Netflix has begun to roll out its redesigned user interface: Eclipse. At first glance, it’s sleeker, simpler, and unmistakably modern. But this isn’t just a visual update. It’s a statement about what user experience really means in a streaming world defined by choice overload, cultural nuance, and the global race to keep viewers engaged.
Netflix’s mission was clear: help users find something great to watch, faster. But when your platform spans over 190 countries, that challenge goes far beyond streamlining UI. It requires a content system that’s as flexible as it is intuitive – one where every frame, every phrase, and every visual cue is doing real UX work.
As Chief Product Officer Eunice Kim explained, Eclipse is about making Netflix “more intuitive and responsive to our members’ needs.” On the surface, that’s reflected in tweaks like repositioned shortcuts and tighter tile layouts. But behind the scenes, what’s really changing is how visuals, language, and metadata work together to guide user behavior.
It’s no surprise that other streamers will race to follow suit. In fact, in our survey of streaming executives, 62% said improving user experience is now their top priority. That’s promising. However, amid the noise around Netflix’s redesign, many will likely miss the one thing that truly sets Eclipse apart: a global interface, built with local relevance at its core.
DESIGNING FOR A TRULY GLOBAL AUDIENCE
In today’s crowded streaming landscape, first impressions aren’t just aesthetic choices – they’re conversion levers. Visuals need to do more than look good. They need to inform, entice, and connect, all within a split second.
A key part of the new UI is that the visuals do the storytelling. Each tile is a cohesive blend of logo, image, and metadata, engineered to be both recognizable and relevant at a glance.
That’s where the logos and artwork on Netflix’s UI come in. Over the past year, our team partnered with Netflix to overhaul these assets, making the new UI more adaptable, efficient, and globally responsive.
CONTENT DISCOVERY, MADE PERSONAL
Hesitation at a title card isn’t just a UX hiccup – it’s a drop-off point. This is more than UI polish. It’s UX choreography. When done well, it reduces friction, creates trust, and – in Netflix’s own words – gets users to “play and stay.”
Here’s what that actually means in practice:
- Optimizing logos for on-service legibility
- Adjusting logos to accommodate language expansion or contraction
- Creating safe zones for right-to-left languages like Hebrew or Arabic
- Adapting image sizes to the new interface
- Selecting thumbnail variations based on cultural sensitivity and living room safety
- Leveraging AI-assisted composition to auto-adjust visuals without compromising narrative clarity
Together, these create a streamlined visual language that brings more information at a glance and guides subscribers seamlessly through the decision-making journey.
And just as importantly, the copy that accompanies them must strike a balance between editorial tone and market-specific nuance. Synopses must be sharp, plot-driven and specific to the locale, leveraging specific talent or genre cues that immediately resonate.
FINAL THOUGHT
For many platforms, a new UI means fresh colors, reflowed grids, and sleeker animations. But Netflix’s Eclipse signals something more substantial: a global shift toward local nuance.
Yet while 62% of US streaming executives acknowledge the pressure of rising competition when engaging international audiences, only 3% recognize locally resonant UX as a priority. That gap is more than surprising – it’s a strategic liability. And it’s costing platforms meaningful engagement.
That’s the real lesson for the industry: without local-level UX intelligence, even the most beautiful interface won’t resonate. So don’t rush into surface-level updates. Instead, build the foundation that makes that interface meaningful – globally aware, culturally fluent, and creatively agile.
In the next era of streaming, the winners won’t be those who look the best, but those who connect the best. And that starts by designing for audiences everywhere, not just users anywhere.
