MU App Search & Browse Case Study

Marvel Unlimited App stands as the premier subscription service, granting access to an expansive collection of over 30,000 digital comics. Encompassing characters from Marvel’s movies, TV shows, and video games, this platform showcases in-universe narratives crafted by top creators. Infinity comics are presented in a visionary vertical format for an immersive storytelling experience. Users can read comics and stories about Captain Marvel, The Avengers, Thor, Hulk, the X-Men, and many more.

• Users frustration within Marvel Unlimited Search and Browse feature, users struggling to locate specific comics.
• Make it easy for users to enter queries and understand the search results.
• Provide clear and easily accessible filtering options. Users should be able to refine their search results based on various criteria without confusion.
• Revise formatting to make search results more visually appealing and easier to scan.
• Confusing labels and Publication year on thumbnails causing confusion to comic fans. Consider implementing a card-based layout for results.
• Implement instant feedback during the search process, such as auto-suggestions and real-time results as the user types.

• How to help users find the comics they are searching for?
• How to make it easy for users to enter queries and understand the search results?
• How to provide clear and easily accessible filtering options. Users should be able to refine their search results based on various criteria without confusion?

The search function no longer includes a publication date search or a read filter. The experience is making it harder to find the comics.

Search is terrible. Used to be able to search and sort by date and now you can’t.  comics.

• A look to what our competitors are doing in the market. What they are doing better and the why.
• Auditing MU App Search and browse flow to help us understand the gaps and where users are feeling frustrated but also thinking on the product as a whole. Taking into account that this is an existing product and be conscious on how one change could affect other parts of the product.

• How might we help users to have a better search and browse experience in the MU App?
• Collaboration sessions: Product Manager, UXR, Designers, Product, Content Services, UX Engineering

• Explored adding featured comics, Series, Characters to provide discoverability.
• Adding filters on the from recent searches, Recent Issues filter by year (historical searches).
• Grouping items by Series, Characters, Creators, Reading List, Issues (adding personalization).
• Quick View of the comic and allow the user to follow and add to library to read later.

• Tool: Figma
• Collaborated with the UXR team supporting with the plan and providing prototypes as well as attending to all of the user interviews and debriefing.

• Introduced ‘Issues’ bucket to the Browse screens enabling users to efficiently scan, filter and sort specific issues.
• Incorporated a ‘Search within filter’ feature into Series and Search buckets allowing users to conduct searches directly on the current screen without navigating back to the main search screen.
• Implemented an autofill feature by the engineering team for enhanced user convenience.
• Enhanced the results screen with a grid/list view for improved visual clarity.
• Introduced publication date filtering options, empowering users to filter by year or date range, providing more flexibility and control over search results.