SnackEasy UX Case Study
SnackEasy is a new movie theater snack ordering app that enables users to pre order snacks & get them delivered on the seat.
This UX case study project is a part of my Google UX Design Professional Certification Course.
Year
2023
Duration
Over a span of 1 month
Target Audience
People aged between 18-60 years, residing in tier-1 & tier-2 cities and visiting the theater frequently.
Task
Designing mobile app and responsive website from conceptualization to delivery
Role
UX Designer
Responsibilities
• UX Research
• Paper & digital wireframing
• Low & high fidelity prototyping
• Mockup creation
• Accounting for accessibility
• Usability testing
Tools
Hello!
Although I already had some prior experience with the UX design projects, I had not taken a formal education on UX. So in January 2023, I enrolled for the Google UX Design Professional Certificate Program, to learn the entire process of UX design, all the way from initial user research down to usability tests and hand-off to developers.
As a part of the coursework, I chose a random prompt from Sharpen, which ended up being ‘Designing a snack ordering app for a movie theater’.
But wait…why do we even need an app to order snacks at the movie theater? Can’t we just carry our own snacks? Nope!
In India, there are restrictions on carrying outside food into the movie theaters. Can I carry water? Yes. Food for infants, yes. But eatables from home? Not at all!
It’s not a compulsion for moviegoers to buy food at the theater, it’s their choice. But they simply can’t bring outside food. Ever wondered why? Apart from being a good source of revenue generation, theater owners have their own reasons like…
- Exclusive partnerships with food and beverage vendors or brands
- Quality Control
- Cleanliness and Maintenance
- Compliance and Safety etc.
Allowing people to bring in food can lead to severe damage to the property. In January 2023, even the Supreme Court of India passed an order that a cinema hall is a private property, and cinema owners are within the rights to stop patrons from bringing outside food into theaters.
So, I followed the following design process.
Empathize
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Empathize & Define
I conducted secondary research, online survey, interviews, created personas, user journey maps and competitive audit to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs.
Secondary Research
I noticed that there were already dozens of projects based on the same topic online. So, I went through many of these UX case studies to understand the approach taken by each designer.
This way, I was able to understand various user problems and different solutions in a comparatively lesser time. But still, something was missing. So, I decided to start from the scratch to understand what user really needs.
Quantitative Analysis
After scratching my head for a really long time, I came up with a set of around 22 questions. Then I used the Google Forms to create a survey, shared the questionnaire with my friends, relatives and ex-colleagues (whoever I felt could relate to this topic) and got their responses. I really love the way Google Forms combines and represents the collected data.
As I was using Google Forms for the first time, I made a few goof ups in the process. But at the end, I realized my mistakes, corrected them and managed to get the feedback from around 42 people in just a few hours.
I felt really overwhelmed to see their enthusiasm and helpful nature. All these insights helped me to get a clearer picture about the main pain points and the possible/desired solutions.
Some Interesting Insights
31%
people never purchased snacks at a movie theater due to high prices.
97%
of people were going to the theater with family / friends, whereas only 3% people were watching the movie alone.
41.4%
people admitted that they have missed a movie while waiting in a long queue for snacks.
37.9%
people have run out of snacks during a movie.
61.9%
people wanted to customize their snacks.
52.4%
people prefer getting snacks delivered to their seat.
Pain Points
Post quantitative analysis & after having a chat with some of these people in detail, I realized that majority of the users were facing following issues.
Long Queue
Standing in a long queue, especially when you have a disability / have kids to take care of, is very frustrating. People also have a fear of missing the movie while waiting in a queue.
Limited Options
Many economy grade theaters offer only limited menu options like popcorn, cold drinks & some snacks etc. These snacks are generally standard for all and are not customizable.
Inconvenience
Carrying large snack orders from counter to the seat is difficult. In case the snacks get over before the interval, it’s inconvenient for the user to wait till the interval and go out to buy snacks.
High Price
Snacks & beverages in the shopping mall cinema screens and premium movie theaters are too expensive. So, many people just avoid buying them even if they look very tempting.
Other:
Difficulties in reaching theater early to buy snacks, splitting the snack bills, slow ordering process, lower quality / taste of the food were few other issues faced by the users.
What Users Want
To place customized orders for individuals & group
To skip the queue and get snacks delivered to the seat
To get discounts and rewards on orders
User Persona
Based on my research, I created personas for 3 user groups.
User Journey Map
I created user journey maps for all personas to understand their actions, emotions and hurdles faced while completing the task.
User Story
As a busy working mother
I want to pre-order snacks at a discounted price
so that I can enjoy with my family without breaking a bank
Problem Statement
Jane is a busy working mother who needs an app to place large snack orders at a discounted price before arriving at the theater because she wants a hassle free, economical & pleasing movie experience with her family.
