Carnegie Mellon
International Film Festival
Redesigning the Archive: Where Culture Meets Accessibility, from Screenings to Screens
Role
UI/UX Designer and Researcher
Group Members
Srishty Bhavsar, Jennifer Kim, Teresa Yang, Julianna Bolovar, Graana Khan
Tools
Figma, Figjam, Adobe Creative Suites, Three.js, Globe.js
Duration
14 weeks
Class
BHCI Capstone - Carnegie Mellon
Introduction
Imagine attending a film festival that celebrates global cultures, only to find its digital archive lacks the vibrancy and accessibility of the event itself. You would probably lose interest. This was the reality for atendees of Carnegie Mellon's International Film Festival, where the online archive failed to capture the festival's essence.
Problem
CMU IFF's archival website is not intuitive, engaging, or organized well. There is a lack of information about the films included in the screenings, and is unable to market the festival screenings properly.
CMU IFF's Archive Website at the time
Solution
The new CMU IFF archival website redesign prioritizes a clean and easy to navigate interface that is engaging, and supports the exploration of different cultures.
Who were we designing for? Who was involved.
CMU IFF is the only international film festival in the world that is organized and run by students from different universities. Their mission is to engage Pittsburgh with a festival that promotes cultural exchange and expression through the medium of film.
For student interns, the festival was a labor of love, yet their contributions faded into obscurity post-event. Attendees sought deeper connections with the films and their cultural contexts, while sponsors desired a platform that showcased the festival's impact.
Stakeholder Map
Behind the Camera: Gathering Insights through Research
Through interviews and observations, we discovered that interns desired recognition, attendees craved cultural context, and sponsors needed clear demonstrations of impact. These insights guided our design decisions, leading to features like interactive timelines and region-based film filters.
Research Questions
How can the identity of the film festival and those involved be represented within an archive?
What is an archive in the context of a film festival?
How do you create intrigue circulating the archive and festival?
Which stakeholder would benefit the most from an archive?
Comparative Analysis
Read More about Comparative Analysis
Fly On the Wall Observation
To learn more about how IFF functions, we sat in on one of their meetings. Interns are divided into teams, including creative, marketing, logistics, programming, youth outreach, development, and the short film competition. The IFF operation is large. They referenced several documents and spreadsheets during the meeting that contained archive information. It looked confusing to sort through as someone who isn’t part of the internal team.
Interviews
4
Intern Interviews
1
Interview with sponsor
1
Interview with advancement staff
2
Fans/
Atendees
Read More about Interviews
Journey Map of Interview Findings
Affinity Diagram of Interview Findings
Zooming In on User Needs: Four Main Insights
Insight 1: Intern Training
With interns leaving each year, it is important to attract new interns and also train them on how the festival works
Interview Quote 1
Interview Quote 2
Insight 2: Sponsorship Packet
Sponsors prefer engaging with the sponsorship packet because it is comprehensive and straight to the point in communicating the festival’s impact.
Interview Quote 3
Interview Quote 4
Insight 3: Preconceived Notions
Attendees appreciate the opportunity to challenge their beliefs and preconceived notions through the festival program and panel discussions.
Interview Quote 5
Interview Quote 6
Insight 4: Cultural Norms
Attendees appreciate the opportunity to challenge their beliefs and preconceived notions through the festival program and panel discussions.
Interview Quote 7
Interview Quote 8
User Focus Group
After interviewing a variety of stakeholders, we decided that the attendees seemed to be in the most need of an archive that would address both of the concerns of client in communicating the festival’s identity and the team and programming behind it.
Turning Ideas into Scenes: Ideation
The ideation phase was like brainstorming a new script for the festival's digital archive. We had the raw material: user feedback, research data, and a clear understanding of the problem. Now it was time to mold these insights into a visual and interactive story.
Reverse Assumptions
Crazy 8s
Story Boarding and Speed dating
Read More about Storyboards
Extending the Experience: Designing a Physical Booth
As our digital archive took shape, we asked ourselves: how might we bring this experience into the physical space of the festival itself? Inspired by the energy of film festivals and museum installations, we explored the idea of a physical booth, an interactive pop-up where attendees could browse the archive, leave reflections, and celebrate past festivals in real time. It wasn’t just about showcasing the website; it was about creating a moment of pause and connection.
Read More about the Lo-Fidelity Protoypes
Scene by Scene: Mid-Fidelity Prototypes Take Shape
We imagined a physical booth as a way to bring the archive to life as an interactive space for reflection and engagement. But after attending a screening in person to test our mid fidelity prototype, we quickly learned that the entry process was fast, and most attendees arrived just before showtime. Few people lingered, and interest in the booth was minimal. We scrapped the idea of a physical booth and focused on the archive.
The Final Cut: Final Design Revisions
After rounds of iteration, testing, and real-world insights, we arrived at a design that felt true to the spirit of the festival. We prioritized a clean, navigable layout that allowed films to take center stage. This design was supported by contextual details like region filters, past event highlights, and intern spotlights.
Users want more autonomy and personalization in what they view
Users are not likely to interact with a physical booth
Users enjoy the element of randomness
Users want to quickly glance at a film, if browsing
Users tend to scroll past big blocks of information
The Final Prototype: A Festival Experience That Lasts
Main CMU IFF Archive Functionality
Randomizing a location on globe to explore films of different cultures
Choosing a location on the globe to explore its films
Mobile Design
QR Code Brochure Design
Reflection
Multicultural Emphasis
Ensuring Consistency
Value to IFF
Jump to Top
Final Design Revisions