Casa Movie Theater App
A fictional project as a part of the Google UX Design Professional Certificate
Content
Overview
Challenge
Process & Approach
Design Iterations
Outcomes & Further Plans
Casa is a new movie theater in The Netherlands with multiple branches.
Role
UX Designer from conception to delivery
Duration
November 2022 - January 2023
Platform
Mobile Application
.
· conducting interviews
· paper & digital wireframing
· low & high fidelity prototyping
Approach
.
· conducting usability studies
· accounting for accessibility
· iterations on design
Challenge
Users were struggling to find information about available subtitle options and they were not aware of the closed captions that are offered by Casa. The goal was to design an app that allows users to do the basic needs for their visit to Casa like buying a ticket and also to see on-screen and closed caption subtitle options easily.
Result
Now, users easily can see the subtitle options and use the closed caption feature from their phones. Also, the app made reserving tickets possible which solved a pain point that was discovered during the conducted studies.
empathise
┊
define
┊
ideate
┊
prototype
┊
test
┊
empathise ┊ define ┊ ideate ┊ prototype ┊ test ┊
User Research
Interviews were conducted and empathy maps were created in order to understand the users that the design is going to serve and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was people living in a different country who do not feel comfortable with the local language and people who preferred to watch with subtitles. This user group confirmed initial assumptions about Casa customers, but research also revealed that people who have difficulties with their hearing are also not happy with the current offers.
1
2
3
pain
points
language
Foreigners living in The Netherlands want to know if they can access the subtitles in the language they are comfortable with.
accessibility
Hearing-impaired people want to access subtitles to be able to enjoy this activity.
reservation
Some people do not prefer to pay online, so they want to have the chance to reserve their tickets.
Age: 25
Hometown: Amsterdam NL
Education: Master Student
Occupation: Freelance DesignerAnna
Anna is a Master of Arts Student living in Amsterdam. Their goal is to be an art director. They really enjoy watching films in a movie theater, especially arthouse films. They go to the movie theater 2-3 times a week but sometimes they can miss the showing because of the time change in a course at the school.
“Film is my passion and a part of my life. I visit movie theaters often but my schedule is not strict and it is a shame that I miss showings I have a ticket for.”
Age: 42
Hometown: Zaandam NL
Education: Economics
Occupation: Bank ManagerKareem
Kareem is working as a bank manager. Because of moderate hearing loss that they have, they find it difficult to do activities that are just based on sounds which their family loves such as going to a cinema. They want to know beforehand if a film is offered with subtitles, so they can go to the cinema.
“Before, I was working long times and I couldn’t find much time for my family. Now, I want to make up for that since they deserve the best!”
goals
● to get retired and travel
● to have quality time with their family
frustrations
● limited options for activities due to their hearing loss
● “My wife and child love to watch films but we cannot find any film with narrative subtitles.”
problem statements
Kareem is a dad with hearing impairment who needs subtitle options at the cinema because they want to spend some quality time with their family while enjoying the activity.
action
browse films
feeling adjective
disappointed because there is no subtitles for the film he wanted to watch
annoyed at not being able to see all options at once
confused with the coloring of the empty/occupied seats
distracted because of the changes between the apps to pay and view the ticket
excited and happy to spend some time with his family
improvement opportunities
• design filters for subtitles
• create a feature where people can have subtitles in their phones
• include a time table to show all hours and differenciate available or full sessions
• differenciate empty/occupied seats
• option to pay within the app
• option to view ticket in the app
• create a feature to review the film
• include rewards program
task list
A. chek the films
B. check if subtitles availabe
C. choose a film with subtitles
choose a time slot
A. check if it has an available time slot for you and your family
B. choose the time slot
choose a seat
A. check the available seats for the amount of people
B. choose the seats
book a ticket
A. confirm your selections
B. choose a payment method
C. receive your ticket
see the film
A. go to the movie theater
B. show your ticket
C. enter the theater
Competitive audit
The shown competitive audit is shortened.
general information
competitor type
location
product offering
…
UX
app or mobile website experience
accessibility
…
visual design
brand identity
…
content
tone
descriptiveness
…
3
2
1
Pathé
direct
The Netherlands
book tickets - subscriptions - events -
streaming & online tv
(rated: needs work, okay, good, or outstanding)
outstanding
+animations are making the experience better
+menu is easy to read
okay
+menu is clear
-only language option is Dutch
outstanding
+clear use of styles, motions and color scheme
+consistent use of imagery
direct but friendly
outstanding
+short and to the point
+all necessary info is present
AMC Cinemas KSA
indirect
Saudi Arabia
book ticket - order food & drinks -
request movies - gift cards
outstanding
+easy to find what you are looking for
+fully responsive
outstanding
+available in English and Arabic
+clear and legible images
good
+clear use of styles and color scheme
-inconsistent identity of sub-categories
indirect and friendly
good
+all necessary info is present
-too descriptive
gaps
competitor products are mostly not accessible
reserving is not possible, only online payment
missing information about the other facilities at the theater
3
2
1
Biletinial
indirect
Türkiye
book tickets to movies/theaters/
activities/concerts, etc.