Goal Statement
My theater snack app will let users pre-order snacks at discounted cost & get them delivered on seat; which will affect groups & individuals who want to make and pick up food orders by letting users skip the queue and saving them time. Effectiveness of the app could be analyzed by customer ratings & number of returning users
Competitive Audit
Individual Theaters vs Large Movie Theater Chains
In India, there are mainly 2 types of movie theaters available in the urban area. In both these types, customers are not allowed to take outside snacks with them.
| Individual Movie Theaters | Movie Theater Chains | |
|---|---|---|
| Example | Single screen, local, independent movie theaters | Multiplex corporate movie theater chains like PVR, INOX, and Carnival Cinemas etc. |
| Offering | Economic movie experience with basic amenities | Premium movie experience with state-of-the-art facilities, comfortable seating, and a wide range of amenities |
| Used by | Middle class & lower income groups | Higher income groups |
| Ticket price | Low | High |
| Snack variety | Limited snack menu — typically offering basic popcorn, local snacks, and soft drinks etc. | Wider range of snack options — popcorn in different flavors, specialty snacks, cold & hot beverages, pizza etc. |
| Food quality | Average | Good |
| Customization options | Not available | Basic customization options like adding preferred toppings, extra cheese, healthier snack alternatives etc. |
| Snack pricing | Affordable | Very high |
| Seat delivery | No | Yes |
How Might We
Then I constructed some HMV questions to reframe my insights into opportunity areas and innovate on problems found during user research.
Problem:
Users don’t like to pay for overpriced snacks.
HMW:
How might we reduce the costs / make users feel happy for paying?
Problem:
Users don’t like to wait in a long queue.
HMW:
How might we enable the user to skip the long queues?
Problem:
Users find it difficult to order for large groups.
HMW:
How might we make the group ordering easier?
Initial Design Concepts
Storyboarding
Storyboarding is a great way to empathize with users, visualize the user journey, and communicate our vision effectively. So I created Big Picture and Close Up storyboard.
Scenario: Use the app to pre order snacks at the theater.
Big Picture Storyboard
Close Up Storyboard
Paper and Digital Wireframes
I created multiple paper wireframes for each screen with pen & paper…
…and then moved to low fidelity digital wireframes to create a basic flow.
Low Fidelity Prototype
Once the basic flow for ordering the popcorns was ready, I created a quick prototype for the usability testing.
Usability Testing-Round 1
I created a detailed UX research study plan and conducted a usability study on the prototype created earlier.
Research Questions
- How long does it take for a user to select and order snacks in the app?
- Are users able to successfully order the snacks that they want?
- What can we learn from the steps users took to order snacks?
- Are there any parts of the snack ordering process where users are getting stuck?
- Is the payment process easy for the customer?
Participants
5 participants between the ages of 18-60 who reside in metropolitan and suburb areas and visit a movie theater as an individual or in a group and place snack orders at a counter.
Methodology
- Duration: 25-30 minutes
- Location: India, remote
- Type: Unmoderated usability study
- Users were asked to order snacks on a low-fidelity prototype
Affinity Map
Post usability study, I made an affinity map to get a better understanding of user responses.
Usability Research Findings
Post affinity mapping, I also identified patterns and insights and came up with the following findings:
- Users wanted a better navigation
- User wanted to edit cart quickly
- Users were able to add the snacks easily
Mockups
Early designs allowed for some customization, but after the usability studies, I made multiple changes to the original wireframes in terms of navigation and overall placement
Why Dark Mode?
Dark mode has several advantages, including:
Reduced eye strain
Many of the SnackEasy users, will be using this app in the dark while watching the movie. Dark mode will help them use the app comfortably without causing any eye strain.
Less distraction to others
Bright screen with high contrast images can distract / disturb the other movie viewers. Dark mode will help the users order what they want without disturbing others.
Accessibility
Dark mode can be beneficial for users with visual impairments or light sensitivity, as it reduces the amount of glare and makes it easier to read text.
Stylish and modern look
Dark mode has become increasingly popular in recent years, due to the sleek and modern look it provides. It also consumes less energy, which means your mobile will stay charged longer.
Final Mockup
Fed up with long lines and missing the best movie moments while waiting for snacks? Join the revolution of hassle-free movie snacking with quick, easy, and efficient ordering options.
High-fidelity prototype
Accessibility Considerations
In order to make my app more accessible, inclusive, and user-friendly; I considered following points:
Clear navigation
Used voice search, icons, and visual hierarchy to facilitate easy navigation and comprehension for all users
Alternative Text for Images
Ensured screen reader compatibility by using descriptive alternative text (alt text) for images for visually impaired users.
High Contrast Mode
Dark mode & high contrast colours were adopted for users with visual impairments or light sensitivity
Adjustable Font Sizes
Provided options to adjust the font size within the app, to improve readability for users with visual impairments /reading difficulties
Responsive website
Once the app screens were ready, the next task was to design a responsive website for the same. So similar to the app visual design, I went through the process of creating paper & digital wireframes, mockups, prototypes and conducted usability studies to finalize the website landing pages.
Takeaways
Challenges
- It was my first UX project in which I had to work on all stages of the design process- from research to delivery.
- There were already many projects based on the same concept online. So, to come up with a solution that will stand out from the rest was a real challenge.
- I was completely new to the topic of accessibility considerations
Impact
- The app gives a hassle free, economical & pleasant experience to the users.
- One quote from peer feedback: “This app is super cool. It’s easy and useful. I would definitely use this app.”
What I learnt
- During user research, I learnt that user interviews are the main source to truly identify user needs, pain points, goals and frustrations
- I learnt to keep my personal preferences aside and focused on keeping the process user-centric all the time to look at the problem with neutrality and spot the usability issues.
- I used Google Forms for the first time, and I really loved it. It’s a great tool to collect quantitative data really fast. I am definitely going to use it again and again!
- I am proud of what I have created in a given time, but UX is a continuous process and there is still a lot of scope for improvement
SHOW’S OVER!
Whoa…it was a long one! Thanks for watching.
Hey, thank you so much for your time. Hope you liked my work. Please feel free to explore more projects. Have a great day ahead!
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