POP'd

The app that makes movie snacking easy as a flick!

This case study explores the creation of an innovative mobile app designed to revolutionize the movie theatre snacking experience. The project not only involved developing a user-friendly app for ordering snacks seamlessly but also crafting a vibrant and engaging brand that resonates with moviegoers. Join me as we delve into the design process, from initial concept to final product, and discover how user experience principles were applied to enhance the movie-snacking experience.

Overview

The project involved designing a mobile app that enhances the movie-going experience by allowing users to conveniently order snacks from their smartphones and pick them up at the theatre's counter. The goal was to streamline the snack-ordering process, reduce wait times, and improve overall customer satisfaction. The app's design focused on simplicity, ease of use, and seamless integration with the theatre's existing systems. Through user research, iterative design, and usability testing, the app was tailored to meet the specific needs and preferences of moviegoers, ultimately enhancing their overall movie-watching experience.

Role

UX Designer
UX Researcher
Visual Brand/UI Designer

Project Type

Google UX Design Certificate Program

Tools

Figma
Affinity Designer
Procreate
Adobe Photoshop

Problem Statement

Movie theatres are in need of a solution that improves the snack-ordering experience by making it more accessible and user-friendly for all patrons. Current methods are often cumbersome and time-consuming, leading to frustration. The goal is to create a seamless and inclusive ordering process that enhances the overall movie-watching experience for everyone.

Initial User Research

As part of the initial research I headed to the movies to interview moviegoers about their experience.

Research Goals

To identify the common behaviours and experiences related to ordering food.
To understand the emotions people feel with they are ordering food at the movies.
To understand the frustrations of ordering food at the movies.

Target Audience

Age: 21-40
Canada
Students & Professionals
Enjoys attending movie theatres

Interview Questions

Have you ever used an app to order food? Could you describe your experience?
What features made it easy for you to order food on an app?
What would you like to see first when opening an app for ordering snacks at the movie theatre?
How would you like to be notified when your order is ready?
Does wait time matter to you when ordering snacks at a movie theatre?

Analysis

I interviewed four moviegoers about their experience ordering food on mobile apps and at the movies. I found that the following things were important to them:

Positives

Many users enjoyed that they could save favourite items/orders to quickly order again.
Users said that ordering on an app was easier than ordering in person for those with a disability or language barrier.
Many users expressed that they enjoyed apps with a tracker after placing the order and a notification when the order was ready.

Frustrations

Many users expressed it was often difficult to create combos while ordering on a mobile app,
All users expressed the wait in line for food was a source of frustration when getting movie snacks.
Many users expressed that they struggled to find healthy meals or meals that met their dietary restrictions.

After analyzing the data collected from the interviews, I prepared personas to empathize with the user

Image of a user persona for a woman named Ameera Sloan.

Image of a user persona for a man named Fernando Luna.

Competitive Audit

I did a competitive audit on three competitors with the goal of comparing the user experience for purchasing snacks on the competitor's apps or websites. After identifying where the competitors did well and also where they fell short, I was able to make an informed decision on how to design a product that fills the gaps in the market. I identified the following opportunities:

Create a feature that allows users to track the progress of their order and notify them when they order is ready to be picked up.
Have an opportunity for users to save favourite orders to quickly reorder and an option to order a refill.
Integrate more accessibility features - audio, voice, multi-language.
Have large images of the products.

Telling the Story

Image of the user flow a user would take to order movie snacks on an app.

This user flow is a product of empathizing with the user and synthesizing the insights from the competitive audit. Once I determined the steps that the user would need to take to place a movie snack order and before I jumped into creating wireframes, I created the following storyboards to further understand the journey of the personal, Ameera. As she is a mother who often takes her busy twin girls to the movies on her own, I wanted to understand what steps she would take in deciding to use the app to order snacks and also how she would navigate the process of using the app.

A big picture storyboard illustrating Ameera deciding to place an order for movie snacks on an app and following her through the process of ordering, skipping the line and enjoying the movie and snacks with her daughters.