1. Fandango
Events

2. Fandango
Events
Design by: Allison Cooper!
Lissa Doty!
Phoebe Yang
Student Project: General Assembly UXDI Winter 2013

3. Fandango
Current business model:
Fandango is currently framed as the go-to movie information and ticketing platform.
The Project:
We were tasked with expanding Fandango’s market from movie tickets and information to browsing and
purchasing tickets to concerts and local events. In addition, we needed to demonstrate:
•
how Fandango would introduce the new features
•
event discovery
•
flow for purchasing tickets
•
flow for retrieving tickets and using them as passes

4. Our solution: Fandango Events
Fandango Events is a new iPhone app for urban-dwellers who want to find
interesting events to attend with their friends.
It is an easy way to search for
events with a personalized feed
and recommendations, purchase
event tickets on the go, and share
events and tickets with friends.
Unlike the TicketMaster/LiveNation
behemoth, it’s aimed at smaller
more affordable local events, and
unlike Eventbrite it supports more
event discovery for users.

5. Competitive Analysis: Ticketing
Method
Our team initially
focused on ticketing
websites and apps,
and recorded the
presence of specific
feature patterns, as
well as noting special
features or branding.
Ticket price
splitting
Fandango
StubHub
X
X
Service
Fees
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Facebook
integration
X
Eventbrite
Ticketmaster
Mobile
App
X
X
Photo
Sharing
Social
sharing
X
X
Ticket
Loyalty
packages Programs
X
X
X
Brown
Paper
Tickets
Meetup
Goldstar
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

6. Competitive Analysis: Event Discovery
Methods
Our team investigated a range of existing event discovery apps.
Findings & Opportunities Identified
Planning behaviors: event apps like “Now”
focus on the spontaneity of finding nearby
events immediately; we found, though, that
our users often plan for the weekend ahead
with friends.
Need for event listing maintenance: many
event discovery apps researched tended to
“die” without continual maintenance/upkeep;
App Store reviews complained of lack of
current listings and technical problems. This
is a great angle for Fandango, as it is already
seen as a reliable, trusted source for accurate,
current information.
special features
Now
WillCall
current goings-on; trending instagram tags
curated events; send tickets to friends
TimetoEnjoy fit events into your schedule’s free time
RedRover
Vamos
focus on family events
facebook-integrated friend events
WhyPlan
curated events in NYC and London
Applauze
photo-heavy event listings by category
Here & Now phototag-based current happenings
Eventster
Lanyrd
facebook-integrated friend events
conferences & professional-events focus

7. Competitive Landscape: Analysis & Considerations
Findings
WillCall, a mobile app, offered a unique way to buy tickets and give them digitally to friends
Vertical integration of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s business model means they have a
monopoly of large-scale events at many major American amphitheaters and other
venues (and artists).
Opportunities Identified
Many ticketing services still rely on physical tickets for entry
to events. Offering digital e-tickets on users’ iPhones could
increase their loyalty to Fandango, and ease their concerns
about losing their tickets.
At small/mid-size venues, event producers (not the venue)
often choose the ticketing service. Establishing
relationships with both venues and event producers
would drive more business to Fandango.

8. Preliminary User Research: Screening Survey
Methods
We received 74 responses to a screening survey asking about event attendance and ticket purchasing behaviors.
Findings
Ticket price is an important consideration, but it’s
also contextual.
Buying tickets for friends is a hassle.
People are already using Facebook, Instagram, etc
for events; this social aspect is important for
supporting social attendance.
Opportunities Identified
Encouraging users to buy and distribute
tickets for friends could increase ticket sales.
Users need an easy way to distribute tickets
that they’ve bought for friends.

9. Secondary User Research
Methods
We interviewed classmates, friends, and patrons at bars.
Findings
Social Media: Promoters with smaller budgets are using
more social media than just Facebook to get the word
out. Instagram is an increasingly popular way to
discover events, as Facebook event notifications are
frequently overlooked.
People utilize different sources (online/offline) to discover events,
including local newspapers/magazines, flyers/posters and blogs.
Opportunities Identified
Photo-sharing integration could lead to a more interesting way to
discover events.
Facebook is still important for connecting and communicating about
events with friends, and these elements should be incorporated into the
event discovery process to increase ticket sales.

