Movio

A research-driven ticket booking experience designed to reduce friction, support accessibility needs, and streamline seat selection and checkout.

Movio is a mobile movie ticket booking app designed to simplify the end-to-end cinema experience — from discovering movies to reserving seats, pre-ordering snacks, and accessing tickets digitally.

Timeframe

6 weeks

My Role

UX Designer

Scope

End-to-end UX case study

View Prototype

Responsibility

Defining the product value proposition

Conducting competitive analysis

Planning and running a usability study

Translating research insights into UX decisions

Designing key user flows and interaction patterns

The Problem

Booking movie tickets can be unnecessarily time-consuming and stressful, especially for:

Users booking for groups.
Users with accessibility needs.
Users who want to reserve specific seat types in advance.

Existing platforms often introduce friction through:

Confusing booking flows.
Late or unclear authentication requirements.
Poor seat selection experiences.
Inconsistent accessibility support.

The challenge was to design a booking experience that is fast, predictable, and inclusive, while still supporting complex needs like seat types, snacks, and advanced reservations.

Goals & Success Criteria

User Goals

Quickly find and book movies for single or group visits.
Confidently select preferred seats in advance.
Complete checkout without unnecessary steps or confusion.

Business Goals

Reduce queue dependency at physical theatres.
Increase advanced bookings and snack add-ons.
Improve overall booking conversion.

Success Metrics (Defined for Testing)

Time on task (booking completion speed).
Task success rate.
Error frequency during booking and checkout.
System Usability Scale (SUS) feedback.

Research & Discovery

Competitive Audit

I evaluated major movie booking platforms to understand industry standards and gaps, including:

Cineplex
PVR Cinemas
Atom
Fandango

Key Findings

Strong platforms delayed sign-in until late in the flow
Poor platforms introduced confusion early and lacked guidance
Seat selection and snack add-ons were critical differentiators
Accessibility and consistency were often overlooked

Design takeaway:

A clear, guided booking flow matters more than feature volume.

User Research Plan

An unmoderated usability study was designed to validate booking flows and identify friction points.

Participants

7 users, ages 18–65
Mix of abilities, including:
- Visual impairment
- Auditory impairment
- Assistive technology usage
- Non-native English speakers

Key tasks tested

Creating a profile
Booking a movie
Selecting seats and snacks
Completing checkout

Key Insights

Users expect seat selection to be visual, immediate, and reversible
Long or unclear checkout flows increase hesitation
Advanced snack ordering is seen as a convenience, not a luxury
Accessibility considerations significantly improve confidence for older users

These insights directly informed interaction and flow decisions.

Time on Task & Efficiency

“It took longer than I expected to complete the booking.”
“Too many steps made the process feel slow.”
“Once I understood the flow, it became faster—but the first time was confusing.”

Overall Usability Perception (SUS-aligned feedback)

Positive themes
- “I think I’d use this app Movie if it saved my preferences.”
- “Most of the app felt easy to use after a bit of exploration.”
- “I felt confident completing the booking by the end.”
Negative themes
- “The app felt a bit inconsistent—some buttons behaved differently.”
- “I’d probably need help the first time I use it.”
- “There’s a learning curve—it’s not instantly intuitive.”

Key Emerging Insight Themes

- Onboarding friction: Users question mandatory account creation before exploration.
- Navigation clarity issues: Unclear CTAs and multi-step booking create confusion.
- Checkout anxiety: Lack of feedback and error recovery reduces trust.
- Optional features causing friction: Snack selection interrupts flow rather than enhancing it.
- Accessibility gaps: Text readability and clarity need improvement.
- Learning curve vs. efficiency: First-time experience is confusing, but improves with familiarity.

Low-Fidelity Exploration

Purpose

Before moving into visual design, I created low-fidelity wireframes to explore layout, hierarchy, and flow logic without visual distraction.

What I Focused On

Booking flow clarity
Seat selection layout and orientation
Reducing steps in checkout
Placement of optional add-ons (snacks)

I started designing on paper to quickly express my thoughts visually. I experimented with the landing page and got feedback from potential users.

Digital based lo-fi

I then moved to low fidelity designs within the proper parameters of phone screens.

Core User Flow Definition

Using insights from research and lo-fi exploration, I finalized the primary booking flow:

1. 1. Discover movie
  2. Select showtime
  3. Choose seats visually
  4. Add snacks (optional)
  5. Checkout & payment
  6. Access QR-code ticket

High-Fidelity Design

Visual & Interaction Design Goals

Make seat selection intuitive at a glance
Use clear hierarchy for high-risk decisions (payment, seat confirmation)
Ensure accessibility through contrast, spacing, and readable typography

Interactive Prototype & Validation

Prototype Overview

I created an interactive Figma prototype to simulate the complete booking experience, allowing users to move through the flow as they would in a real application.