Upped Events
Modernize the event experience
Products
Upped Attendee app, Upped Events portal
Year
2021
Responsibilities
Worked with the founding product team to define use cases and flows, and led the overall visual and interaction design of the new mobile attendee app from scratch.
Role
Product Designer working directly with CPO & Eng.
Background
For the smaller events
You’ve probably been to a concert, conference, or live event and noticed it too. The energy on stage is high, but the logistics behind the scenes often feel outdated and disconnected. In an industry built around live experiences, the tools that support them haven’t kept up. The attendee app is designed to change that. More than just a mobile ticket, it serves as the digital front door to the event. It’s also part of a no-code platform that empowers small and medium-sized events, a segment often overlooked, to engage their audiences more effectively through richer data and streamlined communication.
Feature #1
Map
“Where is ...”
“I walked past ...”
“How do I ...”
Before designing my first feature, I took it upon myself to interview 5 people about their past experiences at events. I learned that maps, digital or physical, are most helpful when they allow users to navigate the event, plan their experience, and access detailed information about specific locations.
The in-app map supports these goals through pathing, search capabilities, and interactive cards that show relevant information and actions associated with a place.
On the platform side, mapping is an existing feature that event planners already love. Throughout the project, my role involved understanding the capabilities and limitations of the Web Portal and designing solutions that work within and extend its framework.
When designing location cards, a vertical list view was initially selected due to its familiarity. However, upon further user testing, I uncovered that those who preferred the vertical list had a different mental model and were more interested in the details of the locations. In other words, what they were trying to achieve would be better served through our in-app ordering/shopping/scheduling features. On the contrary, people who preferred a horizontal list tended to make heavy use of the map.
After validating my hypothesis with more tests, we decided to use a horizontal scrolling list for places so that maximum map area is preserved for attendees who rely on it.
Exploring interaction patterns for location cards.
In addition, we separated locations into interactive ones (food, stage, etc.) that can host activities and static ones (bathroom, info, etc.) that can't. I used the same UI pattern to ensure a consistent navigation experience.
Accounting for different types of places at an event.
Feature #2
Schedule
Schedule makes it easy for attendees to view the event agenda and session details before or during the event. They can also favorite sessions or create their own personal lineup. Events can get hectic! To make sure attendees don't miss out on their favorite shows, we send out notifications for sessions on their schedule and highlight a change in location when they might need to get to different stages in a short time.
The biggest challenge in displaying sessions lies in structuring all the information for easy usability. While a grid view is common for larger screen displays, it doesn't translate well to mobile devices, particularly for events such as beer festivals where attendees are likely to be tipsy. To address this, I used sticky scrolling to establish vertical hierarchy and streamline the viewing experience for users. The sticky header disappears when not needed, and date information automatically updates based on the scroll position.
Here’s what that looks like in motion. Prototypes were created to simulate the experience, allowing the product team to align on the solution, refine the flow collaboratively, and streamline handoff for developers.
Switching between B2C and B2B
I also worked on the corresponding modules in the Web Portal (think of it as the CMS for the attendee app) to extend its capabilities to support these app features. My focus was on ensuring that the system is easy enough to navigate for event owners and planners, yet robust enough to be customized and monetized.
Designed a configurable home page, called the “Hub,” and supporting features in the Web Portal to enable event marketers to tailor the attendee experience and manage ad placements to drive revenue.
Growing together
Being a super early-stage startup, lots of territories had yet to be charted. Besides leading the designs, I was heavily involved in product discussions and helped the team develop and prioritize feature sets. I also took initiative in building a design culture: introducing design critiques, running usability tests, and advocating for design to join client meetings to better understand user pain points firsthand.
Wireframes to turn abstract product features into more defined user stories and a clearer vision of the final solution.