← All work The Theater Geek · E-commerce · Mobile app

Cheaper Broadway tickets, paid for by community.

Broadway tickets are expensive, and the apps that sell them add fees on top. The Theater Geek is a ticketing app I designed end to end, where an engaged community of theater fans is what brings prices down.

Role

UX design

Year

2023

Platform

Mobile app

Industry

E-commerce, live events

Research

Everyone wanted cheap tickets.

I interviewed a frequent Broadway theatergoer and read through searches, videos and blogs to understand the market and how people use today's ticket apps. Two audiences stood out: regulars (art lovers, artists, performers) and first-timers going for a date or a special occasion.

Even Google's autocomplete pointed the same way: "broadway tickets cheap", "broadway tickets discount". Finding affordable tickets became the working hypothesis, and every round of research confirmed it.

Two personas: Kathy Young, a New York art student, and Tobi Lou, a first-time visitor travelling with his family
One persona for each audience.
Pain points

Four problems to solve.

  • Expensive tickets and high fees on third-party apps
  • What to do before and after the show
  • Choosing a show as a newcomer, and discovering new ones as a regular
  • Connecting with the cast and with like-minded fans
Notebook sketches of early flows and wireframes
First flows and wireframes, sketched by hand.
Competitive audit

Borrowing from the best.

While sketching, I studied how other apps solved parts of the problem: ticketing flows from Ticketmaster, TKTS and Fandango, dynamic pricing from Google Flights, ads and subscriptions from food delivery apps, reviews and bundles from TripAdvisor, and community features from social networks.

Competitive audit grouping nine apps by the idea taken from each
The idea

Engagement pays for cheaper tickets.

Instead of charging fees, the app earns from activity: ads from theaters and restaurants, member subscriptions, and trusted resale between people who follow each other. That revenue pays for no ticket fees, cheaper bulk tickets and a guaranteed low price. Those benefits bring people back, which creates more engagement.

Reduce ticket prices through high community engagement.

Diagram: revenue from engagement pays for lower prices, which creates more engagement
Design goals

Three goals, one tab bar.

  • Lower prices, no fees: discounts and bundles, price alerts, raffle tickets, member discounts, resale and bidding
  • Help choosing a show: a one-time preference quiz, discovery by location, tips to get ready, and things to do nearby
  • Connect theatergoers: follow actors, behind-the-scenes content, a news feed, clubs and short acting and dance lessons

Each goal maps to a tab, and the tabs where engagement happens are the ones that earn revenue.

App tab bar (My tickets, For you, Home, Connect, My account) mapped to three user flows
User flows

Three flows, mid-fidelity.

Buying tickets. Three ways in: buy now, bid on a reseller's ticket, or enter a flat-fee raffle where you pick a price tier and date and the app picks the show and seats. After purchase, the app keeps you engaged: a reminder, directions, then a prompt to rate the show.

User flow 1, buying tickets, with home screen, show page, raffle and price-tracking screens

Discovering shows. A 10-question, 30-second quiz, asked only once, powers recommendations. From any show you can buy, save for later or set a price alert.

User flow 2, discovering new shows, with recommendations and community feed screens

Joining the community. Browse and post in the feed, join paid or free clubs, or start your own.

User flow 3: from Connect to joining or creating a club
Prototype

Try it yourself.

The mid-fidelity prototype is live in Figma.

Open the live prototype
FigmaInterviewsPersonasCompetitive auditUser flowsPrototyping