Omni
Decreasing Piracy Attempts in Theatres
Type
Mobile Application
Timeline
Sep 2022 – Dec 2022
Role
Product Designer
Contribution
Product Design, UI Design, UX Research, Branding
Project Overview
Omni was a speculative research initiative exploring how AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technology—specifically Wi-Fi-based sensors—could be applied to combat piracy in movie theatres. Designed as part of an academic and creative inquiry, the project aimed to understand how smart systems might proactively detect and deter unauthorized recording in real time while streamlining operations for theatre staff.

Although not intended for commercial deployment, the project emphasized feasibility, ethical considerations, and the evolving intersection of AI, physical spaces, and digital rights protection.
Research
User Interviews
I conducted interviews with theatre managers, floor staff, and industry experts to understand the real-world burden of piracy prevention.

Insights included:
• Manual monitoring is labor-intensive and often leads to staff burnout.
• Current systems lack a centralized way to track and review past incidents.
• Employees desire more proactive, tech-supported tools to reduce their workload.
Empathy Map
Based on my findings, I created an empathy map to gather and organize relevant information and better understand the user's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as a theater employee trying to combat piracy. In addition, this empathy map allowed me to develop a persona, which was used as a reference throughout the design decision-making process.
Persona
I conducted research on piracy trends and identified key demographics, motivations, and behaviors of employees. With this information, I developed a persona that represents a typical staff member, including their age, gender, occupation, and interests.
Ideation
After conducting research, I began brainstorming and developing concepts for Omni. I aimed to design a mobile application that would provide a proactive solution to piracy prevention while streamlining theatre operations and reducing the burden on employees.

I started by sketching out initial ideas on paper and exploring different approaches to the user interface and functionality. I then created wireframes of the most promising concepts, which allowed me to test and refine my ideas before investing too much time and resources into the design.
My initial concepts focused on features such as real-time monitoring of screenings, automated system responses to piracy attempts, and historical tracking of piracy attempts. I also explored features that would improve theatre operations, such as staff management tools and real-time data analytics.
Mid-Fidelity Mockup
I continued to refine the application's features by iterating on designs and applying feedback from colleagues, using sketching, wireframing, and user testing to create a solid foundation for the final design.
Design
Building on the insights gained from my research and ideation phases, I began designing the user interface and experience for Omni. I started by creating a visual design language for the application, including typography, color palettes, and iconography. The design language was influenced by the theatre industry, with a focus on bold and dramatic visuals.
High-Fidelity Mockups
Next, I created high-fidelity mockups of the application, which allowed me to refine the user interface and experience in detail.

Finally, I tested the mockups with a group of theatre employees, gathering feedback and making revisions as necessary. One of the critical design challenges I faced was balancing the need for a powerful and feature-rich application with simplicity and ease of use.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I created Omni, a mobile application that prevents real-time piracy attempts while managing theatre operations. My research, ideation, design, testing, and iteration phases helped me develop a practical and user-friendly application. 

Omni was recently nominated and awarded at the American Advertising Awards, receiving a Silver Addy in the App (Mobile or Web-based App) category and a Bronze Addy in the Digital Creative Technology category.
Project Overview
Omni is a mobile app designed to combat piracy in movie theatres using smart, AI-driven technology. The app empowers theatre staff to detect and prevent unauthorized recordings in real time, while also streamlining theatre operations and reducing the manual burden on employees.

Built with sustainability and scalability in mind, Omni’s neural network integration automates responses to piracy attempts and provides a data-backed record of incidents for long-term security planning.