Web/Mobile App Critique

A mobile app that I use frequently is the Funimation app. This app is a streaming service that is used solely for streaming anime. Like other streaming services, there are different levels of monthly memberships. The basic membership also has fewer titles available, and the available titles are only available with subtitles. The most basic include multiple ads per episode. The premium membership not only has more titles but also those that have also been dubbed over into English from Japanese.

            The Funimation app is very similar to the Hulu or Netflix apps regarding usability and design (see Figure 1). The navigation buttons are on the bottom of the screen and include Home, My Anime, Search, and Account. Hulu, for example, has Home, My Stuff, Downloads, Search, and Profile. Navigation through the app is very seamless from one page to the next. There is no back button for navigation, but there aren’t many complex pathways that get more profound than 1 or 2 screens.

A significant positive about the Funimation app is that there is no limit to the number of devices that can be logged into the same account. Netflix has just started to crack down on password sharing and has only allowed devices that are part of one internet connection to share. This is different for Funimation, as you can have as many devices logged in as you want and stream on up to 5 devices simultaneously with the premium account membership.

There are some minor flaws with the design of the app, though. My biggest gripe with the app is that no individual user profiles exist. This may seem insignificant to many people, but specific anime series has over 1000 episodes. If one viewer starts that series and another is in the latter seasons, they must go into the episodes and find the number they were on each time. This would be like someone just starting Grey’s Anatomy vs. someone who has been watching for a long time and having to go through and find the exact episode they left off at. This also doesn’t allow users to personalize the profile to their taste, as everything gets grouped together.

Once you open the app, the landing screen could also tweak its layout. At the top of the page is “Continue Watching,” followed by “My Queue,” which makes sense to have at the top. Moving downwards, there are six other categories before you come across “What’s Popular Right Now.” The “What’s Popular” section should be higher up near the top of the page. This section includes new episodes from older shows along with brand-new shows. This should grab the user’s attention and not be buried towards the bottom of the page.

Another feature that could use some improvement is the Search versus Browse functions. Other streaming platform apps already have results on the search feature, such as “Trending Searches” and “Recent Searches,” while Funimation loads empty (see Figure 2). Trending Searches can show users what is currently popular and make deciding what to watch much more effortless. Selecting the browse function will allow users to set filters, including date added, genre, and language. These separate functions should be more streamlined for a streaming service.

Overall, the Funimation app runs great but doesn’t have the same easy-to-use features or layout as some major streaming apps.