The goal of this project was to improve attendance rates at events by addressing the social anxieties that prevent people from attending.
Through research and interviews with real people, a unique event app was developed that incorporates an event buddy/group system, credit system, friend system, and customizable interaction options for organizers and participants.
The app provides a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages attendees to connect with others and attend events, making it easier for people to make friends and build connections in a new city.
It’s not out of expectation that the registration rate is significantly higher than the attending rate. But there’s definitely something we can do to encourage people and help them ease the social anxiety, because I also know how good it feels when I pushed myself out there, talking to new people and making friends.
A person just moved to a brand new city. What can she do to make friends? Going to events sounds like a good option. But let’s help her to make friends that way easier, so she’s more likely to find a better event and show up.
In a business language, let’s increase users conversion rate of registration to event attendees.
To ensure that this project was completed within a limited time frame, I created a detailed project plan that mapped out the steps and milestones. This plan served as a guide to help me stay organized and on track, ensuring that all tasks were completed efficiently and effectively.
There are already a lot of similar products on the market. So I started with an analysis of the main competitors to gain better understanding of what’s out there, and what have they done well or bad. I act like an actual user and became the spy in Facebook, Eventbrite, and Meetup.
After some experiment, I made summary board identifying likes, dislikes and action items, as I learn from them. The action items gave me guidance on what was working and what was not on an practical level very fast. I incorporated these features into my desgin. And not to my surprise, these action items were later proven effective in my usability tests.
| App | Likes | Dislikes | Action Items |
|---|---|---|---|
Meetup |
- RSVP can be added to the calendar directly. - The upcoming event is showing up on the main page on the top - Your Next Event - Upcoming event is showing up in multiple places on the main page, and on the personal page. |
- The link in the calendar is directing users to the event detail page (layout same as the registration page), not the link to the meeting. However, this might make more sense for onsite events. - There is no incentive or strong reminder for users to go to the event. If the user didn’t set up the calendar reminder, or the turn on the notification, he/she won’t get reminded. - On the registration success pop-up window, there are too many promos to claim/not claim. |
- RSVP can be added to the calendar directly. - The upcoming event is showing up in the main page on the top - Your Next Event. - Make the order complete page simple. |
Facebook Events |
- Social feature - users can see when their friends are going to an event and they can share events with friends on Facebook - Events can be added to the calendar directly Users will be notified with new posts about the events they are interested in or going |
- Event page is hard to find on Facebook - Tickets can not be bought on Facebook page |
- Social feature - users can see when their fiends are going to an event and they can share events with friends on Facebook - The events they are going should be on an obvious spot |
Eventbrite |
- Be able to add to the calendar when viewing the ticket/complete the order. - Ticket is a separate page from the event detail page. - Address can be opened in the map by clicking the link on the ticket. - Ticket can be saved as an image. |
- Save to Eventbrite calendar not working by default calendar. Users have to enable it in settings first. | - Be able to add to the calendar when viewing the ticket/completing the order. - Ticket is a separate page from the event detail page. - Address can be opened in the map by clicking the link on the ticket. |
After knowing what’s out there, I can then start research on my own.
To get myself familiar with the topic, personal experience is far from enough. I dive into the internet and query my browser of the questions I listed.
What are the reasons that people who say they will attend end up not? What are good incentives for people to attend events? What can possibly help people go to events? What are the features of competitors that are proven effective? How should we help people get over social anxieties?
Through my research, I found several effective strategies that event organizers can use to increase attendance, including creating clear agendas, providing reminders, offering social incentives, and encouraging engagement with attendees. I also explored the benefits of incorporating social touchpoints into event apps to help users overcome social anxieties and connect with others.
Overall, my secondary research helped to inform the development of the event app by identifying successful strategies used by competitors and providing insights into the motivations and behaviors of potential users.
It's always second-hand information until you actually talk to the users. To gain insights into the motivations and behaviors of potential users, I conducted interviews with five qualified individuals. My questions focused on their personal experiences of attending events and signing up for events online, as well as their experiences of moving to new places and the factors that made them feel more comfortable or hesitant in social situations.
I took a broad approach with my questioning, recognizing that insights could be gleaned from a wide range of experiences. Despite the diversity of perspectives among interviewees, I was able to identify common themes and patterns that informed the development of the event app.
After conducting the interviews, I created an affinity map to group my results and make them digestible. From there, I created an empathy map to better understand my users' needs and emotions when they go out and try to make friends.
I learned that:
I then built up my persona, Alexa.
Alexa is a 36-year-old woman who recently moved to New York City. She is a middle-class professional who is looking to make friends through her hobbies. Alexa has a caring and funny personality, but she tends to feel introverted and anxious when it comes to meeting new people in unfamiliar places.
With empathy for the user, I asked 6 "How might we" questions:
For each HMW question, I created a brainstorming session where I generated a variety of potential solutions to tackle each problem. I sketched out each idea in a visual format to help me better understand and communicate the concept.
HMW Questions
To connect the ideas generated from the HMW questions, I used user stories. Starting from the sign-in or account creation process, the user story moves on to finding the desired event, reviewing event details, checking friends and other participants, registering for the event, connecting with the organizer, posting, chatting, setting calendars, and reminders. After analyzing the user stories, I selected the ideas that I will apply to the app based on their relation to users's pain points, how well they addressed the HMW questions, and feasibility.
A few key features that emerged as crucial for the app include the ability to:
I made diagrams that detail the user flow based on the selected ideas. These diagrams were created with logical reasoning behind each design decision to ensure that the user's journey is smooth and intuitive.
