A new cinema experience on the web and the mobile app

Village Cinemas is the largest film entertainment group in Greece and a member of the ANTENNA Group since 2022, with an extensive network throughout the country. Renowned for its innovative spirit, Village introduced e-tickets, e-orders for concession stands, and creative theater models like Gold Class, VKids, Sphera, and Dolby Atmos as pioneers in the Greek market.

To maintain its leadership and enhance its digital presence, Village identified the need for a comprehensive website redesign to:

Enhance brand awareness
Drive lead generation
Boost online sales

The goal was to create a state-of-the-art digital presence, with an integrated API system to allow affiliates to feature Village content and facilitate bookings on their platforms.
Our challenge 
 
Our mandate was to transform Village’s website, mobile app, and booking system to offer a seamless, user-friendly experience across all digital touchpoints. This involved:
 
Designing an engaging cinema experience across all platforms.
 
Upgrading the digital interface of both the website and the mobile app.
 
• Enhancing content flow to create a smooth user journey. 

Upgrading Village Cinemas' digital presence

Key Project Highlights through 360-Degree UX Research

Stakeholder Interviews: Understanding the vision and goals of Village Cinemas through in-depth stakeholder interviews.

Behavioral-Based User Groups: By focusing on user behaviors rather than demographics to ensure the design catered to a diverse audience.

Data-Driven Insights: Analysis of 39 million sessions revealed that only 28.8% were from returning users, with a significant number accessing via mobile, guiding us to prioritize mobile optimization.

Competitor Analysis: To ensure Village's competitive edge, we identified global best practices, such as multiple booking access points and interactive elements.

Facilitating UX through an intuitive information architecture

A new information architecture was created to organize content into clear sections aligned with the users' mental models and expectations. Our focus was to highlight the most relevant data and facilitate users in finding information and completing tasks. High-fidelity wireframes allowed us to test and refine the design, ensuring it met all needs.

The key changes in critical features and touchpoints, that were implemented were as follows:

Developed a clear and organized content structure aligned with user expectations.
 
• Adding a showtimes calendar for film and theater pages with different views.
 
• Separating the film grid into 3 tabs (playing now, coming soon, early access).

• 
Adopting a clear layout for film pages.
 
• Introducing an inspiring design for the seat map with visual cues for different types of seats.

Tailoring a solution that empowers users

Our UX solution focused on creating a real cinematic experience. This was achieved by enhancing the emotional aspects of the cinematic journey by eliminating distractions and simplifying the interface. Peripheral elements, were dimmed, allowing colors to shine vividly thus, creating a visually clear and engaging environment.

The content was curated to match user expectations, enabling easy discovery where it is expected. This approach, combined with global pathways for essential actions, such as ticket purchases, ensures intuitive and efficient navigation.

In the ticketing system, we incorporated real-world elements to prime visitors for their in-theater experience. Ticket designs mimicked real tickets, reducing cognitive load and simplifying information processing.

Finally, the calendar structure follows best practices, connecting pages seamlessly to facilitate user journeys.

Echoing the silver screen excitement

Crafting the new UI for Village Cinemas

The UI objective was to cultivate a cinematic immersion through our meticulously crafted digital experience. Drawing inspiration from the enchanting ambiance of the theater, our design team meticulously curated a captivating interface, aiming to transport users into the evocative world of film. Key features include:

 Dark Theme: Reflecting a theater ambiance, the dark theme highlights movie posters and enhances visual appeal.

 Interactive Elements: Subtle animations introduced, background lighting effects, and short video clips for an immersive user experience, so that users feel that they are part of the film.

 Elegant Typography: The Geologica Roman typeface was chosen for its readability and sophistication.

 Deep colors: Deep blues and greens were applied to create a soothing visual experience, accentuating movie posters and content.


Providing innovative technical solutions for a 2-in-1 project

We undertook a dual development project encompassing both the website and the mobile app:

Website:
Built with Umbraco 10 for robust support and integration, including an API to manage movie listings, bookings, and member information. This API also supports integration with Antenna Group affiliates.

Mobile App: Developed using Microsoft’s MAUI for hybrid capabilities, ensuring native functionality for login, profile, and registration, with web views for additional features. This streamlined approach ensures a cohesive user experience.

The outcome of Village Cinemas' digital upgrade 

Village Cinemas' digital transformation showcases how a strategic and innovative approach can enhance user experience, drive engagement, and solidify a brand's position as an industry leader. This project demonstrates the power of combining storytelling, design, and technology in creating exceptional digital experiences.


The revamped site went live quietly but quickly demonstrated its impact. During an "Epic Movie Night" featuring a popular Harry Potter film, ticket sales surged by 30% compared to previous similar events. This success is attributed to the enhanced user experience from the website overhaul, which improved navigation, streamlined booking processes, and offered exclusive gifts for each screening. This case exemplifies the effectiveness of Village Cinemas' digital transformation in boosting engagement and revenue.