Ideal Cinema Experience | Zebayesh Lamak

Contextual Research | Affinitisation

The Ideal Experience of Going to the Cinema Post Covid

Overview

The objective of this research project was to imbibe research methodologies and synthesis and structure insights into an experience framework which serves as both an efficient communicative tool for clients and a visualisation for designers.

Certified by Lextant

My Role

Design Researcher | Sketch Illustrator

In 2023, going to the cinema isn't just about watching movies.

The Stakeholders that Make up the Cinema Ecosystem

Preliminary research into the eco-system of cinemas in US gave us an understanding of the important stakeholders and how they affected the movie goer's experience.

Primary Research

Observation

Following the AEIOU framework, (Activities, Environments, Interactions, Objects and Users) we conducted observations at different types of cinema houses in Savannah.

Interviews

In this phase we spoke to people about their aspirations and emotions linked to the cinema. Talking about their experiences gave us insight into their behaviour.

Cultural Probes

We designed 3 probes to engage people through interactive activities with the goal of understanding their preferences, lifestyle and idea of entertainment.

Sensory Cue Workshops

In the sensory cue workshops, we curated an extensive stimulus kit that helped participants illustrate their aspirations in a way that words could have not enabled them to.

Screenshot 2023-05-08 at 7.29_edited.png

1600
data points into the cinema-goer's mind

Translating Data Points to Actionable Insights

After gathering all the data, we began affinitizing the data points in a gruelling but insightful process to identify the components of the ideal experience. The process helped us identify patterns in the data and boil it down to the essence of the experience.

Affinitisation process as developed by Lextant. It is the process of clustering data points based on common intent and identifying key themes, which here are the key feelings a cinema-goer experiences.

Going to the cinema brings back fond memories

I love the smell of popcorn in the cinema

Cinema without popcorn is not the same

I don't care which movie it is, I just like the break from my routine

I like to go on weekends, usually once or twice a month

I like to go after dinner usually

Too many effects can be overstimulating

3D/4D movies can distract from the content

A strong sense of nostalgia linked to the event of 'going to the movies'

The content and the environment together make me feel relaxed

I enjoy going to the movies with my family of friends

Nostalgic

Going to the Cinema is a Multi-Step Experience

Going to the cinema can be broken down into 3 distinct phases - Before, During and After. In each phase of the experience, the needs of people are unique and together they make up the ideal experience.

BEFORE

AFTER

DURING

I feel

EXCITED

I feel

IMMERSED

I feel

SATISFIED

Convenient

Getting food, booking tickets and other services in the theatre should be easy and efficient.

An Event

Going to the cinema is about more that watching the movie, it is a social activity.

Stimulating

I want all my senses to be engaged while watching the movie.

Roomy

I want space to change postures and keep my thing without disturbing others.

Hygienic

The spaces (like the restroom, lobby and seats) in the theatre should be clean and fresh.

An Escape

I want to go to the cinema to get a break from my daily routine.

Cozy

I want the movie-watching experience to be pleasant and relatively similar to what I have at home.

Affordable

It should be cost effective and the experience should be value for money and time.

Entertaining

I want to get me mind off other things while watching the movie.

Accessible

The ideal cinema should be accessible; from location to distance.

Varied

I want to able to personalise the experience to my preferences.

Nostalgic

Going to the cinema is like reliving happy childhood memories.

Conceptualising the Ideal Cinema

Customizable Seating

The seating is designed in a way that fulfils the desires of both the solo and the group moviegoers. The seats in our ideal cinema will be adjustable on the X-axis to enable more personal space if desired, and the ability to create a more intimate setting.

Immersive Hallway

Transporting moviegoers out of one world into another through lighting: as the moviegoers walk down the hallway to the screening room, the lights will go from bright to dark to gradually immerse them while also building anticipation.

Cafe DeBrief

Our research showed that majority of the cinema-goers’ ideal experiences consist of a debrief in a restaurant with their friends or family after the movie, either over dinner or a drink. The cinema's Cafe DeBrief aims to provide the space in the cinema itself towards the exit.

