Project Overview
FanMeet is a platform that extends fans' concert experiences by building vibrant communities within fandoms, while helping local businesses benefit from fandom-based tourism.
Timeline
September - October 2023
Context
Started with a personal interest in the "concert economy," this independent solo project explores how a digital platform can improve the experience for live music fans.
My Roles
User Research, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, High-Fidelity Prototyping, Design System Creation, Usability Testing
Shortcuts
Exploring the Situation
Desk Research Findings
In their 2016 study, Kulczynski, Baxter, and Young mention two of ten motivations for attending popular music concerts:
The status enhancement: wanting to earn "bragging rights" and increase "fan" status through attendance,
Social interactions: the joy of interacting with like-minded people and feeling part of a group.
These two motivations can be easily seen through fan platforms on social media. Social media has strengthened fan communities, providing a hub to share admiration for artists, concert memories, updates, and even find concert buddies.
A survey of Innerbody with 850 US participants revealed that 48% of the people consider travel and accommodation as their main expenses, followed by food and drink. This data implies that many are willing to travel to other cities or countries for a concert. Initial research into the modern "concert economy" revealed that live music attendance is increasingly travel-based. While fans are highly motivated to connect with communities in new cities, and local businesses are eager to capture this tourism, the digital infrastructure to bridge them remains heavily fragmented.
Recent statistics from music festivals and tours by famous artists show that such events boost local economies by attracting tourists, creating jobs, and benefiting local businesses. To attract customers, businesses sometimes offer themed menus, special events, and even artist-inspired room services.
“Fan experience” is also taken very seriously by artists' management companies. Major entertainment companies have initiatives to redesign these city-fan interactions.
Assumptions After Desk Research
To fully understand the picture from the fans’ perspective, and verify these assumptions, I had to hear more from fans.
User Interviews
I interviewed five music fans who have attended at least one concert of their favorite artists. This group also included people who traveled to another city for a concert. I focused on young adults/adults aged 18-40 (Gen Z and millennials who can independently travel). These four highlights emerged from our conversations:
Fans greatly appreciate interacting with others at and around the concert venue. They sometimes join fan gatherings announced on social media platforms, and engaging with other fans feels natural to them.
The information is spread across various social media platforms, and finding information about these meetings and updates can take time and effort. Also, unrelated fan discussions often overshadow such announcements.
Fans enjoy seeing special events and services inspired by their favorite artists. They appreciate recognition from local businesses celebrating their favorites.
Finding budget-friendly solutions for accommodation and food is crucial for fans attending concerts in different cities, as the majority of their budget is often allocated to the ticket itself. They are generally open to splitting costs with other fans and arranging their travels together.
Hold on - are we onto something?
Fans feel comfortable with the traditional methods for arranging their trips and accommodations through the apps they already know. However, how they connect with concert-goers and how they discover fan-targeted attractions should be the main areas to address.
Empathizing with Users
These insights formed the backbone of the primary user archetype: "The Solo Concert-Traveler". They are dedicated to the artists, traveling on a tight budget, and actively looking for a sense oFrom fans' perspective, a "concert experience" is an adventure that extends beyond the show's duration. From the moment they learn about the event to the post-concert blues, the experience includes multiple phases.f community.
From fans' perspective, a "concert experience" is an adventure that extends beyond the show's duration. From the moment they learn about the event to the post-concert blues, the experience includes multiple phases.
From Insights to "How Might We"s
Identifying the primary actions and potential challenges of a concert-goer helped me to address the main issue and formulate specific questions to work on during the ideation process.
Ideation and Building a Strategy
The ideation stage was fun! I set a five-minute timer and let my creativity fly by noting down all the ideas that popped into my head following these HMW questions.
From there, I grouped related ideas and evaluated each cluster against two questions: how much effort would it take to build, and how directly it would address HMWs. This process helped me form the backbone of "FanMeet".
FanMeet is dedicated to providing a digital space encouraging enthusiastic concert-goers to build connections and foster a stronger fan community. It aims to offer a platform for online interactions before and after the big day, collecting all concert-related activities and pinpointing potential spots for exclusive fan offers.
Here are the main features of the MVP:
Artist-Based Concert Tracking
Artist pages allow fans to keep up with their favorite artists' schedule updates. The app also utilizes user data to provide personalized recommendations and notifications such as upcoming concerts, ticket availability, venue details, etc.
Concert-Based Forums for Fan Engagement
Concert-based forums allow concert-goers to connect earlier, ask their questions, share experiences, discuss local offers, and relive their concert experiences by sharing memories after the event.
Bulletin Board for Fan Meetings Around the City
A corner for users to create and find fan meetups happening near the concert venue. In this space, fans can organize pre- and post-concert gatherings, share meetup details, and interact with other attendees.
Corner for Local Business Offers
A section that displays special discounts or promotions businesses offer to concert attendees. Both fans and vendors can update this section.
Fan Profiles and Communication Between Fans
Fan profiles include the artists they like, the events they attended, and their badges to proudly showcase their experiences. Concert-goers can check each other's profiles and individually connect through private messaging to share experiences and discuss their plans.
Information Architecture
The product is designed to help users easily find all the information they need by accessing concerts through the artists they like.
Usability Testing
After completing mid-fidelity wireframes, I conducted five usability tests through Zoom calls, gathering feedback from testers who actively use social media to communicate with other fans:
The task completion rate reached a satisfying 100% score.
3 of 5 participants expressed confusion about the distinctions between event types and wanted further visibility into recommendations.
All five testers appreciated the concert-based discussions but wanted concert-page content simplified.
Based on the outcomes, I identified key improvements and refined the design to meet users' needs better.
Visual Design
The visual world of FanMeet is inspired by the blend of dark shadows and the bright spotlights of a concert venue.
What's Next?
How About Business Value in the Future?
In essence, FanMeet's core features are built for fans. But a connected fan base creates value for three other stakeholders in the same ecosystem: the platform, local businesses, and artists.
What I'd Love to See Next
Even though this started as a passion project to hone my skills, I can't help but get excited about the huge potential to expand what this product could do and uncover more amazing opportunities.
I would have appreciated an opportunity to engage in conversations with local business owners near concert halls and arenas. This would have helped me understand their perspectives and strategies better.
If I were to work on future iterations, I would love to explore these:
A system where fans receive exclusive content and offers, potentially involving the artist and their management team
Using the badges offered in the MVP to encourage interactive challenges among fans, rewarding them with special offers, discounts, and merchandise gifts
Real-time interactions to enhance the concert experience, such as polls where fans can vote for the next song during the concert.
