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During my internship at, I worked on redesigning the POS interface for Aashirvad Cinemas’ concession stands. Unlike the reporting app project, this was about creating a fast, single-screen system for cashiers working in high-pressure intervals. I collaborated closely with theatre staff to understand their pain points and mapped out flows that supported quick combos, stashing orders, and real-time stock updates. The final design aimed to simplify training, speed up transactions, and keep the experience smooth for both staff and moviegoers.

During my internship, I worked on redesigning the POS interface for Aashirvad Cinemas’ concession stands. Unlike the reporting app project, this focused on creating a fast, single-screen system for cashiers working in high-pressure intervals. I collaborated closely with theatre staff to understand their pain points and mapped flows for quick combos, stashing orders, and real-time stock updates. The final design aimed to simplify training, speed up transactions, and keep the experience smooth for both staff and moviegoers.

BACKGROUND

Aashirvad Cinemas owns multiple theatres across Kerala, where the existing POS systems at concession stands are outdated, cluttered, and difficult to navigate. Not only did this slow down transactions during peak rush hours, but it also made training new employees unnecessarily challenging.

Our task was to redesign the POS interface to be simple, fast and intuitive, ensuring that cashiers and staff could easily find items, process orders, and handle payments with minimal learning time. This project focused only on the concession stand POS (used on a tablet device) and not the separate admin dashboard.

Both the client and our team had feature requirements, and the challenge was to combine them all into a single, self-contained screen without requiring navigation to other tabs or pages. Designing within this constraint was tricky, but essential for speed and efficiency in a fast-paced theatre environment.

Aashirvad Cinemas owns multiple theatres across Kerala, where the existing POS systems at concession stands were outdated, cluttered, and hard to navigate. This slowed down transactions during peak hours and made training new employees unnecessarily difficult.

Our task was to redesign the POS interface to be simple, fast, and intuitive, so cashiers could easily find items, process orders, and handle payments with minimal learning time. This project focused only on the concession stand POS (tablet device), not the admin dashboard.

Both the client and our team had feature requirements, and the challenge was to combine them into a single, self-contained screen without needing to navigate to other pages. Designing within this constraint was tricky but essential for speed and efficiency in a fast-paced theatre environment.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Aashirvad Cinemas had previously experimented with the BookMyShow POS interface, but it did not meet their usability needs and lacked alignment with their workflows. As a result, they developed an in-house POS interface, which they have been using since. While this version was cleaner and easier to use, it was still a basic, stop-gap solution that lacked efficiency and speed. The team felt it was time for an upgrade, one that could streamline operations and better support staff in high-volume scenarios.

Aashirvad Cinemas had previously tried the BookMyShow POS interface, but it didn’t meet their usability needs or match their workflows. They then developed an in-house POS, which has been in use since. While it was cleaner and easier to use, it was still a basic, stop-gap solution that lacked efficiency and speed. The team felt it was time for an upgrade to streamline operations and better support staff during high-volume periods.

TARGET USERS

The primary users of the POS system are concession staff, everyone working at the concession stand except managers, who access inventory and broader operations through a separate dashboard. Concession stands operate in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment: customers typically purchase snacks either during the short interval between movie halves or just before the screening begins. This creates high-pressure moments where speed and efficiency are critical.

As a result, features enabling quick interactions, minimal navigation, and uninterrupted workflows became key priorities. For example, the ability to 'stash' an order while attending to another customer, categorize items into perishables, and account for preparation times for cooked items were all essential considerations in the redesign. The goal was to ensure the interface could support rapid, accurate transactions without slowing staff down, even during peak rush periods.

The primary users of the POS system are concession staff, everyone at the stand except managers, who use a separate dashboard for inventory and operations. Concession stands operate in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment, customers usually buy snacks during the short interval between the movie or just before the screening starts. This creates high-pressure moments where speed and efficiency are critical.

