Category:
UX Design & Research / Product Design
Client:
Personal Project / Case Study
Used Tools:
Figma, Framer, Cursor
Bring the magic of DVDs and Blu-Rays in an application that allows to rediscover the lost art of the Blu-Ray experience.
My Roles
Product Designer (UX & UI)
UX Researcher
Product Manager
Creative Director
Design System Architect
Team
One-man job.
Duration
1 month
What?
Pelicula is an app that allows users to buy and collect digital films and unlock an experience similar to a DVD or Blu-ray, reevaluating how we currently watch movies. Movie lovers want ownership, collectible value, and a richer experience beyond simply pressing play to watch movies.
Why this app?
This project actually began under the name “Steam 4 Movies”, where users would have access to collect any movie through a single platform, similar to Steam itself, but with movies. Later, it was conceived as a feasible application and eventually ended up as a possible solution to solve the problem of movie piracy in Europe.
Problems
Buying a movie online only gives a link, without valuing the purchase.
Movie pricing is inconsistent (€9–€14), the same value for one month of a streaming service.
Users easily switch subscription services without owning anything.
Piracy is more accessible than legally watching a movie, due to availability, quantity, and even quality.
There’s no modern digital equivalent for DVDs or Blu-rays.
Solutions
Download and keep movies forever, even if the platform closes.
Films priced between free and €9.99 (avg. €3.99).
No subscriptions. Use the platform for free and pay only for what you want to watch and build your own library.
Affordable and high-quality experience with added bonus content.
European focused catalog, localized pricing, and indie film access.
Mobile Screens
Desktop Screens
Research Results
The results of Pelicula's research revealed a clear user frustration with the current state of digital media and ownership: high prices, inconsistent catalogs, and a lack of extras that add value to the film.
92% of users
immediately resort to piracy when a movie isn't on their streaming service. While legal streaming is seen as more convenient (4/5), the "Price vs. Value" trade-off makes piracy the winner for casual viewing.
88% of users
do NOT buy or rent movies on straming platforms, 81% rated movie purchases as "too high" and 56% feel they don't truly "own" the movie.
56% of users
believe a digital movie should cost somewhere between €3 and €5.
Personas, perceived value tests, and behavioral analysis demonstrated that Pelicula's proposal fills a real gap between streaming and physical collecting. At the same time, we learned that negotiating with major studios represents an initial obstacle and that market entry should begin with independent distributors. These learnings now guide both product positioning and launch strategy.
Behavioral Analysis
It became clear that most users do not seek for legal options when they cannot find a digital film in a subscription service. Instead, they either turn to piracy or abandon the search entirely. This indicates that piracy is not primarily driven by unwillingness to pay, but by lack of availability and perceived unfair pricing. Users also demonstrated low engagement with existing digital purchase platforms, largely because ownership feels temporary and overpriced compared to subscription models.
Users want to watch films on demand, but only when the cost and experience feel justified. The data shows that when access is difficult or feels exploitative, users just choose illegal paths. Pelicula directly addresses this with one-time purchase and instant access with clear ownership and lower price, aligning with real behavioral patterns.
Perceived Value Testing
Here we tried to find how much users believe a digital movie should cost and what justify it's price. We showed some participants various price ranges. The strongest acceptance clustered around €3–€5 and €5–€10, while prices above €10 were widely rejected, especially when users already paid for streaming subscriptions (it's illogical to pay an extra fee for something you are already paying for). Current digital movie pricing (often €14–€19) is totally misaligned with consumer expectations.
Takeaways
What began as dissatisfaction with the business models of streaming services turned into a total devaluation of films through digital instant gratification. Pelicula was born out of the need, in the digital age, to have the right to access films and thus preserve them in a gallery specifically curated by the user. Legitimately owning what we pay for should be the norm, not the exception.
Personal Growth
This project also serves to demonstrate my skills in the area of UX and product design. Coming from a field more focused on motion and graphics, it serves to show the transfer of skills from one medium to another, while always maintaining attention to the visual aspect of design. I accept the criticism that Pelicula's design may be too standardized, but it is by solidifying the foundations that we can go further in exploring and experimenting with design itself.
