Majid's Digital Ecosystem
Reinventing F&B experiences across world-renowned malls
Client
End Client
Location
Building world-class experiences means nothing if the systems behind them can't keep up.
MAF already had powerful infrastructure in place—geolocation tracking, customer data, real-time signals. The opportunity wasn't to build from scratch, but to connect what existed and turn passive data into proactive experiences.
Research & Discovery
Stakeholder Interviews
The project moved from inception to execution within weeks. Working with Hiba, our lead project manager, we conducted rapid stakeholder interviews across all three product areas. Time was tight, so we cut straight to core insights — what would actually impress MAF leadership and solve real operational problems.
Innovation Workshops
We ran collaborative workshops with our creative team, the head of IT, and the director of technology. Designers need to sell, not just design — so we used artistic storyboards to articulate ideas visually. These sessions produced the concepts that shaped all three products.
Storyboards
Booking the Experience
After seeing an email about the new Bond film, Hiba books two VOX tickets through the app, assigning one to her sister Malak via her VOX Network. She selects aisle seats, adds a Bond Combo and cold drinks from her order history, pays with SHARE points, and chooses Counter #4 pickup. The app confirms her order will be prepared 15 minutes before the film.
Product Architecture
Building sitemaps allowed MAF executives to visualise each product from a systems perspective.
These weren't just information architecture diagrams — they demonstrated how we intended to bridge digital and physical experiences for both customers and staff.
Customer Facing Application
The vision was seamless integration between digital and physical. Every feature enhanced interactions identified during research and storyboarding.
The app creates a fluid journey — users move from ticket purchase to food ordering without backtracking. This simplifies the interface while strengthening the connection between app and cinema. We used immersive 3D elements as a design language, bridging digital and physical. The sense of presence begins before the customer arrives, building anticipation.
POS System
The POS system gives cinema staff real-time order management — from macro overviews to individual customer details — with data-driven upsell prompts built in.
The macro view organizes orders into horizontal layouts for general overviews and vertical for priority orders. Selecting an order opens the micro view with detailed customer information, enabling personalized service. Data modals surface ETA timelines, preparation timers, and upselling opportunities based on customer purchasing habits.
Orders List
Initial exploration of the orders interface in portrait orientation, focusing on hierarchy and information density for staff efficiency.
UI elements were applied with a clean, minimalistic, near-monochromatic style. Colour is used sparingly to highlight vital information for staff, cutting through visual noise.
Yield Management Dashboard
The Yield Management Tool drives repeat visits through personalised marketing — leveraging customer preferences and spending patterns to deliver targeted offers tied to movie releases.
The system spans three core areas: a home dashboard for quick insights and campaign creation, stock management with real-time forecasting, and concept builders for promotional campaigns linked to upcoming films.
Functional Areas
The home dashboard integrates with the POS system, featuring data modals for at-a-glance insights centred around forecast data. Stock management focuses on current trends and forecasting with intuitive interfaces that minimise clutter. Concept and menu development allows management to create promotional campaigns for upcoming releases — applying Hick's Law to streamline decision-making.
Design Approach
We adhered to a monochromatic style with strategic colour to maintain platform consistency and highlight critical data. Rapid prototyping tested various layouts for task completion, advancing the most effective designs through usability testing.
Data Modals
Data modals played a crucial role in both the POS and Yield Management Tool — providing multiple insights directly and reducing navigation across platform sections.
Modals surface expected visits versus capacity, most purchased items, online versus offline sales, customer surge forecasts, and staff performance data.
Scalability
Adding new data modals was streamlined, eliminating the need for continuous architecture management. This allows easy integration of additional modals as the product scales.
Interactivity & Clarity
All modals were designed to be interactive, offering layered data insights accessible to front-line staff and administrators. Considerable effort was invested in data visualisation to optimise readability and comprehension across the team.
Awards & Recognition
In 2022, Majid Al Futtaim was recognised at the MENA Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards — receiving seven gold and twelve silver awards.
As Lead UX Designer for F&B experiences, I collaborated with a world-class team to elevate the digital services that contributed to these accolades. The recognition reflects our collective commitment to innovation in retail and leisure.
majidalfuttaim.com/en/media-centre/press-releases
MENA Shopping Centre and Retailer Awards 2022