Features that allow quick interactions, minimal navigation, and uninterrupted workflows became key priorities. For example, the ability to stash an order while attending to another customer, categorize items into perishables, and account for preparation times for cooked items were all essential. The goal was for the interface to support rapid, accurate transactions without slowing staff, even during peak rush periods.

RESEARCH

Understanding the system, and more importantly, what a POS system actually does in the context of a theatre concession stand, took some time.

To bridge that gap, I spoke extensively with one of the theatre’s managers. We had long online conversations where he walked me through their current POS, shared screenshots and files, and explained their daily routines. He also pointed out specific needs, such as the ability to stash an order while serving another customer, or completing an inventory checklist at the end of each day. These calls stayed in constant contact with him throughout the design phase.

Beyond conversations, I studied how POS systems are structured in other industries to understand best practices for speed, accuracy, and usability. Mapping the user flows and information architecture early on became an essential step.

Understanding the system, and what a POS system does in a theatre concession stand, took some time. I spoke extensively with a theatre manager. We had long online conversations where he walked me through the current POS, shared screenshots and files, and explained daily routines. He also highlighted specific needs, like stashing an order while serving another customer or completing an inventory checklist at the end of the day. I stayed in constant contact with him throughout the design phase.

Beyond conversations, I studied how POS systems are structured in other industries to understand best practices for speed, accuracy, and usability. I also mapped the user flows and information.

architecture early on became an essential step.

PAIN POINTS

Both the BookMyShow POS and Aashirvad’s in-house POS system had their shortcomings, but each offered useful elements worth carrying forward. For example, BookMyShow’s colour-coding system made it easy to identify item categories at a glance, speeding up visual scanning. The in-house system, on the other hand, included images for each item, which also made navigating long lists much easier. It even had thoughtful touches like dedicated buttons for categories and the most frequently reordered items.

When redesigning, we also needed to address key operational needs specific to the concession stand environment:

Quick-select buttons for popular combos to speed up order entry.
Portion size selection (small, medium, large) in one tap.
Single-screen operation so cashiers never had to navigate away from the main order page.
Order stashing to temporarily hold an order while serving another customer.
Perishable categorization to prioritise items that take longer to prepare.
Integrated payment processing for cash, cards, and mobile payments.
Real-time stock tracking to avoid selling out-of-stock items.
Peak-hour identification to help with staffing and efficiency planning.

These observations and requirements became the foundation for our design, aiming to keep the interface fast, intuitive, and reliable in a high-pressure, time-sensitive setting.

Both the BookMyShow POS and Aashirvad’s in-house POS had shortcomings, but each offered useful elements. BookMyShow’s colour-coding made it easy to identify item categories at a glance, speeding up visual scanning. The in-house system included images for each item, making navigation of long lists easier. It also had thoughtful touches like dedicated buttons for categories and frequently reordered items.

When redesigning, we also needed to address key operational needs specific to the concession stand environment:

Quick-select buttons for popular combos to speed up order entry.
Portion size selection (small, medium, large) in one tap.
Single-screen operation so cashiers never had to navigate away from the main order page.
Order stashing to temporarily hold an order while serving another customer.
Perishable categorization to prioritise items that take longer to prepare.
Integrated payment processing for cash, cards, and mobile payments.
Real-time stock tracking to avoid selling out-of-stock items.
Peak-hour identification to help with staffing and efficiency planning.

These observations and requirements became the foundation for our design, aiming to keep the interface fast, intuitive, and reliable in a high-pressure, time-sensitive setting.

USER FLOWS AND INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE

The next phase focused on creating user flows and information architecture. After speaking with the theatre manager and gathering all the necessary details, I mapped out how the POS system should function from the cashier’s perspective. This included every step, from starting an order to completing payment, as well as all the special cases we needed to account for, like stashing orders or prioritising perishable items.

The next phase focused on creating user flows and information architecture. After speaking with the manager and gathering details, I mapped how the POS should function from the cashier’s perspective. This included every step, from starting an order to completing payment, as well as special cases like stashing orders or prioritizing perishable items.

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