Hulu UX Analysis: 5 Critical Flaws and Expert Recommendations
As streaming competition intensifies, Hulu stands out by pioneering social viewing experiences and leveraging its ESPN partnership. However, with over 30 million subscribers, maintaining superior user experience is crucial for retention.
We collaborated with UX specialist Peter Ramsey from Built for Mars to identify five key areas for improvement in Hulu’s interface design.
1. Package Comparison Confusion
The Problem: Hulu’s four subscription tiers bury feature differences in dense paragraphs rather than clear, comparable bullet points.
Expert Solution:
- Standardize feature presentation across all plans
- Use consistent bullet-point formatting
- Highlight key differentiators prominently
UX Insight:
“When design prioritizes aesthetics over functionality, users pay the price,” notes Ramsey. “This common issue appears in about 33% of platform audits I conduct.”
2. Inconsistent Page Widths
The Problem: The sign-up process abruptly doubles page width without functional justification, creating visual disorientation.
Expert Solution:
- Maintain uniform width throughout user journey
- Only expand when additional space provides clear value
Cognitive Impact:
“Like barnacles on a ship’s hull,” explains Ramsey, “these micro-frictions accumulate into significant usability drag over time.”
3. Hidden Total Pricing
The Problem: Add-on selections display individual prices but require manual calculation of the final monthly cost.
Expert Solution:
- Implement real-time price aggregation
- Display running total prominently
- Avoid non-rounded dollar amounts
4. Unclear Geographic Restrictions
The Problem: The platform fails to notify international users of US-only access until after account creation.
Expert Solution:
- Implement IP detection at initial touchpoints
- Provide clear geographic limitations upfront
- Consider VPN user scenarios
Global Perspective:
“Even domestic users travel internationally,” Ramsey emphasizes. “This oversight forces legitimate subscribers to use VPNs unnecessarily.”
5. Misleading Progress Indicators
The Problem: The onboarding progress bar bears no relation to actual completion percentage without supplemental step counters.
Expert Solution:
- Align visual progress with actual completion
- Remove redundant indicators
- Standardize progress measurement
UX Principle:
“Progress indicators should communicate status intuitively,” states Ramsey. “If you need explanatory labels, the visualization has failed.”
By addressing these five UX pain points, Hulu could significantly enhance user satisfaction and reduce friction in critical conversion funnels. As streaming platforms compete on content libraries, superior user experience becomes the decisive differentiator for subscriber retention.