good
+easy to navigate through the app
-directly opens in a category, causes confusion
needs work
-almost all content is labeled as "other events"
-language is only in Turkish
(rated: needs work, okay, good, or outstanding)
good
+clear use of styles and color scheme
-inconsistent use of imagery
serious and direct
outstanding
+short and to the point
+all necessary info is present
Fandango
indirect
USA
book tickets from different theaters -
gift cards - offers with the tickets
okay
+prioritized location tab
-no importance differentiation on the main page
needs work
-only language option is English
-not accessible for some devices
okay
+clear color scheme
-confusing use of fonts and styles
(rated: needs work, okay, good, or outstanding)
indirect and friendly
okay
+easy to follow
-not enough descriptions
opportunities
integrate different languages to increase accessibility
offer the other things available while purchasing ticket
create an easy flow of search-choose-order-checkout-view
Taking the time to draft iterations on paper led to digital wireframes to suit better to user pain points. For the home screen, I prioritized full-screen film posters and a “surprise me” button to help users save time.
Utilizing the paper wireframes, I created lo-fi prototype in order to conduct user research and test the initial idea.
Research Study
Interviews were conducted and empathy maps were created in order to understand the users that the design is going to serve and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was people living in a different country who do not feel comfortable with the local language and people who preferred to watch with subtitles. This user group confirmed initial assumptions about Casa customers, but research also revealed that people who have difficulties with their hearing are also not happy with the current offers.
Methodology
Moderated Usability Study
Location Remote
Date 1 December 2022
Length 10-15 minutes (each session)
Script
Before the moderated usability study
Introduction
Getting now the participant
Introducing the project
Thanking the participant
Reminding them that this is not a test
Participants People who watch films at least once a month and go to a movie theater at least a couple times a year
Profile 2 females, 2 males between the ages of 18 and 75, and 1 participant with hearing disabilities
After the moderated usability study
Participants will complete the System Usability Scale. Participants will score the following ten statements by selecting one of five responses that range from "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree."
I think the app is easy to use.
I would use this app as a first source when I am planning to go to see a movie.
I find the app unnecessarily complex.
There is inconsistency within the app.
I imagine that most people would learn to use this app quickly.
I feel confident using the app.
It is easy to navigate in the app.
Key Performance Indicators
Time on task
Conversion rate
System usability scale
During the moderated usability study
Prompt will be announced verbally.
Prompt 1 Filter the films
Prompt 2 Choose a film
Prompt 3 Select a date and time
Prompt 4 Confirm your choice and complete the checkout process
Prompt 4 follow-up How easy or difficult was this task to complete?
Is there anything you would change?
Prompt 5 From the home page, figure out where you would go to see your tickets.
Prompt 6 How did you feel about this movie theater app overall?
What did you like or dislike about it?
Usability Studies
I conducted two rounds of usability studies. Findings from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Round 1 Findings
Users couldn’t find purchased tickets
Users struggled with date selection
Users couldn’t understand the filter icon
Round 2 Findings
Users want to continue as a guest
Users want to see the price before
Users want to add films to their favorites
Early designs allowed for some customization, but after the usability studies, I added frames around posters to differentiate them. I also revised the filter icon so users would easily point that out when they first land on the screen.
Before the usability study, the “My Tickets” part that contains purchased/reserved tickets was in the menu but I redesigned it and placed it under the profile.
Accessibility Considerations
1
Provided access to closed captions mainly for those who are hearing impaired but also wants to see the film with subtitles in the language they prefer.
2
Used icons that people are familiar with in order to help make navigation easier.
3
Reserving tickets as a guest is provided for people who do not want to share payment information online. This is also a good option for people that did not certainly decide.
Take aways & Next steps
Impact:
The app makes users feel like Casa really thinks about their needs and preferences.
To-do:
Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed.
Conduct more user research to determine any new areas of need.
Send feedback forms to the users to evaluate the design.
“This app would make it so easy for me to go to the cinema here. I loved the option to have closed captions on my phone, now I can understand and enjoy the film with my local friends!”