Problem

SDIFF is having a hard time catering to younger generations.

As someone who loves watching films and learning about new cultures, our group was eager to help SDIFF redesign its platform (both mobile and web) to cater to younger audiences. Their current demographic is around 45 years old, and their goal is to attract audiences around 25.

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The Solution

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Competitive Analysis

The competition uses more graphics to appeal to a younger audience.

Based on the 3 film festival websites located in San Diego, it was easy to see that SDIFF’s website was outdated and not user-friendly. Competitors use color graphics and easy-to-read fonts to make their platforms more inclusive and user-friendly. This became an opportunity for our team to develop a solution that helps SDIFF expand its Italian community.

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User Interviews

Our interviewees said they would love to join the Italian community with a mobile-friendly platform.

SDIFF’s mission statement is “Our mission is to be like the piazza: stimulating, educating, provoking, connecting and sharing stories through the lens of Italian culture.” And many younger audiences are interested in joining the community. The only problem is that SDIFF lacks an online presence.

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Insights

The current platform is not mobile-friendly.

Based on the trend in our affinity map, our team could deduce the main features users are looking for. The main function was to have a mobile-friendly platform and a way to reach the platform from different social media platforms.

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Personas

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Paper & Digital Wireframes

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Improvements In My Design

Based on various usability studies and feedback from peers, we iterated our design over the span of 5 months.

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Final Design

Hi-Fi Prototype

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Conclusion & Lessons Learned

Applications for future projects.

This was my first real client while working on UX Design Projects. I had a lot of fun working with 2 other teammates and the SDIFF Marketing and Software Teams! Here are some things I learned:

1. Communication is key. To develop a new color palette, we had several meetings with the Marketing Team and the CEO of SDIFF. We presented a slide deck with various options.
2. Staying up to date is important. The content and the purpose of SDIFF’s website were great, but because of their outdated design, they were having a hard time keeping up with their competitors. I am glad we were able to offer a different perspective.
3. Growth mindset. Design is one of the industries where designers must keep learning new ways to create an inclusive design. It is only possible to grow by being open to trying different designs out.