YAO | THE QUEER EVENT APP​
THE STORY:
YAO is an event platform that celebrates queer artistry, culture, and nightlife. It serves as a one-stop-shop for users to discover and attend LGBTQ+ events, while also functioning as a social hub that fosters connection and community through integrated forum and blogging features.
The reason I initiated this project is rooted in a personal challenge I have faced over time. As an individual of the community, I have often struggled to find queer events to attend, as they aren't always prominently advertised or easily accessible. As a UX designer, I saw an opportunity to address this issue by creating a centralized hub where our community can easily find inclusive and safe spaces to connect.
TIMELINE
Oct 2022 - Jan 2023
​
ROLE​
-
User Research
-
Information Architecture
-
Visual / UI Design
-
Prototyping
-
Usability Testing
The Villain 👾 (the problem)
​
There's a lack of platform for queer users to discover and attend inclusive events.
​
The Hero 🌟 (the solution)
​
Design an app dedicated to promoting queer events and community engagement.
DESIGN PROCESS​
Empathize
Analyze
Ideate
Prototype
Test
USER RESEARCH
My initial research includes upfront interviews with real potential users, and create empathy maps to understand what users are actually looking for and how might we design better to cater their needs.
​
​
Some of the key goals for this research includes:
​
1. To identify market gaps and unmet needs in the event app market
​
2. To identify the most important features and functionalities expected from users
​​​
3. To understand the importance of inclusiveness and how might we better design for targeted users
​
​
​
Participants Requirements:
To ensure an inclusive representation of users,
I've ensured to interview at least one individual
from each of the following diverse groups:
Gay male
Gay female
Non-Binary
Transgender
Below 18 of age
18 to 35 of age
36 to 65 of age
Above 65 of age
Interview Questionnaire
Let's get to know you
​
1: What is your age range?
​
2: How do you best identify yourself as?
​
3: Which city/town do you live in?
​
Let's talk about the app
​
4: How often do you search for events to attend in your city?
5: How often do you search for events to attend out of your city?
6: Which platform do you use when you searching for events?
7: What type of events interests you the most?
8: What are important features missing from current event apps?
9: What are the main challenges you face when searching for and attending events?
​
Let's dig a bit deeper
​
11. Can you tell me about your experiences (positive or negative) on attending events as a queer person?
12: Have you used any apps that is specifically cater to the LGBTQ+ community? If so, what was your experience like?
13: How can the app best support local queer communities and events, especially in smaller or less visible areas?
14: How important is the ability to network and connect with other queer users through the event app to you?
15. Finally, is there anything else you'd like to share or suggest to make this event app truly exceptional for queer users?
LET'S LOOK AT THE DATA RESULTS
How do you best identify yourself as?
What is your age range?
How often do you search for events to attend in your city?
What type of events interests you the most?
Once a week
33%
Music / Shows
29%
More than once a week
12%
Party / Nightlife
29%
Once every other week
21%
Health / Fitness activities
7%
Once a month
24%
Educational / Workshops
8%
Less than once a month
5%
Rarely
2%
I don't keep track
3%
Casual meetups
12%
Professional / Networking
11%
Other
4%
PAIN POINTS
Platform
Users experiences a lack of centralized platforms for browsing and discovering queer events
Expectation
Users are frustrated when events are not what
they expected when they attend in person
Comfortability
Users feel uncomfortable to openly be themselves in public spaces due to previous negative experiences
PERSONAS
STORY TIME
Let's take a closer look at Charlie's story as he settles into the new city and looking to make new friends so he doesn't have to spend his weekends alone.
Before the app
After the app
Mood Chart
Mood Chart
COMPETITIVE AUDIT
Our research shows that Eventbrite currently dominates the online event ticketing and management market. Facebook has also been mentioned as a potential competitor, but it is typically used for event sharing among friends rather than event discovery. Another prevalent way of discovering events is through personal connections, however, this may not be an option for individuals without established social networks or those visiting new cities.
Eventbrite
​
Market position: Leading player in the online event ticketing and management space.
​
Navigation: User-friendly interface, clear and concise ticket purchasing process.
​
Visual Design: The app boasts a bold color palette that creates a playful and energetic tone.
​
Branding: Strong branding that evokes a sense of excitement, vibrant, and friendly
​
Type: Indirect competitor
Though it offers similar services, it is not catered to the targeted audience
​
Market position: One of the largest social media platforms with decent presence in event space.
​
Navigation: The user flow less intuitive to users whom are not fimilar with the main app.
​
Visual Design: characterized by its iconic blue logo that creates a clean, simple, and friendly tone.
​
Branding: Strong branding that evokes a sense of innovation, advancement, and conversational.
​
Type: Indirect competitor
Though it serves a universal range of users, the event market isn't its primary function.
The competitive analysis reveals that while Eventbrite provides comparable services, it does not cater to the LGBTQ+ community. On the other hand, Facebook's primary function is not event management. Currently, there is no major direct competitors for YAO. Our research indicates that there is a high demand for a queer-focused event app, making YAO highly feasible
USER FLOW MAP
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
IDEATION
I began sketching out preliminary key frames using paper wireframes to ideate some conceptual design solutions.
LO-FI WIREFRAMES
I then transformed my sketches into digital wireframes working in Adobe XD.
USER TESTING
I gathered the same participants from my research phase to perform the first round of usability testing. The goal is to measure the tasks completion rate and how much time spent on each task.
​
Task 1: Purchase a ticket in the event app from homepage
​
Task 2: Head to YAO daily and read one of their blog post
​
Task 3: Head to the forum and leave a comment on one of the post
Time measurements are recorded in seconds
REFINED PROTOTYPE
The app's primary colour palette is exclusively black and white, creating an edgy and contemporary feeling. Colors will be dynamically blended in throughout the app's content.
HOME SCREEN
Going for a trendy vibe on the home screen to excite users while helping them easily find their next destination.
EVENTS
Browse events that can be filtered by location, categories, and date.
EVENT DETAILS
Get all the event details and description before entering the ticketing process
FORUM
This is where users can make/view posts and connect with each other.
WHAT'S NEXT?
1. Develop more sub-functions and features that is currently not available including:
-
inbox feature
-
persona customization
-
better event filtering
​​
2. Conduct another round of usability testing and refine the app
3. Engage in collaborate with back-end developers to bring the app to life
CONCLUSION
There is currently a significant demand gap in the market for a centralized event management platform to our LGBTQ+ community. Through comprehensive user research and design iterations, the final product not only met the user's needs and expectations but also offered a unique and user-friendly experience. The success of the app highlights the importance of empathy and a user-centered design approach in creating effective solutions.