A Trusted Ticket Exchange Platform
A fraud-free ticket resale platform designed to build trust, security, and transparency within the EDM community.
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Project Type
Case Study
Timeframe
Sept -Nov 2024
Industry
Events/Entertainment
Research
Uncovering key pain points and trust barriers in online ticket exchanges within the electronic dance music community
Background
The electronic dance music community faces a worldwide growing challenge with ticket fraud and scalping, where scammers and bots exploit social media platforms to target unsuspecting fans. This not only creates financial loss but also robs fans of the chance to attend their favourite events, causing frustration and mistrust within the community
The Problem
Event attendees often fall victim to scams during ticket transfers, resulting in financial losses, missed experiences, and mistrust in transactions
The Vision
SafeSpace reduces scams by verifying transactions to ensure a seamless and
worry-free ticketing experience
What are other platforms doing right? … and wrong?
SWOT Analysis
Who We’re Designing For
I’ve created two main users that SafeSpace would be tailored towards. Although slightly different personas, they share one goal: to fully immerse themselves in the event experience without the fear of ticket scams or fraud
A Google Form survey was created and shared with members of the Toronto Rave Community Facebook Group, including local DJs, event organizers, event attendees and friends. 11 responses were collected which offered valuable insights into the most significant pain points and unmet needs within this niche
The survey initially explored broader topics such as event discovery and community engagement (areas I was interested in pursuing at first). However, a clear pattern emerged: respondents consistently emphasized frustrations around ticket transfers.
This insight led me to pivot the project’s direction toward solving this more pressing and high-impact problem.
User Surveys
Ticket-related difficulties (6/11) emerged as the top pain point for EDM fans when it comes to finding and attending events
While artist lineup is the main motivator, venue (5/11) and ticket price (5/11) are significant factors influencing event attendance
Scammers and fraud are a consistent complaint when it comes to using existing ticketing platforms and social media
User Interviews
To gain more insight on the ticket transfer dilemma, I conducted open-ended remote interviews with 11 event goers within the community, gathering more insights around ticketing challenges and emotional experiences. My top findings included:
The main pain points identified were ticket fraud & difficulties with ticket transfers, primarily occurring in WhatsApp group chats. Participants frequently encounter scams and counterfeit tickets, highlighting the need for a secure ticket transfer platform
What Event Goers Are Saying
Let’s put it in a story…
To put this research into some context, I visualized two main situations in which SafeSpace could be used by the user
Scenario 1: THE BUYER" Jen had last minute plans to attend a show, however it is now sold out. She pulls out her new SafeSpace app, verifies her profile and joins her local community group. She finds someone selling a ticket, and seamlessly makes a transfer with a verified user. She successfully secures her ticket and is now excited to attend!
Scenario 2: THE SELLER: Gordon spent $150 on a ticket to a show that he can no longer attend, as he travels for work quite frequently. He needs to sell his ticket, so he he finds the new platform through a quick Google search, creates a verified profile and puts the ticket up for grabs. Someone bought his ticket and he successfully got his money back while also joining a local community chat that he can now connect with in the future
Define
Synthesizing user insights into an actionable HMW statement focused on eliminating ticket scams
Turning Problems into Solutions
I conducted a brainstorming activity starting from my core problem statement to help me develop an impactful HMW statement. Breaking the process into steps allowed me to analyze the problem in depth and incrementally refine potential solutions. The goal was to ensure the HMW statement was not only specific but also actionable, to serve as a strong foundation for ideation
How might we eliminate the risk of ticket scams in the buy/resale process to create a secure and safe place for event-goers?
Ideate
Applying the DVF framework to prioritize verification features and mapping user flows for seamless experiences
What AI features do we prioritize?
There is a need for safe and trusted transactions within the community, but where do we start?! With a flood of ideas and endless possibilities, the most strategic approach was to apply the DVF Framework. By evaluating the 3 key pillars of a successful product—desirability, viability, and feasibility—I identified which features would have the most significant impact
User Flows
Let’s walk through a first-time user’s journey with SafeSpace…
Wireframe Time!
Sketching unlocks creative insights
While the main focus of this project is account creation and verification flow, I lightly explored the buy and sell flows to provide broader context and align with my overall vision for the app
These sketches served as the foundation for refining and iterating the design
Low Fidelity Wireframes 📝
Low-fidelity: sign-up and account creation
Low-fidelity: posting a ticket listing (buy)
Low-fidelity: posting a ticket listing (sell)
Medium Fidelity Wireframes 📝
After exploring multiple screens, I narrowed my focus to design for what’s currently my top priority (the app’s primary value proposition):
Creating a verified account where the face scan matches the uploaded government-issued ID(s)
Design
Designing account verification flow with ID upload and face scan for trusted transactions
User Testing 👥
After conducting testing on 9 users and gathering insightful feedback, I decided to make the following minor changes:
Polishing
High Fidelity Screens
Usability Testing
Testing with 9 users to evaluate the efficiency and ease of SafeSpace's account verification process
What the results tell us…
Users were guided through two key steps of the flow:
User Task Success Metrics
88%
of users felt confident in account security measures
77%
of users successfully created a verified account
88%
of users rate the sign up process as easy
Iterations
The 33% error rate observed in the graph above during user testing was relatively low but highlighted opportunities to enhance the account creation process for a more seamless and intuitive experience. Most missteps occurred on the Face Scan and ID upload screens due to insufficient user feedback
To address this, I introduced real-time guidance during the ID and face scans, shown in the mockup below. These small but impactful additions are designed to reduce error and provide users with feedback for a smoother, more confident verification process
Prototype
Building an interactive prototype demonstrating the complete verification experience
Safe Space in action
Walk through of the polished account creation flow with iterations and revisions
What’s next for the design of Safe Space?
Now that the main user flow is tackled, I’ve briefly envisioned future design directions to continue building on SafeSpace’s mission
Here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come…
User needs should always guide design decisions
This project was a reminder that design is never linear. What started as a concept for a community-based EDM app with event reviews evolved into something completely different once I began my research.
Through surveys and interviews, I discovered the real frustration wasn’t event discovery — it was ticketing. Users were struggling with scams, unsafe transfers, and lack of trust. That insight completely shifted my direction toward solving the problem that mattered most.
By embracing the back-and-forth nature of UX design (jumping between research, ideation, and testing ), I learned how crucial it is to stay flexible and prioritize real user needs. Pivoting early allowed me to create a solution that could truly make a difference for event-goers.
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