Modular event app.
A new product configuration and revenue stream
Redesign of a highly customised event platform into a modular, scalable product to support diverse client needs while reducing setup time and cost. Through focused research, design system development, and collaborative iteration, we delivered a flexible event app that balanced brand personalisation with streamlined setup.
50%
Reduction in set up time
15%
Increase in annual licences
New
Clients and partners won
Challenge.
An events company with a highly customisable web app wanted to create a new, scalable product. Their existing platform required significant time and investment for setup. The goal was to retain popular features while reducing build time and cost.
My role
Lead product designer, Project manager
Success criteria
- Admins set up events in under a day
- Participants easily navigate and engage with event content
- Leads to increased licenses and revenue
Solution.
We created a modular online event solution featuring:
- Streamlined setup for cost efficiency
- Flexible environment with configurable widgets and pages
- Admin area for user management and reporting
- Brand-able elements to give each event it’s own visual identity
- Everything in one place for users - easy to navigate, clear, flexible sign posting
- Easily accessible resources, agendas and speaker bios
- Interactive features (surveys, polls, discussion boards)
Project delivery.
Defining objectives.
Working with stakeholders and project sponsors to define what a scalable event product could look like. We delivered a product vision based on real usage patterns from previous events and created a set of requirements that gained alignment across business and clients.
Project Highlight
Designed the research plan to surface both functional gaps and hidden strengths in the legacy platform, informing a more focused MVP.
Participant & producer insights.
Mapped the needs of both participants and producers through surveys and focus groups. Defined two core personas and scoped the product to balance ease of use with flexibility, catering to both casual participants and power users. Identified priority features and focused designs around the most valuable and time-saving tools.
Usability testing.
Observed event producers setting up events, noting their frustrations with complex admin panels. These observations informed our design priorities, emphasising simplicity and efficiency.
What were we solving?
Key problems from the original product
- The main graphic interface requires too much design and configuration
- Admin area had unclear labelling and no guidance
- Setting the theme and navigation was overwhelming and lacked visual feedback
Who were we solving for?
Core user personas
- Event participant: Varying engagement levels from highly active to passive. Often have busy schedules and differing levels of tech literacy.
- Event producers: Need for fast setup and last minute changes. Needs a toolkit of easily customisable features and branding.
Key leadership moment
Prioritised features based on user impact and feasibility, balancing usability with practical constraints. Transformed research insights into actionable design priorities with a lean team and limited access to research participants.
Designing the framework.
Early wireframes were rapidly refined. We widened the navigation for better clarity, and restructured the page layout to ensure all widgets allowed for easy repositioning. These changes created a system that could scale across event types while feeling simple to set up.
Decisions based on testing.
Wireframing flows revealed constraints early, such as the original navigation concept which proved too narrow to support the scoped features. This led to a redesigned, more spacious pattern that improved usability and scalability.
Building for branding & flexibility.
The UI was designed to give clients control of branding and layout. Editable navigation and layouts allowed for producers to select and configure widgets, manage playlists and banners, and adapt homepages to focus messaging.
Creating a flexible system.
The new design system replaced outdated patterns, balancing branding flexibility with visual consistency. Introducing scalable components, an adaptable colour system, and reusable page structures.
Key leadership moment
In the original product, inconsistent UI components and lack of long-term prioritisation for design systems slowed development. I led the creation of a scalable, developer-friendly design system. Collaborating with engineers, we improved consistency and accelerated delivery.
System at scale.
Flexible page templates supported dynamic content for resources, user and speaker profiles, and live agendas with dynamic tools for real-time interaction.
Testing & feedback.
Testing real-world scenarios.
Task-based testing with event producers surfaced key usability challenges and revealed where clearer onboarding, contextual guidance, and UI microcopy were needed to support self-service setup.
Example prototype before feedback
Example improved prototype
Project Highlight
Used testing insights to influence product guidance and onboarding strategy ensuring clarity for first-time users and efficiency for returning producers.
Iterations based on feedback.
Improvements such as tooltips, clearer calls to action, contextual visuals, and setup guidance for widgets and pages significantly improved user comprehension and reduced setup friction.
Key leadership moment
With minimal backing, access to test participants, and testing tools, I tested design decisions in a fast and focussed process and advocated the importance of validating designs in real-world scenarios.
Full participant prototype.
The full participant experience was prototyped to support stakeholder and client reviews.
Launch & impact.
Supporting development & delivery.
All user flows and component interactions were documented. I collaborated closely with developers and QA testers throughout sprints clarifying behaviours, adapting designs as edge cases emerged, and validating final implementations.
Pre-launch testing.
An internal workshop, designed to be fun and engaging, doubled as a usability test. Teams competed to build themed events, offering real-time feedback and fostering internal excitement about the product.
Project Highlight
Delivered measurable impact with pilot clients, doubling setup speed and enabling scalable event delivery with consistent user experiences.
Pilot events.
The app was then piloted with a global pharmaceutical client, where setup time was cut in half compared to the previous platform. Events were easily duplicated and adapted for ongoing series, enabling faster delivery, smoother participant experiences, and scalable use across multiple programs.
Key Contributions
- Led the design and delivery of a modular, scalable event platform
- Planned and executed research to prioritise real-world producer workflows
- Developed a brand-ready design system to support repeatable event experiences
- Translated usability feedback into product guidance improvements
- Delivered successful pilot outcomes with measurable speed and quality gains
Key metrics
50%
Reduction in set up time
15%
Increase in annual licences
New
Clients and partners won
