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"Elevating the Movie Experience: An Innovative Product Design Strategy for Asian Cinemas"

Client

Asian Cinemas, is a rapidly growing theater chain is now expanding its presence throughout India. With over 4000+ screens in 380+ locations and an impressive 1 Million + downloads on IOS and Android platforms, Asian Cinemas has become a prominent player in the industry.

Product Vision

The product aims to provide Asian cinema customers with a seamless ticket booking journey, ensuring their satisfaction and enhancing their movie-going experience with loved ones.

My Role

Product Designer

Timeline

2 Years

Mobile Device

Tools Used

Problem Statement
"Consumers of the Asian Cinemas are facing challenges with the online ticketing process, resulting in frustration and potential customer attrition."

Impact we made to the product metrics in the span of two years!

Enhanced User Satisfaction: We took a user-centric approach to implement new features and functionalities, resulting in a remarkable 67% improvement in user satisfaction.

Improve Product Conversion Rate: We achieved a remarkable 52% increase in the number of app users successfully completing ticket bookings by optimizing the conversion funnel to a seamless transaction process.

Boost User Retention Rate: Achieved 47% higher user retention with seamless onboarding & personalized features, while cutting acquisition costs by 30%, boosting overall business efficiency & profitability.

Increase Positive Reviews: Enhanced user satisfaction through intuitive UI redesign, optimized product performance speed, and reduced loading times.

Attract New Users: Achieve a remarkable 36% expansion in the user base, By integrating food & beverages services, offering enticing In-App Promotions and exclusive deals, and facilitating seamless local payment methods.

The Solution

Presenting Asian Cinemas Mobile Application

The Process

How did we achieve these metrics!

We adopted a traditional Design Thinking Process combined with the Agile framework to guide our product development cycle by setting clear goals for each sprint.

Desk Research
But, How did we get to the final product?

Listing out our assumptions: After evaluating product metrics, conducting heuristic evaluations, and analyzing Google reviews on the current version of the application, we identified several assumptions about the problems users are facing:

"We have gathered feedback from over 200 reviews on Google Play, and among them,
these are the certain common pain points were frequently expressed by users."
This is the Version 1.0 of Asian cinemas mobile application!
Splash Screen
Home Screen
Select Venue
Select Show/Price
Select Tickets
Select Seats
Final Review
Final Review

Why Users don't want to use?

  • Lack of navigation structure
  • Insufficient Information
  • Unclear Feedback
  • No accessibility Features
  • Slow Performance
  • Inadequate Help/Documentation

Why user are not motivated?

  • Movie recommendations are
    limited in the application
  • No In-App promotions and offers
  • No location-based suggestions
  • Negative reviews
  • Slow System Performance

Version 1.0 Product Metrics

  • 500+ Negative Reviews
  • 8 % Conversion funnel
  • 3%  Retention Rate
  • Only 5% increase in the user base.
  • Only 5% increase in the user base.

Competitive Analysis

But, how direct competitors and indirect competitors product working?

The insights generated from desk research and user research has guided us in evaluating the existing products in the market space, strengths, weaknesses, User Flows.

INOX, Direct Competitor - 1
Strengths:
  • Simple and intuitive navigation, making it easy for users to browse and book movie tickets.
  • Well-organized layout with clear sections for movie listings, showtimes, and seat selection.
  • Offers food and beverages services within the application.
  • Seamless integration of loyalty programs and offers for better user engagement.
  • Smooth and fast booking process, minimizing user frustration.
Weaknesses:
  • Limited personalization options; the app could benefit from more tailored movie recommendations based on user preferences.
  • Could improve onboarding process to guide new users through app features effectively.
  • Some users might find the app's design a bit outdated compared to competitors.
  • Primary KPI like, Search and location features are not meeting the accessibility guidelines.
PVR, Direct Competitor - 2
Strengths:
  • Visually appealing interface with vibrant colors and attractive movie posters.
  • Comprehensive information about upcoming movies, showtimes, and theaters.
  • User-friendly seat selection with clear visuals and easy customization options.
  • Convenient ticket booking process with multiple payment options.
Weaknesses:
  • The app can feel overwhelming at times due to the amount of information presented on the screen.
  • Navigation could be more streamlined to reduce the number of steps needed to complete a booking.
  • Limited integration of loyalty programs and rewards compared to competitors.
  • The app doesn't offer food and beverages services within the application.
BookMyShow, Indirect Competitor - 1
Strengths:
  • Highly intuitive user interface, allowing users to quickly find movies, events, and activities.
  • Robust search and filter options, enabling users to refine their preferences effectively.
  • Seamless integration of additional services like event bookings and sports ticketing.
  • Smart notifications and reminders for upcoming events and shows.
Weaknesses:
  • The app may feel cluttered with ads and promotional banners, potentially distracting users.
  • Some users have reported occasional performance issues and slow loading times.
  • While the app offers a wide range of services, it could further enhance personalization features for a more tailored experience.
  • Third-party app finds nearby cinemas but limited seats for movies and no F&B services, affecting user options and preferences.

User Research

Conducted some ground work interviews and surveys

To validate our assumptions, we undertook comprehensive user research, conducting both interviews and surveys, to gain profound insights into the core challenges within the problem space.

User Persona

Primary User
Pooja Tripathi
34 Years
Software Engineer

Tech-savvy ,caring , Focused, outgoing

"Pooja Tripathi, a dynamic and self-reliant individual, relishes spending leisure time with her loved ones at the movies. She finds lengthy queues disruptive to cherished family experiences and seeks a streamlined ticket booking process. With a diverse circle of friends, she actively explores films in various languages, celebrating cultural richness."

