Carnegie Mellon
International Film Festival
Redesigning a Film Archive: Where Culture Meets Accessibility, from Screenings to Screens
Introduction
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.
Stakeholder Map
Behind the Camera: Gathering Insights through Research
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
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
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.
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 Quotes
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 Quotes
Insight 3: Preconceived Notions
Attendees appreciate the opportunity to challenge their beliefs and preconceived notions through the festival program and panel discussions.
Interview Quotes
Insight 4: Cultural Norms
Attendees appreciate the opportunity to challenge their beliefs and preconceived notions through the festival program and panel discussions.
Ideas into Scenes: Ideation
Using our insights, we began to ideate a product that would provide a solution.
Reverse Assumptions
Crazy 8s
Story Boarding and Speed dating
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.
Read More about the Lo-Fidelity Protoypes
Scene by Scene: Mid-Fidelity Prototypes
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 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
Our solution increases the exposure to other cultures through the festival’s curated program. By creating easy-to-scan film detail pages, encouraging festival attendees to explore the entire archive, and emphasizing the multicultural aspects of the IFF through our interactive globe feature and filtering system, our solution exposes viewers to the IFF’s vast film selection and consequently, the opportunity for attendees to challenge their knowledge and experience new perspectives.
Interns can refer back and use our design and accompany materials to create a consistent archive moving forward. Through clear subheadings and strong visual hierarchy, as well as providing a way for the IFF to organize their information in a consistent way, our solution communicates the information and extensive history of the IFF’s past screenings in a way that is both coherent and engaging.
With the new archive’s multicultural emphasis and consistent layout, we have created a solution that communicates the IFF’s identity and sets it apart from other film festivals and/or other archives. Our solution helps the IFF to increase engagement through bringing more awareness of the IFF’s events and what goes on in the festival, overall generating more interest towards not only the IFF, but cultural films as a whole.
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