After selecting the ideas to apply to the app, I began sketching screens for the various functions including logging in, the home screen, browsing events, event details, registering for events, viewing upcoming events, chatting with other participants, and the user profile. The sketches helped me generate a basic layout of the product.
I used these sketches to create wireframes that would serve as a blueprint for the visual design of the app. These wireframes helped me to determine the layout, hierarchy, and functionality of each screen, and ensured that the app would be intuitive and user-friendly.
After creating wireframes to the app, I conducted a round of usability testing with five partifipants. The goal of this testing was to ensure that the design of the app was easy to use and to avoid committing to designs too early.
Prior to the testing, I developed a test plan and test script, which included tasks tha focused on key features of the app, such as finding a event using search and filter, reviewing event details, interacting with other participants, and sharing events with friends.
The results of the testing were generally positive, but there were several action items that I identified to make the app more user-friendly. For example, the users love browsing but they would like to browse with provided keywords or categories. So I should assume users are "lazy" to think and provide more options upfront. And I have observed multiple failures of changing location on home screen. So I made the location feature more prominent.
Using these insights, I made the necessary changes to improve the design before conducting the next round of testing.
After receiving feedback and insights from my earlier usability test, I created a high-fidelity prototype based on the improved wireframes. I then conducted a second round of testing with more refined and detailed tasks for the users to mimic how they would actually use the app. For example, I asked them to find a sporting event that was happening within a week.
Based on the results, I identified action items for further improvements. These included fixing some unclear elements such as the "Clear Filter" button which was not obvious and inconsistent with the filters, as well as giving users more freedom in their search by adding a location filter.
After addressing the issues, I finalized the product. During testing, users expressed satisfaction with key features such as the clear layout of event details, the ability to see which friends are attending, engaging with other participants, having a companion through the event buddy system, and being able to check the vibe of the group.
Overall, the design decisions I made were validated through usability testing and feedback, leading to a final product that was user-friendly and met the needs of my target audience.
The solution to this problem is an event app that addresses the social anxieties that prevent people from attending events. This app features a unique set of tools, such as an event buddy/group system, credit system, friend system, and customizable interaction options for organizers and participants. These social touchpoints help to create a more supportive and inclusive environment for attendees, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone and connect with others.
By incorporating these innovative features, the app aims to increase the conversion rate of registration to actual attendance, making it easier for people to find events that align with their interests and connect with like-minded individuals. In this way, the app serves as a valuable resource for people looking to make friends and build connections in a new city.
The "See Who's Going" feature allows users to view a list of event attendees on the event detail page. It serves two purposes: users can join friends; users can view the list of other attendees to get a sense of the event's vibe and potentially connect with like-minded individuals.
In addition, users are also able to chat with the other participants prior to the event, or even make friends with them.
This feature not only provides a sense of community but also helps users gain better knowledge of the event.
The "See Who's Going" feature would increase user engagement and attendance rates, as it creates a sense of excitement and comfort for users attending an event.
A friend share with you a event? You say let's go!
The share feature allow users to easily share events within the app, increasing the likelihood of attendance with companions.
Users can view all the event details by clicking on the shared event.
Don't have any friend in the app? Don't worry about it.
The event buddy feature assigns a buddy based on preferences, encouraging participants to chat and build a connection before meeting at the event.
Yes, you will meet for the first time at the event, but you already have some bond there. Plus you can hold onto him if you feel a bit socially awkward at the beginning.
Group chat allows users to interact with other attendees, and organizers may also reach out to participants before the event.
These features provide users with a supportive and inclusive environment, making it easier to connect with others and enjoy the event.
The event detail page provides all the necessary information - time, location, participants, organizer, descriptions.
In addition, users can see comments from previous participants for reference before deciding to attend.
The app also recommend similar events to users at the end of the detail page.
The events can be found by recommendation or search & filter feature. The app allows the users to set up preferences of events, and the system learn from users' interest over time.
In the Explore page, users can also perform search easily. There are many filters that can be applied, including categories, time, online/offline, indoor/outdoor, and more.
Additional features were explored during the usability testing for future enhancement.
During the usability testing phase, I included a question about a potential credit system and asked users how they felt about it. The research shows that this gamification feature might keep the users motivated to do things in the app. I found that users responded very positively to the idea of earning credits for their actions within the app. In particular, users who enjoy collecting things seemed especially motivated by the prospect of earning credits.
A credit system could be a powerful incentive to encourage users to take actions that ultimately lead to more event attendance. For example, credits can be awarded to users who start a chat with their assigned event buddy. This would incentivize users to reach out to their buddy and start building a connection, which could ultimately lead to a higher likelihood of attending the event together.
In addition, the credit system could be expanded to include other actions, such as leaving a review for an event or sharing an event on social media. By rewarding users for these actions, the credit system would encourage users to engage more deeply with the app and its community, ultimately leading to a more vibrant and engaged user base.
Taking the interviews as example: not everyone has the whole experience of going to a event they signed up online. By thinking outside the box, I was able to explore potential ideas in many different ways, such as attending a game club event from a group chat or being convinced to go to an event by close friends. These insights were invaluable to me.
So jump out of the box, and always be prepared to be inspired by the people you talk to.
Plan gives a clear vision of the project. It was very helpful for me to refer to my plan when I felt a bit lost in the shuffle. It reminded me of the big goal.
However, things don’t always go as planned. Sometimes a new opportunity arises that could lead to great results, then I have to be willing to adjust the plan and and seize that opportunity.; if the time is too limited, there’s certain method that could save more time in order to meet deadlines.
Finding the balance between executing the plan 100% and being flexible can be challenging, but it's important to be open to new ideas and opportunities while keeping the big picture in mind.
