SnackFlicks

Revolutionizing the Movie Snack Experience with Seamless In-Seat Delivery

Timeline: March 2024 - June 2024
Role: UX Designer
Platform: Figma

Overview

Going to the movies is supposed to be immersive, but long lines at the concession stand, juggling snacks while in your seat, and leaving your seat during the movie are big distractions. So, I embarked on a mission to solve this problem with SnackFlicks, an app that makes it easy to order snacks by allowing you to pre–order and have her delivered to your seat — all while you catch every scene.

The Challenge

Time and again moviegoers have been disgruntled with the ways they have been forced to order a bag of popcorn and a soda. The lines were long, everything took longer and fumbling with snacks in the dark didn’t make the experience much more enjoyable. The other problem exacerbated the issue was that users had to leave their seat mid movie in order to buy more snacks, disrupting other attendees and even the user’s own viewing experience.

My challenge was clear:

How could I streamline snack ordering and delivery in a way that keeps moviegoers in their seats and enhances their overall experience?

Discovery and Research

I started the project by interviewing and surveying six frequent moviegoers to kick off the project. But I wanted to know more of what exactly was it that they needed to improve, and their feedback helped me out immensely. But they both said that waiting in line was a waste of time and fumbling with snacks during the movie caused unnecessary stress. Furthermore, they didn’t want to buy more food mid movie for fear of missing important scenes.

I also conducted competitive analysis with respect to movie theater apps as well as food delivery apps such as Uber Eats. After analyzing, I realized that even though these platforms allowed pre ordering of food and delivery of it to the theater seat, none of the websites provided the ideal in seat delivery experience possible in a scenario with a theater context. It was an opportunity to bring a new twist (from a pure product offering perspective) and differentiate SnackFlicks.

Defining the User Experience

From the research insights, I built detailed user personas that reflected the needs of two main user groups: movie admirers, whether they opt for the complete theater experience or the parents with kids on their hands, juggling simplicity whilst enjoying the movie. Creating these personas helped me imagine what that experience would be for users and why a frictionless ordering process was crucial.

In tracking the flow of a user’s experiences from entering the theater right up to ordering snacks, enjoying the movie, and then leaving the theater, I used an empathy map and user journey map to visualize the emotional ups and downs they went through. It gave me the big picture of which were the moments I felt really mattered that guided then my decisions of design.

Ideation & Wireframing

I then had to brainstorm solutions. I started with paper wireframes, sharing layouts and interactions for the app. Finally using feedback from users, I iterated until I had digital wireframes of the app in Figma. And one of the key features to come out was the ‘QR code scan,’ in which you can quickly scan your movie tickets to bring up your favorite snacks or past orders.

I then created a low-fidelity prototype that I tested against users in order to gain feedback. The insights from the testing sessions were clear: users wanted a simple, straightforward interface that minimized steps and possibilities to track their orders in real time.

Prototype and Testing

Based on feedback, I refined the wireframes into a high-fidelity prototype. I integrated several key features:

  • Pre-Order Functionality: By having a snack menu accessible, users were able to browse and place orders before arriving at the theater.

  • In-Seat Delivery: If snacks were ever ordered, they could be delivered directly to the user’s seat, preventing them from interrupting their movie to get up and get them.

  • Real-Time Order Tracking: It allowed users to track the status of their order, and was transparent.

  • Reward System via QR Code: It allows users to scan their movie ticket to earn loyalty points or to view their order history.

The flow was intuitive and I tested it with moviegoers conducting usability testing, to make sure this would be how we would use it. After a few iterations, test users were able to enjoy about how smooth the interface felt.

Results

I created the final product, SnackFlicks, to revolutionize the movie snack experience and its users were noticeably happier after. While in – seat delivery proved convenient, preordering of snacks was seen as being intuitive. Key improvements included:

  • Order Efficiency:Users could pre order snacks to save time and get their food ready before they arrived.

  • Reduced Disruptions: The in-seat delivery allowed users to never leave their seat during the movie, improving not only their moviegoing experience but also that of the crowd.

  • Positive Feedback: The app received positive responses from the testers which found the QR code reward system and real time tracking feature very good especially.

Reflection

SnackFlicks confirmed for me the value of user research in designing solutions that actually make users' lives better. I involved users every step of the way, starting with research, and continuing through prototyping and usability testing, to come up with an app that actually solved their problems and eased their pain points. The key to refining the user experience and making sure it was functional and pleasurable, was the iterative process.

At it’s core, SnackFlicks wasn’t just about solving a functional problem: It was about elevating the experience of going to the movies. By focusing on what users wanted most—convenience, speed, and simplicity—the app made going to the movies more enjoyable, allowing users to focus on what really matters: the film.