…create to elevate.
Do you know what makes a movie work? Moments. Give the audience half a dozen moments they can remember, and they'll leave the theatre happy. — Rosalind Russell
SNACKFLIX
Order your snacks and drinks ahead of time with SNACKFLIX app
Case Study
My roles: UX researcher/Visual Designer
Project duration: Nov. 2023 - Jan. 2024
Responsibilities: Conducting interviews, paper and digital wire framing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
Tools used: Figma, Canva, Scketch, AI image generator
My first case study was born…
Picture this: a Saturday midday movie, the scent of buttery popcorn, and the excitement of watching the latest blockbuster. Sounds like a perfect day, right? Well, almost.
Ordering tickets was easy, but the concession line drama? An eternity for water and popcorn, ticking clocks, and frazzled nerves. The experience was far from perfect, which made me think “There's got to be a better way to snack and watch a movie without turning it into a race against time.”
That moment pushed me to create "Snackflix" – a snack ordering app for a movie theater to help moviegoers turn those stressful snack moments into a seamless, enjoyable experience.
Observe to experience…
The Problem:
Nobody enjoys waiting in line for snacks, and moviegoers globally seek to savor their treats without losing precious time in lengthy queues before the film or missing parts of the movie for refills.
The Goal:
To develop a snack ordering app, allowing users to pre-order and personalize their snacks and drinks, skip lengthy waits, and elevate the overall experience.
Designing process
User Quantitative Research
My initial assumption regarding user challenges, drawn from personal experience, centers around impatience arising from waiting in long lines, possibly leading to missing parts of the movie.
The research I carried out involved an online survey with twelve participants. The survey targeted individuals aged 18-56+ who frequent movie theaters and have ordered snacks. Most of the participant were located in the United States.
Main research goal: I wanted to understand common challenges moviegoers face during snack ordering process at the movie theaters.
Survey Link: https://ows.io/qs/twvfcx2w
Research results summery
Current challenges during a snack ordering process
60% of the participants are willing to wait less than 5 minutes for their snack and drinks order
50% of the participants missed the beginning of the movie
50% of the participants weren’t “happy” with the current snacks ordering process and marked mostly 1-6 on scale of 1-10
Competitor Analysis
After the user survey I conducted a competitor analysis in order to gain a better understanding of comparable apps in the market at the moment, as well as the companies driving them. I evaluated each competitor's product based on visual design, ordering and payment processes, delivery/pick-up procedures, and overall ease of use.
AMC Theaters - a movie theater corporation located in the US, has been defined as a direct competitor. AMC Theatres, known for its casual and laid-back attitude, often sit near amusement parks and tourist sites. Their goal is to deliver a similarly fun and entertaining experience as the surrounding areas.
Studio movie Grill (SMG) - US-based movie theater company, has been defined as indirect competitor. They suggest an American Grill menu, full service bar, and in-theater dining.
Showcase cinemas - US-based movie theater chain company, has been defined as indirect competitor, that prioritizes the latest movies, cutting-edge technology, comfortable seating, and a diverse dining selection to enhance the overall movie-going experience.
Regal - US-based movie theater company has been identified as a indirect competitor. Regal aims to be a higher-end cinema with marketing efforts highlight the high quality of their products. Their commitment: “The Best Place to Watch a Movie!”
User Research Pain Points
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Time
Lengthy lines often leading to impatience and potential delays in enjoying the film
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Missing the movie
The frustration of missing scenes or moments in the movie due to unnecessary delays
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Social discomfort
Overwhelming social discomfort, during crowded moments, impacting one’s enjoyment of the cinematic experience
User Stories and Empathy Maps
Based on my user survey and competitor analysis insights, I came up with 2 user personas to help with the entire design process.
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Priya Wilson
Empathy Map
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Carlos Miler
Empathy Map
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Priya's Hypothesis:
Assumption: If Priya uses a movie snack app for quick and efficient orders during peak times, her movie night experience will become less stressful and more enjoyable.
Objective: Test the impact of a convenient snack ordering solution on Priya's ability to navigate crowded theaters and enhance her overall movie night satisfaction.
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Carlos's Hypothesis:
Assumption: If Carlos uses a family-friendly snack app with clear menus, it will help him manage diverse snack preferences despite his reading dyslexia, making movie nights enjoyable for his family.
Objective: To test the impact of a user-friendly snack app on Carlos's ability to handle diverse preferences, considering his reading dyslexia, and improve the overall movie night experience for his family.
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Priya Wilson
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Carlos Miller
User Flow
Paper wireframes
Creating many iterations of each app screen on paper was a deliberate step to ensure that the pieces that were converted to digital wireframes properly addressed user pain points. The home screen's primary focus was on providing a quick and simple ordering experience to help users save time.
I created a mid-fidelity prototype from the completed set of digital wireframes. The main user flow I connected was ordering snacks by creating a ‘New Order’, so the prototype could be utilised in a usability test.
Testing
Usability study:
During a usability study, I did both moderated and unmoderated tests.
My key KPIs were to determine the average time users spent completing the snack ordering process from beginning to end, as well as to collect user satisfaction with the app.
Through conducting two rounds of usability studies I was able to:
Guide the design process from wireframes to mockups.
Using a high-fidelity prototype, I revealed which elements of the mockups required refinement.
Usability study findings:
Payment confirmation CTA wasn’t placed hierarchy-wise, which made it difficult for the users to understand the flow on the page
Users wanted to make a scrolling option past items in the menu available during an ordering process
Lack of visuals in the Menu is lacking!
The titles on each page weren’t prominent enough
Missing the ‘Track Order’ page after a payment confirmation.
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Payment confirmation CTA
The CTA button was replaced closer to the content in order to create better flow for users to follow the next step in the ordering process.
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![Scrolling Menu]()
Scrolling Menu
The menu page has been modified with two scrolling options, search and filter, to better and faster navigate all available food and beverage selections.
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![Titles and description]()
Page title and description
The titles for each page have been modified to make them more visible for the user, allowing them to better navigate and understand the purpose of each page
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Track Order
The option to track an order right after payment has been implemented to the confirmation page, allowing users to follow their purchase immediately or for users who order ahead of time and wish to validate the details for their order.
After the preliminary usability testing, I present the refined high-fidelity prototype, showcasing streamlined user flows for ordering and tracking snacks and beverages.
To enhance legibility, I meticulously selected suitable sizes for text, buttons, and icons, prioritizing an optimal and easily readable design. This consideration aimed to accommodate users of varying visual abilities for a more inclusive experience.
Accessibility Considerations
I strived to design a navigational flow with a logical and straightforward structure, prioritizing a user-friendly experience that minimizes the risk of users getting lost and ensures seamless transitions between app sections.
I aimed to create an inclusive color scheme aligned with web accessibility guidelines to enhance our site's inclusivity. This commitment not only fosters deeper user loyalty but also provides a competitive edge by prioritizing user inclusivity, going beyond unique features to create a more accessible experience through carefully chosen color pairings.
Takeaways & Next Steps
What I learned:
Conducting user research, competitive audits, and usability tests first appeared difficult, but they turned out to be more practical and enjoyable than I had expected. Going through this process enabled me to see my work from new and different viewpoints. Furthermore, discovering knowledge about accessibility was a source of satisfaction. Simple changes, such as changing the colours and movements, could improve the app's overall user experience and usefulness.
As my first project, it has been a continuous learning experience, and I intend to iterate and improve it as I gain more skills and create materials for future projects. I intend to do additional usability testing to improve and optimise the user experience.
Next Steps: