ELEVATING MOBILE EXPERIENCE
Revolutionizing Movie Experiences: Designing and Prototyping the Cinemasy Mobile App
COMPANY
Cinemasy
ROLE
UI/UX Designer
EXPERTISE
Mobile Design
YEAR
2023
Project Description
The Cinemasy mobile app was designed and prototyped to eliminate the hassle of long queues at cinemas and streamline the entire movie-going experience. The app allows users to view currently showing movies, upcoming releases, and "coming soon" titles. Users can book movie tickets, select their preferred seating, and receive a QR code-based ticket for seamless entry.
Additionally, the app integrates an online shopping feature where users can pre-order snacks and beverages, which are made available upon arrival at the cinema. The app also offers a flexible cancellation policy, allowing users to cancel bookings until a predefined deadline, ensuring convenience and adaptability for the user.
Timeline
Duration: 5 weeks
Week 1: Research and Planning
Week 2: Wireframing and Information Architecture
Week 3: Visual Design and Animation Concepts
Week 4: Prototyping Key Features
Week 5: Testing, Refinement, and Final Presentation
Background
Movie enthusiasts often encounter challenges such as long queues, limited seating availability, and inefficient snack ordering processes at cinemas. Cinemasy was conceptualized to solve these pain points by providing a streamlined, all-in-one solution for ticket booking, seating selection, and pre-ordering snacks and beverages.
By integrating modern technology, the app aimed to enhance the movie-going experience, offering convenience, efficiency, and flexibility.
Problems Identified
Long Queues: Traditional ticket purchase methods often involve long wait times at cinemas.
Seating Conflicts: Users face uncertainty in seat availability when booking in person.
Snack Ordering Delays: Purchasing snacks at the cinema causes additional delays.
Booking Inflexibility: Users are unable to cancel or modify bookings easily.
Process
Research & Planning
User Research: Conducted surveys with frequent moviegoers to understand their frustrations and expectations.
Key Insights:
Users wanted an easy way to check movie schedules and availability.
Pre-ordering snacks was a highly requested feature.
Flexibility in bookings, such as cancellations or modifications, was essential.
Competitor Analysis: Analyzed similar apps like Fandango and BookMyShow to identify gaps and opportunities.
Feature Prioritization: Decided on must-have features like ticket booking, seat selection, snack pre-ordering, and QR code tickets.
Wireframing and Information Architecture
Designed wireframes for:
Home Screen: Displaying currently showing, upcoming, and “coming soon” movies.
Movie Details Page: Providing trailers, synopses, and seat availability.
Booking Flow: Allowing seat selection and payment.
Snack Ordering Section: Offering easy navigation and quick checkout for beverages and snacks.
Cancelation Page: Showing options to cancel bookings within the allowed timeframe.
Design and Prototyping
Visual Design:
Adopted a modern, clean interface with bold typography, movie poster visuals, and a cinematic color palette of deep blacks, golds, and reds.
Included animations in transitions between movie trailers, seat selection, and ticket confirmation for an engaging experience.
Prototype Features:
Movie Display: Interactive sliders for browsing current showings and upcoming movies.
Seat Selection: Easy-to-navigate seat maps with dynamic availability indicators.
QR Code Tickets: Generated after booking, allowing for quick and contactless cinema entry.
Snack Pre-Order System: Users could add items to a virtual cart and schedule pickup times.
Cancelation Functionality: Enabled cancellations with clear deadlines displayed to users.
Testing and Refinement
User Testing: Conducted tests with moviegoers to assess app usability, functionality, and overall satisfaction.
Key Feedback:
The snack pre-ordering process was highly appreciated.
Users requested a feature to save frequently purchased snacks and beverages for quick reordering.
Minor adjustments were made to improve the clarity of cancellation policies and timings.
Solution
Seamless Ticket Booking and QR Code Tickets
Users could browse movies, select showtimes, and pick their preferred seats effortlessly.
A QR code was generated for quick scanning at the cinema entrance, eliminating the need for paper tickets.
Snack Pre-Ordering System
Integrated an online store for users to pre-order snacks and beverages, reducing waiting times at cinema counters.
Items were made available at the time of arrival, streamlining the in-cinema experience.
Flexible Cancellation Policy
Allowed users to cancel bookings within a specific timeframe directly through the app.
Displayed clear deadlines to prevent misunderstandings.
Dynamic and Engaging Interface
Leveraged animations for smooth transitions, making the app visually appealing and user-friendly.
Used bold, cinematic visuals to create an immersive browsing and booking experience.
Results
Enhanced User Convenience
The app’s seamless booking and QR code system significantly reduced wait times and improved the overall user experience.
Streamlined Snack Ordering
Pre-ordering snacks proved to be a game-changer, with test users rating this feature as the most innovative and convenient.
Positive Feedback on Usability
0% of test users found the app intuitive and easy to navigate, with specific praise for the seat selection process and ticket generation flow.
Improved Flexibility
The cancelation feature was well-received, giving users the confidence to book in advance without fear of commitment.
Challenges
Balancing Features and Simplicity: Ensuring the snack ordering and cancelation systems did not clutter the app required iterative adjustments.
Snack Delivery Integration: Simulating the logistics of snack delivery at cinemas was a conceptual challenge during prototyping.
User Education: Some users needed guidance on accessing QR codes and canceling bookings.