Case Study
Case Study
Encore
Encore
Encore
Concert Ticketing App — Reimagining live event ticketing with fairness & transparency.
Concert Ticketing App — Reimagining live event ticketing with fairness & transparency.
Internal Resource &
Live-Chat Knowledge Platform
Role: Lead Product Designer
Role: Lead Product Designer
Scope: App Design
Scope: App Design
Duration: 6 Months
Duration: 6 Months
A fan-first ticketing experience designed to restore fairness, transparency, and trust in the live music industry.
A fan-first ticketing experience designed to restore fairness, transparency, and trust in the live music industry.
The concert ticketing system is broken. Bots and scalpers dominate sales, inflating prices and shutting out real fans. Encore reimagines the experience, putting fan protection, transparency, and trust at the center of every interaction.
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the challenge
the challenge
Fans deserve better.
Fans deserve better.
Fans deserve better.
The traditional ticketing process has broken down. Bots and scalpers dominate sales, leaving genuine fans unable to access tickets at fair prices. The emotional toll is real, fans describe the process as heartbreaking, unfair, and like playing the lottery.
The traditional ticketing process has broken down. Bots and scalpers dominate sales, leaving genuine fans unable to access tickets at fair prices. The emotional toll is real, fans describe the process as heartbreaking, unfair, and like playing the lottery.
01
Bots buy out inventory within seconds, before real fans even reach checkout
02
Hidden fees and price markups create sticker shock and erode trust
03
Opaque queue systems leave fans anxious and completely in the dark
04
Fans feel betrayed by a system that should protect them
45%
45%
Tickets bought by bots
within seconds
10x
10x
Average resale markup on high-demand shows
#1
#1
Pain point:
unfair queue
Fans need a ticketing experience that puts real people first, not bots, not profits.
Fans need a ticketing experience that puts real people first, not bots, not profits.
Fans need a ticketing experience that puts real people first, not bots, not profits.
discovery
Key patterns & insights
Key patterns & insights
Key patterns & insights
I reviewed news articles, social media posts, and hundreds of fan forums across major tours. The patterns were loud and consistent.
I reviewed news articles, social media posts, and hundreds of fan forums across major tours. The patterns were loud and consistent.
I reviewed news articles, social media posts, and hundreds of fan forums across major tours. The patterns were loud and consistent.
method
method
method
Desk Research +
Fan Forum Analysis
Desk Research +
Fan Forum Analysis
Desk Research +
Fan Forum Analysis
PARTICIPANTS
PARTICIPANTS
Concert-goers,
Ages 18 – 35
Concert-goers,
Ages 18 – 35
Concert-goers,
Ages 18 – 35
CRITERIA
Attempted to purchase a ticket 1+ times
CRITERIA
Attempted to purchase
a ticket 1+ times
Queue Frustration
Queue Frustration
Fans waited hours only to be kicked out or shown a "sold out" screen with zero explanation.
Fans waited hours only to be kicked out or shown a "sold out" screen with zero explanation.
Lack of Transparency
Lack of Transparency
No visibility into queue position or why tickets disappeared left fans completely in the dark.
No visibility into queue position or why tickets disappeared left fans completely in the dark.
Scalper Exploitation
Scalper Exploitation
Resale prices sometimes exceeded 10× face value, pricing out the very fans the system should serve.
Resale prices sometimes exceeded 10× face value, pricing out the very fans the system should serve.
Emotional Toll
Emotional Toll
Fans described the experience as "heartbreaking," "unfair," and "like playing the lottery."
Fans described the experience as "heartbreaking," "unfair," and "like playing the lottery."
persona
Designing for the real fan.
Designing for the real fan.
Designing for the real fan.
Based on the pain points, I created a persona to keep focus on designing for real fans, not the system that profits from them.
Based on the pain points, I created a persona to keep focus on designing for real fans, not the system that profits from them.
Longtime concert fan balancing school, part-time work, and a tight budget.
She's tried to buy tickets dozens of times and been shut out by bots more often than not.
