Movie Tickets are one of those items that no one really pays a lot of attention to. They have a fairly short life span if you think about it. But that doesn’t take away their need, especially the relevance of the various details over them. They have a variety of information to present to different people under varying circumstances. These people primarily comprise of two groups only: the Customer and the Theater Staff. The relevant details to each vary at different scenarios. Let’s have a closer look at some of the key scenarios:

* Situation1: At the counter, customer buying the ticket. 

Customer:

Is it the correct Movie? - Movie Name

Am I (or the Kids) eligible? - Viewership Rating

Is it for the correct day and time? - Show Date & Time

How much do I have to Pay? - Price

Cinema Staff:

None (since details are checked on the computer before printing the ticket).

* Situation 2: Customer has bought the tickets, but not entered the Cinema as yet.

Customer:

When is my show? - Show Time (the Day/Date is usually the same or known)

Cinema Staff: 

N.A.

* Situation 3: Customer entering the Cinema, getting the ticket checked.

Customer: 

Which way is my Screen? - Screen No.

Cinema Staff:

Is it the right time for him/her to enter? - Show Date & Time

Is this person eligible for this movie? - Viewership Rating

Which way is the Screen? - Screen No.

* Situation 4: Customer entering the particular Hall, to be seated.

Customer:

Where do I sit? - Seat No.

Cinema Staff:

Is this person in the right screen? - Screen No./Movie Name

Where is he/she supposed to sit? - Seat No.

———————————————————————————————————

If we look carefully, we can arrive at certain inferences:

- Show Time, Screen No. and Seat No. are the most important details (repeatedly checked or critical).

- The Show Date, Movie Name and Viewership Rating come next (checked maybe just once or so and/or usually remembered).

- Price is of least importance among them (rarely seen once paid).

Looking at the same details from the perspective of grouping:

- Show Date & Time, as well as Screen & Seat No. should be logically placed together.

- Specifically from the Customer’s perspective: Movie Name, Viewership Rating, Show Date, Show Time and Price are important before entering the cinema, while Screen No. and Seat No. become key once inside.

———————————————————————————————————

Considering the above mentioned inputs, shown below is a sample design that in my opinion could be a better way of presenting information (Please note it represents a sample only from an Information Architecture/Layout perspective; a lot of visual exploration can further be carried out). 

A vertical and left-aligned display aids scanning and findability. Key details have been indicated using a bigger font size and made bold. There is a clear distinction between information that holds relevance for customers before and after entering the cinema. Viewership Rating has been emphasized through colour, as an alert, only when needed (adults only).

Shown below are some of the currently available tickets of cinemas that I managed to find around. Though none of the information is missing, it is fairly apparent that the required emphasis on the important details as well a relevant structure is missing here (even if we ignore the clutter around).