Improving the Ticketing Experience
EvenTicket
Project Overview
Competitive AnalysisStory Boarding
Paper WireframesLo-Fi Wireframes
Design System
User Flow DiagramUser SurveysPersonas
User Journey Maps
Usability Study
Hi-Fi Prototype
Responsive Website Development
The Problem
Current ticketing apps don’t have an option of ticket organization when users first have access. This makes it overwhelming and stressful to try and purchase tickets to the newest event.
The Goal
Develop an improved user experience to purchase tickets and alleviate the stress when users are under the time crunch of fast selling tickets.
Roles
UX researcher and UX/UI designer
Duration
13 weeks
October 2022 - January 2023
Programs
Design Process
User interviews/research
Competitive audit
Personas
Empathy Map
Journey Map
Empathize
Define User Pain Points
Problem statement
Define
Sketching
User flow chart
Paper Wireframes
Ideate
Digital wireframes
Lo-fi mock-up
Hi-fi mock-up
Design
Online usability testing
Usability Scale
Test
Empathize
Concert Demographics
Ticketmaster sold 500 million tickets in 2022
84% of their sales were in the United States
Male and female users are split 50% by 50%
Age Distribution
Countires with the Most Site Traffic
Where Can You Buy Tickets?
There are various companies and options available for purchasing tickets. Ticketmaster, Livenation, AXS, and Seatgeek offer mobile apps and desktop sites for ticket purchases. Ticketleap and Whova, on the other hand, focus more on facilitating ticket sales for smaller events rather than large concerts, sports events, and performances. These platforms do not have desktop sites.
Ticketmaster User Journey
Waiting Room
While in the waiting room and queue, users are required to wait with not other options until they can proceed to ticketing.
Ticket & Seating Choice
The current page primarily uses text to visually link the ticket to the section and seat. This requires users to quickly read and click to find a seat. Although a map option is available, seat prices are not listed until they are selected.
Checkout
During checkout, users must read through add-ons and other information before they can complete their ticket booking.
“…I got into the queue for an event, got to the pick tickets page, picked 2 front row seats, hit next and the page just hung. I had to go through the entire process again lost the seats and the entire row. Ticketmaster's way of selling seats is unreliable”
Nathan (2023) ; ConsumerAffairs - Ticketmaster
“If you buy a ticket to an event, the payment posts instantly. You would not see your ticket, until 24-48 hours prior to the event "for security purposes,"… I paid for my event in Jan 2023. I will not get my tickets until September, 2023…Moving forward, I will not ever buy a ticket, unless it lands in my hand or in in my email instantly”
Lin (2023) ; ConsumerAffairs - SeatGeek
“I log onto Ticketmaster to purchase 2 tickets to an upcoming concert…When it comes to placing the order it says, you must log on to use express checkout payment method…I log back on and ‘Place Order’ and it tells me the same thing… and try again. Sign into my account and go to ‘Place Order’ still the same error…”
Hose18741 (2020) ; Apple App Store - Ticketmaster
Meet Melody
Age: 24
Education: College Graduate
Family: Single
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
Melody is an administrative assistant trying to enjoy an active personal life after college. She wants to attend shows featuring her favorite artists and events in LA with her friends. However, navigating different ticketing websites for the first time within a short timeframe has proven confusing and overwhelming. She seeks a streamlined experience that makes buying tickets less stressful.
“I’ve never had as much freedom as I do now and aiming to live my life to the fullest!”
Define
User Pain Points
Limited Time
Users often have limited time to organize and understand all the ticketing and seating information when purchasing new tickets for popular artists.
Finding the Right Ticket
Seating sections are only displayed in text on the specific ticket information, requiring users to click around the seating map to see the price of a specific ticket.
Payment Options
Users need to re-enter their payment information during checkout, and the checkout process does not utilize face ID or thumbprint scanning for confirmation and login.
Inaccessibility
Current ticketing sites have short time limits, lack proper accessibility for accessible seating, and require extensive scrolling for users relying on screen readers, which adds time for these users.
Ideate
User Flow
The overall user flow is based on existing ticketing sites to provide easy navigation for new users. However, it has been improved with the addition of ticket filter options while users are in the waiting room, ensuring that their most desired tickets appear at the top of the ticket selection when they are loaded.
