The Long Journey of Film: User Research of Film lovers

In recent years, film has regained its fervor. More and more people are attracted to the unique colors and textures of film, and the overall market has expanded. Kodak has even recently announced a relaunch of its film business to accommodate the surging market demand.

As a film lover, I planned to record the scenery and people of Hong Kong on film at the beginning of my coming to Hong Kong for school. However, when I arrived in Hong Kong and started shooting on film, I found that there were many difficulties.

First, I didn’t know where to go to buy new film. Google Maps didn’t give me a clear-cut guide, so I had to go to Little Red Book to search first, and then to Google Maps to navigate the stores. But most of the time I still couldn’t know what kinds of film were available in the stores, so I had to go there in person. This problem also existed in the development of film. Secondly, when I’m not inspired, it’s hard to find the right place to shoot and there are no similar recommendations. When I want to know more about photographers’ works, I have to search on Instagram with keywords and then click into their homepage to check.

All these troubles make me think, I am so painful just as a film lover, what about people who take film photographers as their profession? After I talked to several local film photographers in Hong Kong, I realized that there lacks a collective platform for film service. Film photographers find it hard to compare the film price, locate nearby film stores, and even find other people who share the same hobby. Most of them look forward to services like discounts on film purchasing and development, route guidance, and online work exhibition.

So my persona is therefore divided into two parts: Professional film photographers with huge demand of film services, and film enthusiasts who buy and develop film on a regular basis. The future website I’m going to create will also cater to their needs.