What if you could choose movies in Cinema?

Ballot Movies

✦ Situation

Streaming is convenient, drawing people away from theaters. This project explores why streaming wins and how cinemas can match that ease to bring audiences back to movie theatres!

✦ Problem

How might we elevate the convenience in cinemas for movie-goers so that they can enjoy the immersive experience?

✦ solution

Pickwhat plays in cinema vi voting

If enough people vote for the same show as you, the show wiil be screened. otherwise, no charges and no screening!

✦ results

90% User satisfaction

From focus group study

$4 billion

Debt solution

247 Million Projected users

by bringing 70% of US population back to cinemas

✦ Project Details

Role

End-to-end Product Designer

Type

UX Master's thesis project

Duration

8 Months

Tools

Figma, Figjam, Miro, Trello

✦ sneak peek

Choose movies in cinema by voting!

Making cinema experience just as convenienet as streaming

How does a movie voting application enhance the convenience in cinemas?

Keep scrolling to find out!

✦ Process

End-to-end roadmap using double diamond method

✦ RESEARCH

Research says streaming is more convenient than cinema. Why?

Surveys

64 users from 5 countries says

Streaming offers "on demand viewing". Cinema doesn't.

I used google forms to collect opinions from a large sample size to keep the data as unbiased as possible.

User Interviews

Screener survey was used to select

12 user across the world

for interviews. 6M, 6F, student/working, 18-35 Y/O

7 Insights

Making sense of the data via affinity mapping and clustering

2 main themes

Turns out cinema is more than just a cinema

Cinema lacks choice

Users wanted to watch movie of their choice. The content itself becomes the king.

" I've already seen all the movies on Netflix. Why would I spend more to watch the same thing again?" - Shawn

Cinema is a CULT EXPERIENCE

Cinema is a day out, it's a change in scenery, it's something to talk about

"Cinema is a day out for the kids. Streaming can never offer that. It's too convenient sometimes" - Christopher

Anticipation +++

I found that my users were more likely to watch movie in cinema. If they could watch movie of their choice, with their friends.

User Journey of a movie-goer

The anticipation journey

Even If The User Selects Movies In The Cinema, it won’t resolve the issue!

✦ fixing the TECHNICAL ROADBLOCK

Bridging the gap between demand and supply

The business limitation

Just wait 4 months!

It takes cinema theatre 4 months or more to acquire copyright for a user requested content.

Workaround from additional customer research

Theater space is now available for rent

User lease the space in cinema, brings their own movie and host the show. This way copyright laws become flexible.

The user who lease space in cinema becomes the movie host

✅ Product market Fit

But still why vote? Then the show is based on real user demand than the projected demand.

✦ Storyboarding

A day in the life of Cinephile Steve

User's Navigation touchpoints

Decision making of movie-goer, movie host and the cinema theatre

Placemaking Data

Initial Wireframes

Style guide

Visual consistency design for the brand

✦ FINAL DESIGN

Hi-Fi Wireframes

Voting and inviting friends

Seats selection and payment after friends confirm their availability

Lease space in cinema and screen any movie for free!

Book a mystery movie. Choose all the factors and let the app choose a surprise movie for you based on your genre preferences.

✦ Usability testing

6 Participants tested voting, inviting friends, and hosting

93% success

Most of the users succeeded in all the tasks

93% easiness

Due to difficulty in learning how voting works

86% Confidence

As a result of lack of easiness

Major Changes

Making it clear that user is voting and not buying instant tickets

✦ b2b side

UX for movie theatre

✦ KPI

Net promoter score

12 users answered "Will you recommend Ballot movies to a friend?"

✦ Validating market interest

Let's Mimic The App For A Week

Testing the application’s 4 risky assumptions to gauge users’ skin in the game.

At least 70% Users at least will like to choose the movie via voting

Success

90% Users loved voting for movies!

I hosted a movie night on campus and asked students to vote for their favorite choice via a survey. I also asked them about their satisfaction level with the movie selection process via voting. 9/10 users loved it!

"It is democracy in cinema" - Rachel (medical student)

At least 10% users at least will like to host a movie

Success

50% users can't wait to host

8 users participated in the screening. Out of all of them, 4 said they are willing to host another movie night on campus, and they cannot wait to host a movie!

At least 50% users will be satisfied by the mystery movie content

Assumption fail

48% users stayed back from start to finish.

To test out the worst-case scenario, I hosted “The Dark Knight" on Thomas Jefferson University campus. Since everyone had already seen it, the dissatisfaction levels should be high. As expected, users left after some time as the show wasn't exclusive enough for them. But in an exit feedback form, someone said...

"Rather than hosting mystery stuff, ask people what they want, may be though voting?" This made my day.

At least 30% theatre will upload their availability

Success

30% did upload, but not through the right channels.

I reached out to 15 theaters in Philly, sending them a simple Excel file to fill out their private screening availability for the next two weeks. It was meant to take just 5 minutes to complete and return. Instead of getting back the templates, I received specific quotes for dates and times. So, it was almost a success!

Pricing

Cost, subscriptions, and more

$90k

Cost of development

12-18 months

Break even point

$0 for the user

Free to use, 3 % transaction fee only

$799 for cinema/month

For customer support and maintenance. Free for the first month

Growth Strategy

Both the near and the far future

Lease space for any events

Live events, conferences, game nights and more

Launch in India first

Cheap, low risk, high impact.

Movie+consumables

Incorporate pre-show food ordering

✦ Learnings

Takeaways

Any app with a new feature requires the extreme simplicity. It takes out the barrier of entry to an extend.

Cinemas are trying subscriptions and themed nights, but it’s failing because the user is not picking the movie!

What Next

I plan to retest the focus group with newer mystery movies, like an early show release, to see if satisfaction changes.

I’m consulting a copyright attorney to validate legal aspects at the request of a potential investor.

Next up ...

Meditate with a Koi fish

Zenzone

B2C Healthcare | Gamification