Longtime concert fan balancing school, part-time work, and a tight budget.
She's tried to buy tickets dozens of times and been shut out by bots more often than not.
Sophie, 25
Graduate Student & Part-Time Retail Associate
Goals
See her favorite artists without paying inflated resale prices; Access tickets before bots or scalpers dominate the queue
frustrations
Unable to buy tickets multiple times due to bots buying out inventory; Often priced out by resale markups that exceed her monthly rent
motivators
Verified-fan processes that prioritize real people over bots; Fair, capped pricing that feels respectful and accessible
the solution
Four pillars of a fair system.
Four pillars of a fair system.
Four pillars of a fair system.
Fans weren't just upset about missing tickets, they felt betrayed by a system that didn't protect them. Encore's solution focuses on trust, fairness, and clarity.
Fans weren't just upset about missing tickets, they felt betrayed by a system that didn't protect them. Encore's solution focuses on trust, fairness, and clarity.
how might we
How might we create a ticketing experience that prioritizes real fans, restores transparency, and makes buying tickets feel fair and exciting again?
How might we create a ticketing experience that prioritizes real fans, restores transparency, and makes buying tickets feel fair and exciting again?
Verified Fan Access
Users verify identity before entering queues, ensuring tickets go to real people, not bots.
Soft colors and welcoming design reduce anxiety while highlighting forward movement.
Impact: Tickets reach real fans, every time.
Impact: Tickets reach real fans, every time.
Capped Pricing & Fair Fees
Prices are displayed upfront with strict markup limits. No hidden costs, no predatory upsells.
Prices are displayed upfront with strict markup limits. No hidden costs, no predatory upsells.
Impact: No sticker shock. No surprises.
Impact: No sticker shock. No surprises.
Fan Resale Marketplace
Fans can resell tickets within price cap limits, keeping tickets within the community.
Fans can resell tickets within price cap limits, keeping tickets within the community.
Impact: Resale stays fair and fan-first.
Impact: Resale stays fair and fan-first.
Transparent Queue System
A real-time waiting room shows your exact position in line with estimated wait times.
A real-time waiting room shows your exact position in line with estimated wait times.
Impact: Less anxiety. More trust.
Impact: Less anxiety. More trust.
design flows
Four flows. One seamless journey.
Four flows.
One seamless journey.
To bring Encore to life, I mapped four core user flows from identity verification to ticket management.
To bring Encore to life, I mapped four core user flows from identity verification to ticket management.
Confirms fan identity through a verified-fan process before entering the ticket queue.
Confirms fan identity through a verified-fan process before entering the ticket queue.
Confirms fan identity through a verified-fan process before entering the ticket queue.
impact
impact
Outcomes & validation.
Outcomes
& validation.
Outcomes & validation.
Fan-First
Fan-First
Fan-First
Verified Access Model
Verified Access Model
Reframed ticket-buying as a protected, fair experience from first tap to confirmation.
0
0
0
Hidden fees by design
Hidden fees by design
Transparent pricing eliminated sticker shock and increased purchase confidence throughout.
4 Flows
4 Flows
4 Flows
One seamless journey
One seamless journey
From identity verification to ticket management, every step designed for trust and joy.
From identity verification to ticket management, every step designed for trust and joy.
reflection
reflection
What I learned.
What I learned.
Encore confirmed that trust is a design decision. Every message, every queue interaction, every micro-animation signals to the user whether a system respects them. Designing for fairness required rethinking the system from the ground up, and that's exactly where UX thinking thrives.
Encore confirmed that trust is a design decision. Every message, every queue interaction, every micro-animation signals to the user whether a system respects them. Designing for fairness required rethinking the system from the ground up, and that's exactly where UX thinking thrives.
The best ticketing experience isn't the fastest one, it's the one that makes fans feel protected, valued, and genuinely excited to be there.
The best ticketing experience isn't the fastest one, it's the one that makes fans feel protected, valued, and genuinely excited to be there.