Paper Wireframes
The wireframes focused on website layouts that could be easily scaled based on the user's device. Initial sketches were created for the home and ticketing pages, as these were the main pages of the site. The initial app sketches focused on the layout of the home page to establish the information hierarchy and generate multiple ideas quickly, leading to eventual digital prototypes.
Digital Wireframes
Digital wireframes were created for both the app and desktop site, focusing on the user journey for purchasing a ticket during a fan presale. The goal was to make the process as quick as possible since tickets sell out rapidly. Pre-applied filters were added as an option during the waiting room stage, allowing users to secure their desired tickets more efficiently. Payment options include Apple Pay, PayPal, or using a pre-saved card if the user is logged in. Add-ons, such as parking, can be purchased after the ticket is bought, allowing users to quickly secure tickets before reviewing additional information.
Test
Website User Testing
Confirmation Page
Two users requested a confirmation page, indicating that it was not clear that they had reached the final landing page. There was also confusion regarding the add-ons, highlighting the need for clarification on this page in the final design.
Too Much Information
Two users felt that the ticketing page with the cart displayed too much information at once, which was overwhelming when the page first loaded.
Site Navigation
All users found the current navigation to be similar enough to existing ticketing sites, making it easy for first-time users.
App User Testing
Not Able to Select Tickets
Three users found it difficult to select a specific ticket. Buttons or selection indicators need to be larger to facilitate easier actions.
Pre-Applied Filters
All users appreciated the pre-applied filter options while in the waiting room. This feature should be available for new shows, but not always for older shows.
Search Organization
All users utilized the search option to find a show, indicating the need to prioritize show search along with nearby and recommended options in the final design.
Accessibility Considerations
The organization, font choice, and font size were clear for all users. Going forward, colors need to have high contrast to adhere to accessibility considerations.
Design
EvenTicket Branding
The Eventicket branding incorporates bright, bold colors as accents against a dark background to guide users through the app/site without overwhelming them. Cooler light and dark colors with a dark blue are chosen for high contrast backgrounds, creating a less stressful environment. A simple sans-serif font is used for easy reading and to achieve a modern look for the app.
Home Page
Based on user feedback, the overall layout of the home page remained the same, with upcoming, recently searched, and favorite shows prominently displayed near the top. Users have quick access to their tickets.
Ticketing Page
Clear "add ticket" buttons have been added to each listing for easier ticket selection. Each ticket and section on the map is now color-coded. Ticket filters can still be edited, and users can toggle between "best seats" and "best price" among their filtered tickets.
Confirmation Page
Based on feedback, a larger "Congratulations!" message has been added to the confirmation landing page, along with the order number and cart total. Add-ons are now re-titled as "Forgot something?" to provide clarity on what they represent.
Accessibility Considerations
Text Hierarchy
Large headers have been implemented throughout the app for clear organization and navigation. These headers allow screen readers to navigate easily through the app's sections of information.
Color
High contrast colors and different color values are used for easy readability, particularly for users with low vision. Colors are also employed to label and organize tickets based on their section on the seat map.
Time Management
Pre-applied seat filters enable tickets to be automatically organized once users gain access to the ticketing page. This allows for quick transactions, even for new users. Add-ons are available after tickets are purchased, allowing users to secure tickets first and then focus on additional options.
Mobile App Prototype
Clink the link to the high fidelity prototype of the Eventicket app or scan the QR code to access it on your phone!
Desktop Prototype
Clink the link to the high fidelity prototype of the Eventicket site or scan the QR code to access it on your phone!
Takeaways
Impact
"I really like the streamlined design and how easy it was to navigate and filter options in the queue. it definitely would help a lot in the ticket buying process"
"I like the add-ons being after so as not to distract or take time away from the more time-sensitive process of getting the ticket confirmed"
What was learned
This project marked my first end-to-end website design experience. I have previous experience using XD, but through this project, I gained a deeper understanding of its component and design system features/functions. Additionally, I learned more about the overall process of sketching website ideas for desktop, tablet, and mobile interfaces.