A ticketing flow for movies with friends

Approach

I used the design thinking process to guide my project.

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Methods

• Surveys
• Interviews
• Empathy maps
• Personas
• Competitive Audit
• Journey mapping
• Usability Testing

Quantitative Research: Surveys

A survey of 10 participants revealed room for improvement in the online ticketing experience:

• 56% Dislike buying tickets online ahead of time.
• 50% Browse showtimes for a specific movie at nearby theaters.
• 20% Go to the movies less than once a year.

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Empathy maps

I conducted five user interviews and organized the data gathered into two empathy maps representing two distinct segments within the research group — frequent moviegoers who use websites and apps to buy advanced tickets, and users who go to the movies less often, preferring independent and arthouse films, and more flexibility when seeing movies.

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Segment 1 - Frequent Moviegoers

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Segment 2 - Less Frequent Moviegoers

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Qualitative Research: Interviews

Findings from the interviews helped clarify specific areas for improvement:

• Some users feel that buying tickets in advance is too much of a commitment, and would prefer more flexibility when purchasing ahead.
• Users find it hard to organize a group of people going to the movies, and dislike having to wait outside with friend's tickets, or get reimbursed.
• Buying tickets online can be too cumbersome, with too many options and service fees.
• Users don't always know about independent and arthouse movies that are playing in smaller theaters, and wish this information was easier to find.

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Competitive analysis

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Gaps Identified

• Cluttered and confusing ticketing flow
• No way to hold seats for friends
• Convenience fees
• Prompted to create an account, causing friction

Pain points and solutions

After reviewing the biggest pain points, I decided to focus on designing a feature allowing users to hold and share seats with their friends, since this solution seemed most aligned with the needs of frequent moviegoers.

Major Pain Points

1. When buying tickets for a group, users must coordinate with the box office, or wait outside to meet people.
2. Purchasing movie tickets for friends and having to get reimbursed.
3. Difficult to find independent, foreign and arthouse films playing at smaller venues.
4. Not enough flexibility when buying tickets ahead.

Proposed Solutions

1. Create a "Text Tickets" feature, so guests can arrive separately
2. Design a feature allowing users to hold and share nearby seats with their friends, for a limited time.
3. Build a unique product for finding and buying tickets to these movies.
4. Design an account-based system allowing moviegoers to swap or defer reservations without penalty.

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User journey

Mapping out the steps users would take while interacting with the feature helped identify areas for improvement.

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Personas

Two personas representing different user types within the research group.

User flow

Diagramming the user flow helped prepare for the user interface design stage.

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Paper wireframes

I chose a card UI design to help organize content and create a responsive experience. User testing of the low-fidelity prototype proved this to be a successful layout option. Instead of navigating to a new screen (which users found to be too clunky), I used modals with dialogue boxes overlayed on the home screen for the feature.

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High-fidelity designs

A seat picker modal and contacts modal allow users to select seats to hold, and text them to friends through a simple, efficient task flow.

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Creating a design system

I developed a design system including color, typography and other visual elements to ensure consistency across screens.

Save and share seats

After completing checkout, users can hold up to six seats to share with friends, who have 48 hours to purchase them. This feature is responsive and can be used on a computer, tablet or mobile device.

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Laptop

Tablet

Mobile