KerryKey website
KerryKey is a project I did as part of a Uxcel Design Brief called "Search & Booking Design for Entertainment Platform". I created a platform for County Kerry, Ireland, to bring together locals and tourists by showcasing everything from sports events and cultural festivals to workshops and nature tours. With integrations like Google Maps, Facebook, and Ticketmaster, it’s designed to make event discovery and booking seamless.
Research
As designers, it’s crucial to create products that address the needs of real users, rather than relying on assumptions. To ensure a user-centered approach, I first conducted a few different types of research.
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Creating user personas at the very start of the project is a great way to ensure that you keep real users in mind. Diverse users of all different backgrounds and skill levels. We don't develop products for designers, we develop them for real people.
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I conducted competitor research to identify market gaps and opportunities while analyzing what competitors are doing well and where they’re falling short. Both direct and indirect competitors should be looked at.
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Conducting user research before deciding on the features of the website and beginning the design process is crucial. This will ensure that the platform solves an actual user need and we don’t miss any important insights. I conducted user research via a survey form, which was sent out to a diverse group of both Kerry locals and visitors.
Branding
Even though this is not a branding task, we know that the Aesthetic-Usability Effect Law of UX states that users often perceive aesthetically pleasing design as design that’s more usable.
Functions
We must select the functions that are needed in the platform, in order to create an intuitive information architecture and ensure all the user needs are met.
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See event price, choose between ticket types, use different methods of payment, receive ticket and confirmation.
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Connect with friends, connect social media accounts, share events, invite to events, see what events friends are attending.
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Filter events by location, type, price, date, sort events, see event information, save events.
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Log in, log out, create account, delete account, edit personal info, change settings.
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Add events, edit events, delete events, answer support queries.
Wireframes
Once we have a good blueprint for the functions and information architecture of our platform, we can start creating wireframes. I prefer beginning with some free-hand sketches to come up with different ideas and to avoid being stuck on one initial thought.
The goal here is not to come up with a concrete structure of the site, but rather to ideate and explore different options for layouts.
UI kit
The first step of building the user interface is selecting our building blocks - the elements of which the interface will consist of. The proper term for this is the UI kit! This will allow me to arrange elements such as buttons, inputs and cards, while keeping a consistency throughout the system. A broad and detailed UI kit will include all possible states of each element.
Desktop interface
Designed to showcase a variety of events while letting users easily refine options to match their interests - functional, flexible, and visually clean to keep the focus on discovery.
Home page
I wanted the home page to have a striking above-the-fold design that is also functional. As the user scrolls down, they are presented various ways of discovering events.
Event page
Effective hierarchy highlights key information first, while features like the weather forecast, ticket count, and interactive map enhance trust and satisfaction.
Booking process
Only essential details are collected to keep the process quick. A progress wizard and help button ensure clarity and prevent booking abandonment.
Booking confirmation
Here it's crucial not to leave the user feeling abandoned. We keep them engaged with options to share the event or explore similar events to keep the momentum going.
Mobile interface
Clean and flexible. The design uses progressive disclosure to stay intuitive, making browsing and booking seamless, even on the go. The layout keeps navigation straightforward without overwhelming the screen
Home page
This tricky amount of content can be simplified by progressive disclosure and hiding excessive details, without losing the crucial functions and effective navigation.
Event page
Key features and info are easy to access at the top, above the fold, while the bottom of the page keeps users engaged, even if they lose interest in the selected event.
Booking process
For this important step in the user journey, I am stripping away all unnecessary distractions. The form is easily manageable and clear, while maintaining full control.
Booking confirmation
Keeping the UI clean, informative and sophisticated, but also motivating the user to continue browsing events.