In the contemporary design landscape, focus on average users can lead to neglecting the specific needs of niche communities and subcultures leading to uninformed designs. This could lead to missed opportunities, exclusion and an overall poor user experience. Thus, this paper aims at designing a research methodology to carve an identity for those niche communities. To assess the impact and effectiveness of the methodology, the cinephilia community has been chosen. Cinephilia refers to an intense passion for movies, movie theory, and movie criticism. Using cinephilia as a focal lens, we demonstrate the methodology in action. We conducted screening surveys and in-depth interviews to segment diverse audiences and navigate the threshold between cinephiles and movie enthusiasts. We delved into the factors that distinguish cinephiles from the larger cohort of movie enthusiasts. The research showed that evaluating movie consumption habits, cinema attendance, streaming service engagement, and genre exploration allows for an understanding of patterns within a cinephile’s identity. This exploration of cinema lovers helps gauge the potential of our methodology to catalyze the globalization of communities beyond that of cinephiles. The proposed design promises new dimensions of engagement thereby reinforcing inclusivity in diversity within our communities.