Netflix

Before we came along, Netflix had a separate press hub for news and updates; a site detailing the company’s mission and values didn’t even exist. It needed a way to create a seamless experience that allowed the company to post updates and cater to all of its audiences, but showcasing Netflix's work toward increased accessibility and diversity and inclusion initiatives was equally important.

We planned to build a dynamic website that could double as a Corporate website and a Media Center for all blog posts, news, and press inquiries — all of which needed to be translated into several different languages.

We also had to account for multiple moving pieces, like security requirements, service integrations, data queries, and existing content that needed to be migrated from the old site to the fresh one.

Holistically, this project was about optimization — with the end goal being to enhance Netflix’s internal workflow by producing one website with a brand new backend that served numerous purposes.

To make sure Netflix’s Corporate and Media Center websites could be consolidated efficiently and effectively, we constructed the wireframe and sitemap early on. Though we were creating something new, we still had to make sure the website aligned with Netflix’s look and feel — even while it was going through a slight brand evolution.

The platform’s existing style guide and design systems were expanded to make them more accessible and dynamic on all devices. Elaborating on Netflix’s color palette and typography, we created a custom brand package that defined hover states, spacing systems, iconography, and thumbnails. To improve the accessibility of the entire site, we also factored in color contrast requirements, focus states, and assistive technology.

Since Netflix’s rebrand and the site redesign were happening simultaneously, we worked in tandem with the platform’s internal designers and developers. When both projects were completed, we did a full audit to tighten up the system and ensure we created one cohesive website that worked cleanly and sustainably.

This is where the bulk of our work was centered, all while complying with Netflix’s strict security requirements.

The original translation services used on the site didn’t work, so we tinkered with the platforms Claro and Obelix to create custom translations that were clear and accurate. Netflix is available in 190 countries, and after our dev work, its website can now be translated into over 20 languages.

All content is housed on the headless CMS Contentful to make it easy to share news and updates. We migrated 1,400+ articles from the old CMS to the new site, developing a system that can handle two sources of localized content. Translations previously took place outside of the Netflix CMS, but now Netflix’s in-house content managers can create new site content and submit each piece for translation themselves.