A speculative project demonstrating how closed captioning and descriptive audio in movie theatres could be re-imagined.
In the spring of 2020, I completed my research in exploring inclusive design practices in Deaf and blind communities. As part of the final report I analyzed current accessibility standards and legislation in North America, investigating standards for both indoor and outdoor public spaces. After exploring the ADA and AODA (among other guidelines), I took a particular interest in the movie theatre experience for both Deaf and blind individuals and how assistive technologies were being used to create an inclusive and accessible experience.
Discovering users' pain points with these assistive technologies made me realize that many large entertainment corporations are only using these current assistive technologies to comply with legislation rather than providing quality service for their Deaf and/or blind patrons. As a response, I conceptualized a better approach, through a mobile app experience, that would work in conjunction with wearable captioning technology (such as Sony’s captioning goggles). In addition, the promotion of this new process would exist online and in theatres, intercepting the user’s journey at every checkpoint.
Client
Independent
Industry
Entertainment
Role
Research and Ideation, Design Thinking, UX/UI, Accessibility, Web Design, Brand.
Timeline
September 2019 (Research) – June 2021
Pain points
Assistive devices for CC/DS (closed captioning and descriptive services) available within Canadian movie theatres are problematic. They are scarce, only available for select movies at select times, are obtrusive in the theatre, are not receptive to long-range signals (and often drop signal), and have poor battery life.
It seems that the “solution” to making the movie-going experience accessible is more of an appeasement. According to anecdotal qualitative research conducted, many individuals who had used these assistive devices chose to purchase a movie and watch it at home rather than settle for a mediocre movie-going experience at their local cinema.
Design response
A concept for a mobile app that would work in conjunction with wearable captioning technology (such as Sony’s caption goggles, descriptive services built-in). The promotion of this new process would exist online and in theatres, intercepting the user’s journey at every checkpoint (a step in the UX/UI right from the ticket purchasing kiosk, at a face-to-face cashier, through printed pamphlets, and on the theatre’s website).
● View process and documentation
● View app styling
WCAG Compliance to a AA Standard
Since the goal of this app was to provide a more accessible experience to movie-goers, it was important that it also be accessible and WCAG compliant.
Dark Mode Consideration
While building out the main experience of the Cine Access app, I had considered creating a dark mode for those with low vision and/or light sensitivity. Instead I built a dark mode theme for the most crucial phase in the user's journey: sitting in the auditorium. This helps protect the user's vision while also limiting distractions to other movie-goers.
The caption display customization screen had not been converted into dark mode as caption customization is intended for before the movie starts. However, with any intended usage, there is always an exception. Moving forward, a dark mode can be implemented as an option turned on by the user.
Project Preplanning
During preplanning, a MoSCoW analysis was conducted to identify the main functionality of the Cine Access app and eliminate redundancies.
Initial Use Case: Main Pairing Experience
The first iteration intended users to work in sessions — each new visit would require a new captioning / descriptive service session. Once a user starts a new session, they are taken through a series of digestible questions to help them pair with the assistive device, find their auditorium, and manage their CC/DS preferences.
To receive an assistive device, users would need to request one at the customer service counter and pair the device to the app using the device's ID number.
Pivoting Directions
After a few initial passes at the main experience use case, it had become evident that there was an easier approach. I had to consider simplifying the steps to get the user from opening the app to entering the auditorium in as few steps as possible, especially for those with cognitive disabilities. To do this, the steps to pair were moved to the homescreen where users could follow along in any order. This was to accomodate the user's stage in the process, and what point in which they would open the app to pair to an assistive device.
I had also realized that requiring users to request an assistive device at the customer service counter was going to be an obstacle. After some feedback, I changed the physical pairing experience to something more autonomous — a self-serve kiosk. A kiosk reduces the amount of steps in the user's journey and can be situated near the auditoria for a more seamless experience. To pair Cine Access to an assistive device, the user must simply bump the device with their phone to release it from the kiosk (also known as NFC technology). The housing mechanism for the devices are also thought to charge them while not in use.
