Michelle Kim - Spark Accelerate

Spark Accelerate

OVERVIEW:

Spark NZ aimed to host its inaugural B2B event, Spark Accelerate, to explore and discuss AI and the latest technological advancements in the business area.

GOAL:

Develop a mobile site that allows attendees to access their tickets and find more event information.

COMPANY:

Spark NZ - Leading telecommunications and digital services provider in New Zealand.

ROLE:

Lead UX/UI designer - User research, visual design, user testing, and collaboration with internal stakeholders and external vendors.

Defining the Purpose:

At the start of this project, it was key for me to understand and define the purpose of the Spark Accelerate mobile site. For this, I facilitated a workshop with internal stakeholders (including B2B marketers, a CX designer, Content Designer, Project Manager and more) to define the mobile site’s purpose, align priorities, gather requirements and set the design direction. Some key questions that were asked included:

• What is the purpose of this site?

• How will users access this?

• What are the requirements for the site?

• What are the known constraints?

The key outcomes from the workshop were that the mobile site should:

• House the event ticket

• Include features for gamification during the event

• Provide event time and location details

• Offer information on the event speakers

• Collect feedback for business use and future iterations

Creating the Flow:

After executing the workshop, I then utilised those insights and user research to lead a brainstorming session with internal stakeholders and external vendors to define and refine the site’s flow.

Through this, I was able to determine that the site needed the following pages:

• Homepage: To have access buttons for other pages and the attendee’s ticket above the fold.

• Scan to Collect Points: To have a quick way to scan QR codes around the venue.

• Agenda: Have a personalised agenda and a view of other events throughout the day.

• My Points: To track accumulated points and prizes available.

• Speakers: For more information about the speakers and their talks.

• Speaker Q&A: A way for attendees to submit questions for speakers in real-time

• Event Map: Overview of the event layout

• Feedback: Ability to provide feedback on the event and specific talks

Design Iterations:

After defining the flow, I then collaborated with the brand team to align on design styling, which allowed me to begin creating the design system. I worked with external vendors to iterate and refine styling for the site. Additionally, I worked closely with developers and other organisers to identify any technical constraints and limitations of the components being used. During this stage, I took the initiative and full responsibility to lead the designs, ensuring that timing was aligned within the organisation and with external vendors. I closely worked with the project manager in this phase to ensure this all occurred, while staying aligned with budget constraints.

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Once the style was defined, I collaborated with external vendors to iterate on designs, worked closely with content designers to refine copy, and led user tests and cross-collaboration sessions to ensure accessibility and intuitiveness. To meet accessibility standards, I applied the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure compliant colour contrasts, making the platform usable for a wide range of users.

The outcome of the iterations resulted in technically feasible pages, that aligned to branding guidelines and usability. These pages were used during the event:

Delivery:

The mobile site exceeded expectations, with over 92% of attendees seamlessly accessing their tickets upon entry. Engagement with the site was exceptionally high, as attendees actively used it to ask questions, view the agenda and speaker information, and participate in gamified events for rewards. Notably, 75% of participants earned over 100 points, showcasing the success of the event’s gamification. Furthermore, 95% of delegates who provided feedback rated Spark Accelerate a perfect 5/5, highlighting the event’s overall success and attendee satisfaction.

These outstanding results have now paved the way for Spark Accelerate to be held annually.

Conclusion:

This project was a highly engaging and complex undertaking, centred on enhancing the mobile site to deliver an exceptional experience for the extravagant event. Balancing user and business needs while collaborating with various internal stakeholders and external vendors presented a stimulating challenge that drove the design process from start to finish.

The successful execution of this work enabled users to seamlessly navigate and fully utilise the Mobi-Site, providing valuable support during the event and elevating the overall experience. The result was an intuitive and user-friendly platform that effectively met its objectives and enhanced attendee satisfaction.

Shoutouts:

"Michelle played a key role in bringing the Spark Accelerate mobile app to life, putting her UX expertise to work in owning this aspect of the project without fuss, it was such a critical part of having an engaging and intuitive experience for attendees. We really appreciated her efforts, can-do attitude, and all of her just really leaning behaviour. Thank you!"

- B2B Marketing Chapter Lead, B2B Domain Chapter Lead, B2B Market & Coordinator

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