Designing Dynamic Event Experience
Delivered a high-impact cultural event website and app in just 6 weeks, ensuring seamless engagement through event anticipation, live participation, and post-event connection.
Summary
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, a global annual summit, tasked our team with designing a webpage and companion app for the 2023 event. With just six weeks to deliver, we were faced with a website that lacked content and a crucial event program available only as a downloadable PDF. Our challenge was to create an engaging site that aligned with the summit’s theme, showcased the program dynamically, and provided a seamless experience for users.
Case Study | 5 min read
Designing Dynamic Event Experience
Problem
The project presented several critical challenges that we had to address:
Tight deadline: With only six weeks to deliver the website and app, we had little room for error or delays. Every step of the process had to be fast and efficient.
Outdated website: The existing website had only four basic pages and minimal content, leaving us with the task of turning this underwhelming platform into an engaging, interactive experience that reflected the summit’s global significance.
Static event program: The event program was initially provided only as a downloadable PDF, which was not user-friendly or interactive. Our challenge was to redesign this crucial feature into a more dynamic, engaging format that users could easily navigate.
Brand alignment: The website and app needed to align with the 2023 summit’s theme and reinforce its brand identity, which focused on the transformative power of culture.
Challenge
We faced several key obstacles throughout the project:
Time constraints: The tight six-week timeline meant we had to move quickly from planning to execution. Every design decision had to be made swiftly, and there was little time for revisions or delays.
Initial ambiguity: At the outset, we had limited information, and no official approval had been granted. This uncertainty meant we had to work with what we knew, making educated assumptions about the project’s scope while waiting for more concrete details.
Limited resources: Given the short timeline, we decided to use a white-label solution for the app to save development time. While this enabled faster progress, we still had to ensure that the app’s design and user experience aligned with the summit’s vision.
Cross-team collaboration: Effective coordination among the UX, UI, and Development teams was essential. Frequent communication and collaboration with external freelancers helped to address design gaps quickly, ensuring that the website and app came together cohesively.
Solution
To address these challenges and deliver a successful product, we implemented a series of strategic actions:
Proactive planning: We began designing the website and app structure even before receiving official project approval. This proactive approach helped us gain valuable time once the go-ahead came through, enabling us to make quicker progress on key elements like layout and functionality.
User-centered design: We redesigned the event program to be dynamic and interactive. This allowed users to engage with the schedule in a more user-friendly way and ensured that the content was both accessible and aligned with the summit’s messaging. Our designs kept user experience at the forefront, ensuring everything was easy to navigate and visually appealing.
Frequent feedback loops: To keep the project on track, we implemented daily design submissions for client approval. This allowed for quick feedback and real-time revisions, ensuring that we stayed aligned with the client’s vision and met their expectations without wasting valuable time.
Collaborative teamwork: We maximized the strengths of our in-house and freelance teams. Freelancers provided specialized support in areas like UI and wireframe design, while the in-house team focused on the overarching UX and information architecture. Regular brainstorming sessions ensured that we could address challenges as they arose, and the development team worked closely to ensure feasibility and smooth execution.
These steps allowed us to overcome the constraints and successfully deliver both a website and app that met the client's needs and enhanced the overall event experience. Despite the tight deadline, the final result was a polished, functional platform that showcased the Culture Summit’s commitment to transforming societies through culture.
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Process Snapshot
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