Interaction fail: Apple TV Netflix app
The Apple TV was designed for a minimum number of controls, such that the user can feel their way through on-screen interactions without looking at the remote.
For this minimal control scheme to be successful, the buttons must produce consistent, predictable results. Putting aside the mostly useless “play/pause” button, there are two spatial metaphors which provide a (usually) intuitive user experience.
- The directional buttons move the on-screen cursor (selection rectangle) in the same direction as pressed - a natural mapping.
- The unlabelled centre “Select” button moves inwards in hierarchical menus, while the Menu button moves outwards.
One would rightly expect the directional buttons to move the cursor a single step for each tap, and holding the button to repeat that move. By the same logic, the Select button should move inwards by a single step, and the Menu button outwards by a single step. And that’s just how it works, except when browsing TV shows on Netflix…
Here, the user flow goes like this, clicking “Select” each time:
TV Shows List > Season List > Episode List > Episode Details
And on the way back:
Episode Details > Episode List > TV Shows List
Bah!