Designing a blockbuster mobile experience for cinema-goers

Henry Mills

Consulting & Strategy
Product Concept
Content Architecture
UX Design
UI Design

Next-level movie-going

Cinema-goers are constantly increasing their appetites, and expecting experiences that are more in tune with their needs and the rapid digitalization of the movie business. That is why cinemas need to go above and beyond to provide users with services that’ll keep them coming back for more movie excitement.

Cinema application fit for the Academy

Our idea was to create a mobile application and a supporting web app that would be used as the basis for all other cinema activities. It needed to provide users with the necessary information about new movies, but it should also be clean, streamlined and extremely simple to use while it guides users through the reservation process.

Different users, different expectations

In order to define necessary features for the application, we first needed to define the exact types of users that would be using the application. We conducted detailed interviews with the members of our target groups about their movie-going habits, and used their answers to craft specific user personas.

87% of interviewees said they would change time, date and even the movie theatre if it meant they could get a specific seat for a movie.

Different personas, different flows

The answers we got from the interviewed users and the personas we built based on those answers have enabled us to create a couple of user flows that show how the application needs to guide specific types of users from the home screen all the way to the ticket reservation and checkout.

Forget about waiting in lines

To translate the app experience offline, we implemented features into the app that allowed users to see a new movie without the need to ever stand in line. QR ticket scanners made the entire entry process quick and efficient, while beacon technology enabled users to automatically put their phones on silent upon entering.

Your own personalized cinema experience

Interview answers have also shown that a majority of users visit only their preferred movie theatres, usually watch their favorite movie genres and even try to get their favorite seats. That is why the application adapts itself to specific users based on their interests, chosen favorites and previous activities.

No frills seat reservation

87% of all the users we interviewed said they would gladly change the time, date and sometimes even the entire movie theatre in order to get the exact seat they want for the movie they’d like to see. That is why all the relevant information regarding reservations can be accessed from a single app screen.

Pay with a tap

We also changed the traditional system of buying tickets at the reception. We simplified it and incorporated into the application to enable users to complete the transaction directly after reservation. And to make the process of buying tickets even more secure, we added the option of verifying the transaction with a fingerprint scan.

Full cinema service on your phone

App’s goal was to elevate users’ movie-going experiences and provide them with all the available cinema amenities. That is why we incorporated a couple of extra functionalities that enabled users to do even more from the app. A standout one proved to be the ability to buy sodas and popcorn together with tickets.

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