Choice Point Productions

Choice Point Productions is a film production company that produces choice based films with the goal of empowering its viewers.

Project Goal: Design a website that addressed all the pain points from the user stories we discovered in our research, while also being a functional and intuitive design.

The design process:

I started off the research process by having a one on one interview with Anand (client), where he deconstructed the entire business model so that I had a full understanding of what Choice Point Productions was and how it operated. I then began the research process:
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• 12 research articles
• 4 informational videos
• 6 online surveys
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Content of articles: PTSD, mental health studies, psychological empowerment, cinema therapy, VR, choice based games and films

For my competitive and comparative analysis I primarily used VUSION, CtrlMovie, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer site among other sites. Key design inspiration takeaways:

• The use of icons underneath hero image to illustrate core functionality of company (VUSION & CtrlMovie)
• Interactive demo video (CtrlMovie)
• Captivating Illustrations/Imagery (VUSION & CtrlMovie)
• Choice based film functionality (The Killing of a Sacred Deer)

This was the User Persona that was generated based on all the research and surveys I conducted.

• Feels helpless and lacking control over outcomes in his life
• Feels as though he won’t succeed
• Struggles with PTSD and anxiety

‍People with PTSD and others struggling with disempowerment feel as though they lack control over outcomes in their life and as a result feel helpless and as though they won’t succeed.

‍These were the user stories I created from the goals and frustrations present in the user persona:
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1. As Jeremy, I want to set goals (however small or big) and accomplish those goals, so that I can gain influence and control over events and outcomes of importance in my life
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2. As Jeremy, I want to access different skills and resources for dealing with PTSD and disempowerment, so that I can cope more effectively with current as well as future stress and trauma (PTSD)

Design a website that explains in simple coherent terms what Choice Point Productions is, what it offers, and the value that it provides (how it solves PTSD victims problems). Use visual aids to convey these points.

1. Interactive choice based film demo — This was an extremely important feature as this feature not only provided a level of engagement for the user but it was also a key feature to get the user to fully understand the technology and get them excited about the possibilities.
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2. Demo Video — This “How it Works” video was a key feature in informing the user of what the technology actually was, how it worked, and its direct benefits to them.
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3. Newsletter — This was an important marketing feature which created lead generation and also reminded the user of upcoming film releases, projects, etc. in order to create brand loyalty and repeat business.
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4. Resources section — This was a very important feature as the targeted demographic for this business was people with PTSD who feel disempowered. By providing resources to deal with PTSD and other mental disempowerment, the target demographic was in full consideration.

As you can see, it was a very iterative design process, undergoing a lot of trial and error.

The most impactful refinements I made to the design was the removal of text-boxes, which allowed the design to feel more open and breathable to the user. This serves to let the content take the brunt of the focus, and removes the distractions that the earlier versions pose.

One round of mid-fi testing was done with 7 different participants.

Problem 1: Users did not expect the “Work With Us” CTA on Homepage. Most users expected this CTA to be on the About Us/Our Work page. Users also didn’t expect the Newsletter to be on the About Us page but rather the homepage.

‍Solution 1: I removed the “Work With Us” CTA from the homepage and put it on the About Us page. The Newsletter CTA that was on the About Us was removed entirely. The order of the Newsletter and the “How it Works” video was also switched to put the informational video first.

Problem 2: When asked to find the “Work With Us” CTA users did not find it on the films page as it was at the very bottom of the page and most users didn't scroll that far down.

‍Solution 2: I brought the “Work With Us” CTA to the top of the page.

Problem 3: I initially put Projects, Our Work with Charities, and Mental Health Resources all on the same page and named the page “Our Work”. This menu proved to be a very ambiguous title for users. When asked to find Resources, users had a very challenging time finding it, they did not expect it to be on this page.

Solution 3: I moved the “New Web Series on PTSD” to the film page, the “Our Work with Charities” to the About Us page, and created a unique Resources page. This allowed all information to be organized in a logical layout which was clear to the users.

I was able to create a well constructed design that addressed all the pain points existing for Choice Point Productions we discovered in the research we conducted.