Remove From Continue
Watching
Sr. Product Design Manager: Jaina Rodriguez
Product Designers: Chris Arellano & Devon Procter
Product Manager: Isaiah Harvin
Design Project Manager: Gloria Lu
My Role
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Revived and prioritized one of the most requested user features in Disney+ history
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Navigated executive pivots and engineering constraints to deliver an MVP across platforms
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Supported long-term vision for multi-content management and personalized content curation
The Challenge
Disney+ users historically lacked a straightforward way to curate their Continue Watching row—leading to clutter, frustration, and confusion when titles lingered long after being watched or added by others in the household.
Solution
Work with web and engineering team to create a web guideline and design system to ensure cohesiveness across the Office and Microsoft sites with slight variances that allow for animation, video, and interactive content.
Key User Pain Points:
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No easy way to remove a viewing item
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Titles stayed visible even after completion or by accidental selection
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Lack of user control reduced emotional trust in the experience
Objective
Bring forward a simple, intuitive remove function that aligned with Disney+ design language and worked seamlessly across TV, mobile, web, and streaming platforms.
Solution & Design Approach
1. Cross-Platform UX Mapping
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TV Interface:
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Users could hold down select on a tile within the Continue Watching row and tap Remove.
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Alternatively, from a title’s Details page, highlight the Remove icon on the right and select it.
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Mobile:
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Tap the three-dot menu on a tile to reveal a Remove action.
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Web:
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Hover over the tile and click the Remove icon in the top-right corner.
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*Importantly: removing the title doesn't erase watch progress- it simply cleans up the row for a polished user experience.
2. Accessibility & Emotional Design
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Built within existing Disney+ patterns to ensure consistency and avoid cognitive load.
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Control feels logical and empowers users, aligning with user experience design values of intuitiveness and craftsmanship.
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Clear actions across each platform give users a sense of ownership and personalization.
3. Rollout Strategy
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Initial Launch: Rolled out globally on Web, iOS, and Apple TV in late March, 2025.
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Platform Expansion: Gradual rollout to additional devices followed.
Reaction & Reception
The release generated visible relief and excitement across user communities:
"HALLELUJAH! Is it Christmas already, cause that's definitely a FREAKIN' MIRACLE!"
"Thank f*#cking GOD."
"FINALLY."
Users celebrated the newfound clarity and control: the feature resolved long-standing friction and made the experience feel thoughtful and responsive.
Press coverage praised Disney+ for catching up with peers like Netflix and Apple TV.
→ Featured in The Walt Disney Company’s official release
User Empowerment
Let's users curate their experience confidently and effortlessly
Consistent UX
Unified pattern across platforms, reducing friction during transitions
Emotional Resonance
Delivered delight for a long-requested, simple, but meaningful feature
Design Integrity
Balanced functionality and emotional polish
Data & Impact
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112.5M eligible users
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5.54M unique accounts engaged
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36.9M items removed overall
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8.5 items removed per account (early adopters)
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1.9M removals in post-launch phase across all global clients
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Experiment group: 3.65M accounts (1.82M in 2.5% holdout)
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~5,600 fewer customer complaints annually
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Coordinated CSAT survey shows reduction in user frustration
Reflection
RFCW proved to be a high-impact, low-complexity win that:
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Aligned Disney+ with competitors
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Showcased Disney’s commitment to personalization
This opened doors for future innovations: watchlist cleanup, multi-item editing, and behavioral-based recommendations
The release generated visible relief and excitement across user communities, proving that even minor touches, when done well, can shift perception and loyalty. Remove From Continue Watching made Disney+ feel smarter, cleaner, and more human.