8 Bit Theater — a UX Case Study
How we helped the Kelly Strayhorn Theater increase their theater involvement using online, pandemic-compliant measures.
Introduction
My name is Ije Okafor and I am currently a Master’s student at Carnegie Mellon University, studying Human Computer Interaction.
I have a passion for leading and helping others and want to create meaningful experiences through design, especially for underrepresented groups. My goal is to create people-driven experiences and products that are innovative in their design and output.
My Role
I primarily worked as a UX researcher, strategist, and UI designer on this project.
My team members Asad, David, Jane, and Ugochi, took on the following roles:
- Asad: Lead Researcher
- David: Meeting Facilitator and Researcher
- Jane: Project Manager and Researcher
- Ugochi: Co-Designer and Researcher
Each team member actively participated in the interview, research, and planning processes, and took on different roles if and when needed.
Executive Summary
Our original team mission was to creatively collaborate and generate a well-thought and inclusive solution that addresses all needs of the Kelly Strayhorn Theater.
Specifically, we were tasked with finding ways to:
- Increase participation and donations to the theater
- Encourage people to engage with others unlike themselves in order to create shared understanding
- Transform the physical theater experience into a shared online experience
Prior to the pandemic, the Kelly Strayhorn Theater struggled with attendance and donations due to misconceptions about the neighborhood it is located in, and negative opinions about the type of art the theater supports. These struggles were further heightened once the pandemic began, as the theater could no longer hold live performances. Since the pandemic is still going, my team chose to focus on ways we could help the theater reinvent the way they put on productions.
We conducted extensive research throughout this project to gain a better understanding of how, when, and why people attend theater performances. We also researched how other theaters have used online measures to continue thriving during the pandemic. My team gained valuable data and insight through a wide variety of research practices, from interviews to think aloud sessions to experience prototyping. These research practices provided great insight to my team and helped us form a good solution / recommendation for the Kelly Strayhorn Theater.
Problem
The current pandemic has led to widespread theater shut downs, causing theaters to look for ways to increase theater involvement by using online, pandemic-compliant measures. My team sought out to answer the question. “How might we improve interaction between performers and audience members in both a virtual and hybrid landscape?”.
Research Methods
Goals
My team’s goal in conducting research was to gain a better understanding of theater attendees’ experiences attending shows, specifically ones that are interactive. Additionally, we aimed to learn about which aspects of theater particularly attracted or deterred theater attendees. We hoped to gain valuable insight into what makes a good interactive experience, from those who are passionate about theater.
Think Aloud Protocols
First, my team conducted Think Aloud protocols for the Quantum Theatre website. The Quantum Theatre, located in Pittsburgh, is a professional theater company that produces unique and non-traditional productions. Through the pandemic, they have embraced the use of interactive theater with an aim to move and connect with their audiences. We felt we would be able to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of interactive theater by studying the Quantum Theatre.
We encouraged participants to express their thoughts and opinions aloud as they navigated through the Quantum Theater’s website. A common theme the Think Aloud protocols revealed was that there was somewhat of a lack of interactivity in the theater’s production titled “Wild”. Additionally, participants were confused about how to interact with ‘Ok Odysseus’, an interactive audio experience that the theater offered. Evidence to support these findings was confirmed through both verbal and non-verbal participant feedback.
“Watch-Along” Interviews
Next, we chose to use a research method that we called “watch-along”. We had participants watch and engage with an interactive Netflix film, ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’, using the screen-sharing feature on Zoom. As stated, my team’s goal in conducting interviews was to learn more about how participants adapted to and engaged with interactive theater.
Throughout the process we asked participants questions about their experience watching the film, and encouraged them to share their thoughts and opinions with us.
Some of our questions included:
- Did you like having the ability to choose the outcome of the film? Why, or why not?
- What did you like about the interactive film? How does it compare to in-person theater?
- What did you dislike about the interactive film?
- Why might you prefer other platforms / methods of performance?
We held an Interpretation Session after conducting our interviews, to discuss our findings and generate further insight. We learned the following key pieces of information:
- Participants expressed that they often pay for multiple access points to online content. With this information, we can concluded that theaters could potentially choose from a variety of popular platforms when moving their shows online, without worrying about isolating a portion of their audience.
- Participants positively reported that the sudden prompts to determine the character’s story forced them to be focused and engaged with the show. Therefore, we concluded that incorporating interactivity and requiring audience participation can keep users more engaged in a show’s storyline.
- Our users felt the need to make the “right” choices for the character, and some commented that they felt emotionally connected to and responsible for the character’s story path. We learned that when the audience is asked to participate, they become immersed in the show and expect their interactions to have a significant impact on the plot or on the characters’ environment.
- Some participants noted that they felt pressured to make a choice and that they were uncomfortable with the given options. We concluded that theaters should provide a level of interactivity that allows for enough freedom of choice without restraint.
