UX Capstone
Situation
As part of my individual UX Design Capstone Project, I undertook the challenge of redesigning the movie theater experience for Gen Z audiences. This project was conducted over one full semester (14 weeks) and addressed the declining relevance of movie theaters in today's digital age.
Team
Just me! This project was an independent design capstone.
Timeline
14 weeks, 7 weeks research and discovery, 5 weeks design and testing, 2 weeks deliverables
Task
My goal was to create a more attractive movie theater experience by redesigning both physical and digital components of the moviegoing journey. The project required comprehensive research, ideation, design, and prototyping to address pain points in the current experience and create solutions tailored to Gen Z preferences.
My role
UX research
User Journey Mapping
UX design
UI design
Tools used
I used some of my favorite tools such as Whimsical, Figjam, ProCreate, Figma, and Minecraft (yes, minecraft.)
Action
Research and discovery
Interviews
During the ideation phase, I interviewed four Gen-Z cinephiles to inform the design. Key insights revealed that they prefer watching movies with friends, are influenced by social buzz, and generally favor streaming at home. They're deterred by high prices and public distractions but are attracted to premium experiences and varied seating options in theaters. These findings, supported by secondary research and in-theater observations, guided the entire design process.
Secondary Research/Observation Findings
Gen Z tends to prioritize comfort and relaxation over immersive theater experiences. They prefer streaming movies at home, which offers a safe, controlled environment. This shift is reflected in declining theater attendance, with Americans seeing only 1.4 movies per year in theaters in 2021, compared to 4.8 movies annually from 2001-2007.
Gen Z enjoys watching movies with close friends but often dislikes the presence of strangers in theaters. They are drawn to nostalgic and comforting content.
While Gen Z appreciates connecting with peers, they find other people to be a source of frustration in movie theaters. This preference for controlled, comfortable environments has led to a significant shift towards home streaming and online content consumption among this generation.
Journey Mapping
Using my research findings, I was able to identify specific areas that caused trouble for users during the end-to-end experience of going to the cinema. The main areas that need to improve are...
Before Movie
Entering the Theater: Users feel an energy loss when they walk into a theater
Buying Tickets & Concessions: Users typically have to wait in lines that coincide with the rush of movies
During Movie
Navigating the Theater: Users feel neutral when walking to the theater and their seats, presenting an opportunity for improvement
Distractions: Users felt strongly about distractions from others during the movie, mostly related to loud talking, chewing, or phone usage
Bathroom Breaks: Users dislike the idea of leaving the theater during the movie and potentially missing the action
Connection: Users often feel like they can't connect with their peers in a public movie theater setting, which limits the impact of the shared experience between peers
Moving Forward
Based on my findings, I began ideating on solutions that could help make each of these journey stages more pleasant and tailored for Gen Z customers. With these ideas, I performed concept testing and body-storming to help push me to the final idea for my concept.
Ideation
I started by renaming my pain points to opportunity areas and thinking of ideas/suggestions to improve each area. I sketched some solutions and rapidly tested them before moving forward with the physical space design.
Entering the theater
Getting tickets and food
The journey to the theater and seats
Distractions and connecting
Bathroom breaks
Result
Digital Prototypes
Kiosk
Card-style navigation
3-main steps for each lesson: Overview, Tutorial, and Test
Interactive components for hands-on learning
Live user feedback through a vertical button menu
Success messages upon lesson completion
Tablet
Hover and pressed states for components
Linear flow from home to lesson completion
Responsive design
Modified navigation bar
Real code blocks
Video demonstrations
Physical Prototype
Seating
Minecraft Build
End-to-End Walkthrough
Project Outcome
The project resulted in a comprehensive redesign of the movie theater experience tailored for Gen Z, addressing both physical and digital pain points. Key outcomes included:
Enhanced lobby interactions and streamlined processes for tickets and concessions.
Redesigned seating for improved comfort and social interaction.
Integrated digital solutions for convenience and engagement.
Design Justification
Personalization
Digital touch-points allow users to have a personalized experience where the technology facilitates their needs and wants making for an independent, empowering experience.
Connection
Structural changes to the seating allow users to make deeper connections with their peers by facilitating conversation and eliminating social stigma and distractions.
Memory-making
As a new watching experience, this theater is sure to leave lasting memories with moviegoers but if that isn’t enough, there are several photo-ops and opportunities to preserve the experience.
Learning Outcome
The project instilled confidence in my design abilities, allowing me to tackle a large-scale problem and explore the full spectrum of experience design. It provided valuable practice in user interface design and prototyping, skills that proved beneficial in my subsequent internship. Overall, the project was an excellent opportunity to apply a wide range of skills and methodologies to create a unique solution for the movie theater industry.