Secondary User
Dinesh Mallapudi
23 Years
College Student

Movie lover, social media enthusiast, socialized person

"Dinesh, a college student and avid moviegoer, faces difficulty in discovering movies playing at local theaters, resulting in frustration and reduced motivation to book tickets due to location limitations. Furthermore, he relies on movie deals to coordinate his cinema excursions."

But, the User research revealed all together a different story

User Needs
Movie Information:
"As a users I require detailed information about movies, including synopses, trailers, cast details, ratings, and reviews to make informed decisions about which movies to watch."
User Needs
Location based cinemas and movies listings:
“As a user, I want to find nearby cinemas and check movie options to avoid traveling long distances for a movie."
Pain Points
Seamless Check-In:
"Users are frustrated by the inconvenience of a complicated check-in process at the theater"
Pain Points
Ease of Use:
"Users are frustrated by the complexity of navigating the application, hindering their ability to swiftly locate and purchase movie tickets."

Customer Journey Mapping

Once I had gained a thorough understanding of the user's needs and goals, I embarked on the task of mapping out the complete customer journey for the ticket booking process with Asian Cinemas, starting from the initial steps to the very end of the process.

Our research has unveiled a noticeable frustration among users due to an imbalance between location preferences, movie information, and theater services.

Feasibility Analysis

Prioritizing the features

In our movie ticket application, we prioritize selecting features that offer high rewards with minimal effort to implement initially. To achieve this, we engaged potential users and asked them to rate their favorite features. Additionally, we collaborated with developers to evaluate the engineering efforts required for each feature.

High Rewards / Low Efforts
  • Location Preference
  • In-App Detailed Movie Information
  • Value-Added Services
  • OR Code Ticketing
  • Simple Onboarding / Guest User
  • Sharing ticketing information
  • Live Movie Ratings
  • Information related to theater Screens
High Rewards / High Efforts
  • High System Performance
  • In-App food & beverages services
  • Accessibility services
  • Loyalty Program, offers and rewards
  • Push Notifications
  • Incorporating local payment options
Low Rewards / Low Efforts
  • Enabling movie trailer within the application
  • Personalized movie recommendations
  • Reviewing movies
  • Movie casting Details
Low Rewards / High Efforts
  • Personalized recommendation based on past search
  • Incorporating movie reviews   from third party portals
  • Interactive Seat Booking Map
  • Movie releases for the upcoming calendar year.
After having a clear understanding of the problem space, we initiated the process of ideating user flows for the new version, mapping the journey from the starting point to the endpoint.
Information Architecture
In line with our design principles, our information architecture includes an onboarding and Home screen for quick feature access. We've also integrated seamless horizontal navigation between categories, ensuring an intuitive user experience and easy access to key functionalities.

The Design

Low-Fidelity Prototype

After successfully brainstorming user flows and information Architecture, I proceeded to create sketching concepts for validation with stakeholders. This approach continues into the initial design phase, where I delve into sketching to explore various layout designs. This practice helped me in pinpointing any gaps and ensuring a harmonious content hierarchy within the layout structure.

High-Fidelity Prototype

Our research highlights users' preference for swift content access. Our design strategy aligns with user mental models for an intuitive experience. Our aim is seamless booking with quick information access.

A challenge is optimizing the home screen for movie, location, and theater discovery. We validated layout options with users. Below are the three explored layouts:

Exploration-1

Exploration-2

The finalized version is the result of incorporating user feedback and making strategic design decisions, blending the most effective elements from both Exploration 1 and 2. This version is tailored to enhance the user experience while aligning with our overarching design strategy.

Ticket booking process through detailed high-fidelity Prototype.

User Testing

Guess What!? People did not like it!

We took feedback from 10 people of different user groups. Some key takeaways were as follows:

Users had so much to say about our product!

How is different?

"Why should I choose this application to purchase movie tickets? It appears similar to other ticket booking platforms, and I can even order food from various apps."

Navigation & Information

“It's frustrating when I have to spend a lot of time searching for movies in the app. I'd rather use the search & filter feature right away after opening the app to quickly book tickets, especially for new releases.

Feature Prioritization

“The process of selecting a cinema takes too long for me because I don't know the distance from my location. I have to open Google Maps or Uber separately to figure out how far the theater is.”

Visual Design

“I have to be extra cautious when selecting a seat because, when the tickets are nearly sold out, it becomes challenging for me to spot the available seats.”

Feedback & Status

“I will spend extra time ordering food because, I need to check with my friends”

Iterations - 2

Revisiting Our Design Goals

01
How might we stand out from our competitors?
Offering information about the distance of Cinemas from the user's preferred location can significantly expedite the decision-making process.
02
Redesigning the seat selection
Revamping the seat selection screen enhances the ability to choose the desired seats, making the process more user-friendly.
03
Application Status
Implementing a time limit for selecting food and beverages helps prevent users from missing out on tickets and reduces potential frustration.
04
Reducing Steps
Minimize the user interactions to smoothly progress through the booking process to the next section.

Solution - 1

Solution - 2

Solution - 3

Solution - 3

Final Thoughts

Truly, it's been quite a roller coaster journey!

Constantly questioning the
idea at every step!
In a sea of existing products, I found it vital to constantly question our idea at every turn. This approach helps us discover the heartfelt uniqueness we bring to the table, ensuring our offerings stand out amidst the crowd.
Information architecture and visual hierarchy is a game changer
Striking a balance between the hierarchy of content and the visual presentation is the key to the success.
A U-turn in product strategy
can be valid at times
Incorporating user testing and ongoing user involvement during the design process can aid in making the right pivot decisions and potentially open new doors for product success.