Studio Ghibli
Created a complimentary app to pair with an immersive railway experience for fans of a popular animation brand.
TL;DR
Transforming Studio Ghibli, an elder in animation, into a fresh, immersive experience for movie fans.
My Role
Researcher and App Developer
My Team
Walid Al-Tinawi, Experience Designer
Laura Farina, Experience Designer
My Research Tools
Digital ethnography into various online resources, secondary research into Studio Ghibli literature and stakeholder interviewing
Project Deliverables
An app to pair with the Studio Ghibli Enchanted Express.
See the full project breakdown below. ⬇️
The Problem
Studio Ghibli does not have an experience that is truly immersive.
The Solution
The Studio Ghibli Enchanted Express, a railway experience for the most dedicated fans of the iconic anime franchise.
The Context
In Studio Ghibli’s homeland, Japan, there are experiences related to the brand. However, they are disjointed and not cohesive.
My Design Tools
Figma
The Brand
Studio Ghibli is not just a fixture in the world of anime; it’s an icon. Created on June 15th, 1985, this brand rose to international fame in the early 2000s because of feature films such as Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service & Howl’s Moving Castle - all under the creative leadership of Hayao Miyazaki.
This animation studio also have a character who is emblematic of their creativity - Totoro!
The Ask
Create a new way for Studio Ghibli to make its animated magic come out of the screen for dedicated fans to experience in real life.
Research Findings
Our research objective was to understand which Studio Ghibli films and scenes fans love most.
1
Certain films were loved more than others. A majority of users preferred titles such as Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke
Survey: Three-question Studio Ghibli survey conducted in Fall 2023 among VCU Brandcenter students
Q1: Out of the 22 Studio Ghibli films, which are your favorite? Pick your top 3. This question received ten responses.
Q2: Out of the 22 Studio Ghibli films, which are your least favorite? Pick your top 3. This question received eight responses.
Q3: Do you have a favorite moment, and/or, scene from a Studio Ghibli film?
2
Studio Ghibli fans are not only attracted to specific films or parts of films because of their look or aesthetic. They like the overall ethos of Studio Ghibli films and how they make them feel.
3
In accordance with the brand’s origin, Japan is a Studio Ghibli hub. However the highest concentration of Studio Ghibli attractions is in Tokyo.
Studio Ghibli has a museum, the Ghibli Museum, which opened in October of 2001. This museum centers more on the technical side of animating, as opposed to being a sensory experience for Studio Ghibli fans.
Studio Ghibli has a theme park that covers 18 acres, which can be accessed by the Aichikyūhaku-kinen-kōen Station, a railway station at the park’s entrance.
Key Insight from Research
The Studio Ghibli experience for fans is decentralized, lacking a singular online to guide users through a single cohesive experience - especially in Studio Ghibli’s home, Japan.
Important User Experience & Product Considerations
The research collected revealed opportunities to create something Studio Ghibli fans haven’t seen before.
How can we prioritize the most beloved Studio Ghibli films?
How can the specific aspects of Studio Ghibli that fans like be more infused into an experience?
How can we make something that is more accessible to fans in Tokyo, Japan’s capital?
So, what can we create that would bring aspects of the Studio Ghibli film closer to fans in the real world in a manner that hasn’t been done?
The Studio Ghibli Enchanted Express, a train ride through Hakata to Shin-Osaka in the heart of Studio Ghibli’s home, Japan.
We designed the Studio Ghibli Enchanted Express, a railway experience set in the home of the brand, Japan, which has some of the fastest trains on earth. This train ride will be accompanied by an app, allowing the user to track their train ride and view the enchantment of the ride in a new way using their phones.
This ride is all day and takes fans through several different themed train cars, each styled after a different Studio Ghibli film. To pair with the train ride, we will have an app that fans can use to guide them through their train ride and take specialized photos during their enchanting experience.
The Ghibli Express App: Two Key Features
These screens emphasize the train ride through Japan on the Ghibli Express, also allowing for video effects in camera settings during the ride.
Version 2: Expanding Research for the Studio Ghibli Enchanted Express
In 2025, I will expand the research related to this project by establishing a research plan. The goal of this plan will be to see if my team’s initial findings regarding which films were the most popular were accurate and to test our solution with Studio Ghibli fans to see if this is something they might like.
Why This Works
A moving experience gave us the chance to show users a set of attractions in a short time. The minimalist nature of mobile application also allows users to integrate their phones into the experience without staying on their phone for the entire event.
Project Reflection
I enjoyed the initial phase of designing the app for this project because I had done so much research to understand the brand that I was designing this app for before I started. This project was worth all of the work that went into it.