Movie streaming service Netflix has revealed the process it uses to customise the artworks displayed on its site depending on different users' viewing habits.
The information, which was revealed on the service's blog, gives readers an in-depth overview of the customisation process, which is done using an algorithm and data stored by Netflix.
The algorithm is designed to respond to a user's most watched film genres and actors, to display targeted artwork.
A Netflix screen without personalisation will just show the film title with a black background
The blog post, written by employees Ashok Chandrashekar, Fernando Amat, Justin Basilico and Tony Jebara, gives an example of the film Good Will Hunting starring Matt Damon and the late Robin Williams. It explains that users who mostly watch romantic films will be shown artwork featuring an image of the main character and his love interest. Alternatively, users who predominantly watch comedies are more likely to be shown artwork displaying the character played by Williams ? who was a well-known comedy actor.
The algorithm also detects trends for specific actors ? for example, if a user enjoys watching films featuring Uma Thurman, they will be more likely to see artwork related to the actor.
The artwork presented changes depending on the user's previous viewing habits
According to the service, the site has seen a "significant lift" in its core metrics as more users have engaged with Netflix's recommendations service.
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