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Project Timeline

January 2023 -

March 2023

Product Team

Aakriti Gupta

Matthew Armstrong

Mudita Mane

Mohammad Tayyab

Qian Chen

Zebayesh Lamak

Affiliated Organisation

Savannah College of Art and Design

In 2023, going to the cinema isn't just about watching movies.

The Stakeholders that Make up the Cinema Ecosystem

Preliminary research into the eco-system of cinemas in US gave us an understanding of the important stakeholders and how they affected the movie goer's experience.

Primary Research

Observation

Following the AEIOU framework, (Activities, Environments, Interactions, Objects and Users) we conducted observations at different types of cinema houses in Savannah.

Interviews

In this phase we spoke to people about their aspirations and emotions linked to the cinema. Talking about their experiences gave us insight into their behaviour.

Cultural Probes

We designed 3 probes to engage people through interactive activities with the goal of understanding their preferences, lifestyle and idea of entertainment.

Sensory Cue Workshops

In the sensory cue workshops, we curated an extensive stimulus kit that helped participants illustrate their aspirations in a way that words could have not enabled them to.

1600 data points into the cinema-goer's mind

Translating Data Points to Actionable Insights

After gathering all the data, we began affinitizing the data points in a gruelling but insightful process to identify the components of the ideal experience. The process helped us identify patterns in the data and boil it down to the essence of the experience.

Affinitisation process as developed by Lextant. It is the process of clustering data points based on common intent and identifying key themes, which here are the key feelings a cinema-goer experiences.

Going to the cinema brings back fond memories

I love the smell of popcorn in the cinema

Cinema without popcorn is not the same

I don't care which movie it is, I just like the break from my routine

I like to go on weekends, usually once or twice a month

I like to go after dinner usually

Too many effects can be overstimulating

3D/4D movies can distract from the content

A strong sense of nostalgia linked to the event of 'going to the movies'

The content and the environment together make me feel relaxed

I enjoy going to the movies with my family of friends

Nostalgic

Going to the Cinema is a Multi-Step Experience

Going to the cinema can be broken down into 3 distinct phases - Before, During and After. In each phase of the experience, the needs of people are unique and together they make up the ideal experience.

BEFORE

AFTER

DURING

I feel

EXCITED

I feel

IMMERSED

I feel

SATISFIED

Convenient

Getting food, booking tickets and other services in the theatre should be easy and efficient.

An Event

Going to the cinema is about more that watching the movie, it is a social activity.

Stimulating

I want all my senses to be engaged while watching the movie.

Roomy

I want space to change postures and keep my thing without disturbing others.

Hygienic

The spaces (like the restroom, lobby and seats) in the theatre should be clean and fresh.

An Escape

I want to go to the cinema to get a break from my daily routine.

Cozy

I want the movie-watching experience to be pleasant and relatively similar to what I have at home.

Affordable

It should be cost effective and the experience should be value for money and time.

Entertaining

I want to get me mind off other things while watching the movie.

Accessible

The ideal cinema should be accessible; from location to distance.

Varied

I want to able to personalise the experience to my preferences.

Nostalgic

Going to the cinema is like reliving happy childhood memories.

Conceptualising the Ideal Cinema

Customizable Seating

The seating is designed in a way that fulfils the desires of both the solo and the group moviegoers. The seats in our ideal cinema will be adjustable on the X-axis to enable more personal space if desired, and the ability to create a more intimate setting.

Immersive Hallway

Transporting moviegoers out of one world into another through lighting: as the moviegoers walk down the hallway to the screening room, the lights will go from bright to dark to gradually immerse them while also building anticipation.

Cafe DeBrief

Our research showed that majority of the cinema-goers’ ideal experiences consist of a debrief in a restaurant with their friends or family after the movie, either over dinner or a drink. The cinema's Cafe DeBrief aims to provide the space in the cinema itself towards the exit.

1600
data points into the cinema-goer's mind