CinemAR

The Spark.

The spark that ignited the creation of an augmented reality application was the recognition of films' remarkable ability to transport, inspire, and ignite our imagination. I wanted to amplify this experience by enabling users to not just passively observe cinematic moments, but actively engage with them. Through a transformative and interactive platform, users can step into the shoes of beloved characters and relive iconic scenes in their original filming locations. It was a challenge I eagerly embraced, driven by the desire to provide an immersive AR experience.

Research.

^{96% of Americans have visited places related to their favorite television shows or movies at least once in their lifetime.}

^{35% of film tourists seek an immersive experience to live out the storylines and explore the footsteps of famous characters from their favorite TV shows or movies.}

Research Study

To gain insights into individuals' perceptions of "cinematic moments" their preferences for capturing the movie-watching experience, and their current technology usage, as well as to build upon the existing academic research in this domain, we conducted a comprehensive multi-method research study.

On a scale of 1 to 5, how much do movie locations influence your choice of travel destinations?

43/78 or 55% of respondants rated "4 out of 5"

^{*From the scale of 1 (Not at all influence) to 5 (Extremely influence)}

What makes unforgettable moments so uniquely special and valued by people?

^{*7 most answered elements in the survey that makes moments unforgettable. Then proceeded to ask 5 interviewees to elaborate further.}

Affinity Map

Then we employed the effective method of affinity mapping to collect and structure user feedback. Our primary objective was to gain insights into how users perceive and engage with the popular locations featured in movie scenes. By utilizing affinity mapping, we were able to group and categorize the user feedback into two categories. This allowed us to uncover patterns and themes related to users' perceptions and interactions during their visits to these iconic destinations.

Extract Insights

Ideation.

Users Scenarios

During the ideation phase of CinemAR, we created two user scenarios, which can be represented visually through the following user flow. This flow illustrates the sequence of actions that users take to participate in activities at the famous location.

Brainstorm & Sketch

Using the two insight-driven user scenarios, we conducted a series of sketching sessions to brainstorm and come up with possible features and methods that could potentially improve the current ways of moment-capturing in the context of film-induced travel.

Concept Refinement

We conducted short semi-structured interviews and design evaluation regarding the sketches / storyboards to evaluate what design concepts can best capture people’s need and best suit with the purposes of the product. From 4 participants we learned their subjective feedback on how these individuals viewed and evaluated our concepts, which helped us scope down ideas from many to few.

The most favored aspect among participants was the AR Photo Filter feature. This functionality allows users to select movie-themed filters that superimpose virtual characters and scenes from their beloved films onto their photos or videos. By leveraging their smartphone's camera, users can capture real-time photos or videos with these virtual elements, resulting in an interactive and dynamic experience.

Iterating Design.

CinemAR Scenarios

Interaction Map

User Testing & Evaluation.

To carry out the evaluation phase, we implemented a task-oriented usability testing approach combined with the Retrospective Think-Aloud method. Initially, we conducted tests with a small group of participants and incorporated their feedback to enhance our digital prototype. Our target users are people who:

1. Movie-goers
2. Frequent travellers
3. Use social media platform(s) on a regular basis
4. Are young adults and/or adults

Final Design.