for “set-it-and-forget-it” tools, I built these features directly into the movie preview screen.
Feature Highlights in the Thumbnail UI
🟢 Skip Toggle
A prominent on/off switch that lets users quickly enable or disable SkipStream filtering. Think of it as a smart “content safety” toggle built right into the preview.
🎚️ Rating Filter Dropdown
Users can choose a content rating (e.g., G, PG, PG-13) to determine what gets skipped during playback. This rating dynamically adjusts the skip algorithm.
🪢 Jump Rope Icon (Settings Access)
Instead of a standard gear icon, I chose a jump rope icon—a playful metaphor for “skipping” parts of the video. It subtly signals what the feature does, while adding a sense of personality and charm to the interface.