- Most participants noted that they still prefer live theater and do not believe an online replication can mimic the feeling of being in-person. These statements suggested that theaters should use these tools to capture the essence of the in-person experience while creating a new experience online.
Affinity Diagramming
Next, we compiled notes from our Interpretation Session and began Affinity Diagramming. Specifically, we grouped and labeled our notes based on similar themes and core ideas. In grouping this data, we formed a hierarchy and created structure within the information.
We gathered a variety of insight from our Affinity Diagramming session, ranging from the users’ thoughts about controlling the outcome of a film, to their opinions about interactive theater vs. live theater. A common theme we found was that while participants found the interactive film to be interesting and engaging, most felt that it could not truly replace the live theater experience.
Based on out data, we concluded that moving forward, we would focus less on recreating live theater in a virtual space, and more on transforming how the virtual space puts on productions.
Storyboarding + Speed Dating
Afterward, we held a Crazy 8’s session to brainstorm storyboard ideas. These storyboard scenarios portrayed ways in which we could help the Kelly Strayhorn Theater increase audience engagement and overall interest in the theater.
Previous research insights helped us conclude that when it comes to interactive theaters, audience members desired the following:
- More dynamic and meaningful interactions on social media.
- The ability to control the outcome of a show by voting.
- A way to request which productions they’d like to see at a theater.
- The ability to interact with theater on a more technological level.
- The ability to engage and interact with the actors of a show.
Using the Speed Dating method, we gathered users’ reactions to different storyboards / ideas for our solution. We learned the following key pieces of information:
- Participants liked the idea of a “community vote” (having a large group of people) decide on / request which show they would like to see.
- Participants liked the idea of being able to directly interact with actors and to also be a part of the show itself.
- Some participants were very intrigued at the thought of using immersive technology (AR, VR) with theater, while others were not interested in it at all due to prior negative experiences or to a lack of interest in interactivity.
- Some participants liked the idea of utilizing social media for theater, such as having the ability to view past or currently airing shows.
- Participants liked options that gave everyone a fair chance and felt like ideas that leave certain decisions to only one person or a small set of people were “unfair.”
Based off participant feedback and practicality, my team ultimately decided that the best storyboard was one that depicted an online, interactive theater experience. Specifically, the storyboard depicted an audience member interacting with actors and others audience members in a murder-mystery themed show.
Experience Prototyping
Based on our speed dating results, my team wanted to test if users could stay actively engaged in an online murder-mystery style show.
Specifically, our main goals included:
- Determining the best way to set up an environment that encourages positive interactions between audience members and actors
- Discovering if users are receptive to this method of interaction with a show.
We used Gather.town, a 2D digital space that allows users to interact with each other through video chat. Participants were representative of our target audience — students interested in theater. In our Gather.town space, participants could view pre-recorded videos. These videos represented ‘live actors’ in a show and aided the participants in figuring out who the murderer was.
The goal was to have our participants be actively involved as characters within the show. They could walk around the virtual space, hold meetings with fellow participants at tables, and investigate their counterparts. We intended for them to gather key information and piece together insights from these conversations, to help them solve the mystery.
Evidence
Our participants did not struggle to use Gather.town, and a majority felt the platform was interesting and unique. They remained attentive and engaged throughout the interactive experience, and liked being able to navigate through the virtual space, watch videos, and speak to actors and participants.
Some participants expressed wanting to know more about the storyline and who else was interviewed. Other participants felt pressured to figure out who the murderer was.
Participants made the following statements:
- “It’s fun. I felt like it was me that was the detective.”
- “It was very easy to navigate. The steps were also easy to go through.”
- “I like that Gather.town visualized a physical space.”
Implications / Solutions
My team created a Gather.town to facilitate audience-actor interaction in a virtual setting. We concluded that the Gather.town platform works well with events that involve audience interaction, as our execution of a murder mystery production was a success.
We recommend Kelly Strayhorn Theater adapt the use of virtual platforms like Gather.town, as it enables them to provide an online theater experience while keeping the actor-audience relationship.
Reflection / Next Steps
Moving forward, one change is having participants interview live actors from the Kelly Strayhorn, instead of watching pre-recorded videos. This way, participants will be given the opportunity to converse with actors as if they were chatting in the lobby after a show.
Additionally, my team could improve the experience by expanding the number of participants that are in a room at the same time. For research purposes, we did not typically have more than 3 participants in a room at once. Having a larger amount of participants in the Gather.town space will help to further recreate a typical theater experience, as participants will feel like they are part of a large audience at a show. Participants will also have more options regarding who they interview, speak to, and cooperate with to figure out the murder mystery.
With these new practices implemented, we believe the Kelly Strayhorn Theater will meet tremendous success in the near future.
Thank you!