Kinepolis Brussels · booking journey

Before and after: what we fixed to book a screening

We rebuilt the current site's journey, from the programme to the seat map, on real Heysel data collected on 11 October 2026: the same films, the same screens, the same showtimes. Four problems we ran into while booking, four fixes.

Open the prototype See the before and after

51 35

listings for 35 films: the current site creates one per language, the prototype one per film

~~120+~~ 5

checkboxes in today's filter, against 5 versions in plain words, each with its number of screenings

÷ 2

length of the cinema page on a phone, for the same Monday 12 October programme

seats picked by mistake while pinching to zoom, checked with simulated touch

The language filter

Before

In the Filter panel of the Films page, languages sit under "Experience", as raw codes and in duplicate: English and en, French and fr, Dutch and nl, nosubt. Nothing tells you whether you are filtering the film's language or the subtitles.

After

A Version section, in plain words and with the codes regulars look for: VF, VOSTFR, VOSTNL, NL, VO. Each option shows how many screenings it gives, and options with none are greyed out.

Today's Filter panel on a phone: the Experience section mixes 2D, English, fr, nl, LaserUltra, French, nosubt, IMAX W, Dutch, en — Before · kinepolis.be, Films page, filter (French site)

The prototype's filter drawer: a Version section with VF, VOSTFR, VOSTNL, NL and VO, each with its number of screenings — After · prototype, filters on a phone

VOSTFR, IMAX: one tap away

Before

The cinema page has no filter at all: a legend of 30 pictograms, then showtime cards to decode one by one. In the Films page filter, technologies are split across two sections: "IMAX3D" in one, "IMAX W", "70mm" and "LaserUltra" in the other. The Forgotten Island poster is in Dutch on the French page.

After

Filters live on the cinema page itself: version, experience, time, special screenings, genre. They combine, count the screenings, and the day bar shows how many are left each day with those choices. The link keeps the filters, so it can be sent to someone.

Today's legend of 30 pictograms and a film card where each showtime carries its own pictograms — Before · Kinepolis Brussels page

The prototype filtered on VOSTFR and IMAX: two films, three screenings, a count next to every filter — After · VOSTFR + IMAX, Tuesday 13 October

One film, one listing

Before

The ticketing system creates one listing per language: "L'Odyssée" and "The Odyssey" show up as two films, the English one without a poster. The same goes for Forgotten Island, Street Fighter, Whalefall and PAW Patrol: 51 listings for 35 films.

After

Versions are grouped under a single title, noted "Also listed as L'Odyssée". Showtimes are sorted by version, then by experience, and each time shows its screen, its end time and the seats left.

On today's site, L'Odyssée and The Odyssey one under the other as two different films, The Odyssey without a poster — Before · two listings for the same film

In the prototype, a single The Odyssey listing with French version and VOSTFR showtimes under the same poster — After · one listing, every version

The seat map on a phone

Before

The whole room is squeezed into the width of the screen: seats the size of a fingernail. To zoom in you pinch, and the fingers resting on the map pick seats along the way.

After

Only a clean tap picks a seat: pinching or dragging never selects anything. In the overview, the first tap enlarges the area. The best seats are suggested for the number of tickets, row numbers stay visible and a mini map shows where you are in the room.

Today's seat map on a phone: the whole of screen 10 in tiny seats under the zoom buttons — Before · screen 10, Heart of the Beast

The prototype's seat map: two Cosy seats suggested in row 08, seats large enough for a finger, numbered rows and a mini map — After · same screen, same showtime

Your turn to book

The prototype works on desktop and on a phone: programme, filters, seat map, tickets. Times, screens, versions and seat maps are those of Kinepolis Brussels.

Open the prototype