MotionLoop Studio
UX Award-nominated project on place-based interactions with Share-Repair-Reuse initiatives and the circular economy of materials in the film industry of Metro Vancouver.
UX & UI | William Briggs (Collaborator) | Sept 2023 - Dec 2023
The Problem
There is no standard way to deal with textile waste in the film industry.
The Goal
To limit inefficiencies, minimize waste, and extend the product life cycle within the material system.
Buy/Rent
Using 100% donated or deadstock fabric, we repair and produce new costumes and make them available to the public for purchase or rentals.
Appointments
Customers can pre-select items they want to view and schedule a visit. During the appointment, they can try on items and decide whether to make a purchase or rent them.
Rewards Program
To foster lasting relationships within the film industry, we offer a rewards program for returning customers. This program ultimately saves filmmakers and artists money on future purchases and reduces their waste disposal fees.
DESIGN PROCESS
01 EMPHASIZE
ANALOGUE MAP
Film Industry in Vancouver
As the third-largest Film & TV production center in North America, the film and television industry in Vancouver processes a remarkable amount of material. For a very long time, Metro Vancouver lacked a facility or network to store these used materials and distribute them back within the community.
SITEVISITING
How is waste currently treated in the film industry?
The Recycling Alternative works with businesses of all sizes in the Lower Mainland to provide local, convenient, and economic recycling options. Key Insight: Consider where materials come from, where they will go, and how might we work within a small-scale solution and push to have a large-scale impact to our cities and the emerging green, circular economy?
ECOSYSTEM MAP
02 DEFINE
Findings & Pain Points
No standard way to deal with recycling: Costumes and props can be distributed among the crew or donated, but it depends on individual people in the show to make choices.
What happens to the donation?
There are many programmes and bins for textile scraps, but it is a mystery of what happens to them after the textile is placed inside the bins.
Finding multiple pieces of the same costume: Costumes have different levels of breakdown, and production team needs to find at least 5-10 copies of the same costume for a single cast.
Cardsorting
Early iterations and user feedback provided an opportunity to experiment with different information structures and concepts. How might we effectively communicate the rental model to customers, and what specific benefits can we offer to returning members?
03 IDEATE
USER NEEDS
Exploring key features of the website through user journey flows and user needs helps prioritize the service goal, addressing pain points and strategically positioning touchpoints.
04 PROTOTYPE
IA SITEMAP
WIREFRAMES
Sketching hierarchical models from a top-down perspective helps users follow a logical path from broad categories to more specific details, minimizing cognitive load and reducing the effort required to find the desired information.
05 TEST
INTERACTIVE PROTOTYPE
Five participants are asked to click through an interactive prototype using the think aloud protocol. The goal is to determine participants satisfaction and errors.
User Testing
Through the exploration of different filter layouts, key discoveries have been made, including an understanding of how customers search for their needs on the website and how backend workers can optimize efficiency when using the inventory system.
STYLE GUIDE
Design Direction
A modern, energetic, and warm style guide aims to convey a sense of excitement and enthusiasm while maintaining a clean and professional look. The design elements work together cohesively, creating a visually striking brand identity that stands out and captures viewers' attention. The font "Poppins" is selected for its accessibility and readability.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Challenge
One challenge I frequently face is getting too involved in a design (at an early phase) and taking it in a specific direction. This project offered a chance to slow down and figure out how to show up and contribute to the communities around me. It asks me to engage with, recognize, and honour the relationships we already have within the current community and our position within the larger ecosystem.
Inspired by the Real Green protocol at Creative BC, we have identified an opportunity to accelerate the circular economy by making reusable materials available to the film industry, schools, community theatre groups, artists, and charities through homes and businesses. Ultimately, this approach saves filmmakers and artists money at both ends of the production process, eliminating the need to purchase certain necessary materials and reducing waste disposal fees.
Next Steps
Long-term Relationship
How might we communicate the rental model to customer, and what are the specific benefits available to returning members?
Accessibility
How might we provide accommodation and enhance accessibility for customers with disabilities?
Testing
Further testing is required on the interior space of the work area for back-end staff members.