10. ERIN, 38
THE PARENT
Erin is a married mother of two based in
Chicago. She works as an HR recruiter, and
doesn’t have a lot of free time.
“Sometimes it’s nice to have a
adult conversation…”
Erin and David already use Fandango to find
movies that are age-appropriate for their
children. They sometimes use the app to buy
tickets ahead of time too so they won’t have
to stand in line with their young kids.
SOCIAL LIFE
Erin and her husband David, 43, a lawyer at an
environmental nonprofit, have two boys, 6 and 3 years
old. Though they vowed never to own a minivan, they
now drive a 2011 Toyota Sienna. They had active
social lives before the kids came along but now most
of their outings consist of family-friendly activities and
playdates. Most of their social circle is made up of the
parents who have children the same age as theirs;
they miss some of their pre-parenthood friends, who
they no longer get to see.
MONEY & TECH
Erin is comfortable with her iPhone and household
tech. She and David both have iPhones as well as an
iPad mini and are considering getting a second one
because the kids are using it so much. They own their
Chicago condo, but they are still paying back loans
from David’s law school.

11. PETER, 41
THE PRODUCER
Peter got his start working for a promoter at a
mid-size concert venue but now is known for
throwing big parties and other events at clubs
and bars. He’s got a big network of friends
and an established reputation, with
relationships with many DJ friends and a
known underground-but-mainstream style.
“Reputation and relationships are everything”
Peter is big on using social media for himself and to promote his events. While Facebook and
Twitter are still important, he’s moving more to Instagram, where it’s easier for people to
discover his events and he can extend the reach of his brand. Throwing events may be his job,
but he still always finds it fun, and he loves showing his massive circle of extended friends a
unique and memorable time.
He needs to earn enough to pay the bills, but building
relationships and community is just as important as
making money. He pays close attention to the vibe,
aesthetics, and reputation of the venues he selects; one
bad experience with a venue means his attendees won’t
return. Good personal relationships with his business
partners are key, and are the reason why he chooses
one ticketing agent over another.

12. AUDREE, 24
THE ATTENDEE
“I could be convinced…"
Audree is a front-end web developer in San
Francisco. She tends to be more of a
homebody, preferring to have dinner parties at
her apartment with friends.
MONEY & TECH
She is sensitive to ticket price although she can afford to
splurge sometimes, but going with friends is most
important. She’s quite tech-savvy and active on social
media.
SOCIAL LIFE
She attends fewer than 10 events per
year. Audree lives with roommates,
and though she has some friends
from college still around, she’s also
interested in expanding her social
circle.
She uses Fandango because it’s easy when a
friend sends her a link to a movie they want
to go see and she can just buy her ticket
there—she even has the app on her phone,
which also adds ease and convenience.

13. SASHA, 29
THE SOCIAL BUTTERFLY
“It’s stressful buying tickets for
everyone and wondering if
they’ll show up on time.”
Sasha lives in San Francisco, is single and
has a wide circle of friends. She’s a project
manager at a UCSF lab.
SOCIAL LIFE
She’s known as the go-to person among her friends for events,
scouring event listings and actively discovering the best her city has
to offer through both online and offline sources (newspapers,
weeklies, the Bold italic, Johnny Funcheap). She also uses Facebook
to find out about events but is often disappointed when she only
hears about events after they happen. She plans her weekends in
advance to ensure she’s going to the best events, whether a
concert/show, party or bar night.
Sasha loves attending house shows as
well as larger events like Outside Lands, a
music and arts festival held in San
Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. She hears
about shows by following bands on social
media and subscribing to email lists. She
wants ticket buying to be easy and
dislikes having to deal with paper tickets.
MONEY & TECH
Sasha’s job allows her the time and the money to go
out and she’s into the alternative scene. She's well
enough versed in tech and uses her iPhone
constantly. She uses Fandango occasionally for
movies times. Sasha can afford to go out frequently,
but she’s concerned about price—she hates extra fees.
She never drives to events in the city, preferring to
take buses, Lyft, or cabs.

14. Persona Characteristics as a Spectrum
Sasha
Erin
Searching for something
specific vs browsing and
casual discovery:
“I know what I want to do and
just need to find it.”
“Surprise me!” “I want to
learn about new things.”
Time/scheduling:
“I plan my weekend in
advance.”
“What to do tonight??”
Social ticket purchase
logistics:
“I’m organizing my friends to
go out and need to invite
them and share tickets…
somehow.”
“I’m not worried about
inviting friends, I’m just
buying a ticket for my
partner and myself.”
Location:
“I don’t care if I have to take a
cab or public transit.”
“I want something within
walking distance.”
Key features & needs:
Facebook/social
ability to browse
Edge
Cases
Edge
Cases

15. Fandango Events: Design Principles
Be consistent with design elements.
Fandango Events should feel familiar to Fandango Movie users.
Foster emotionally satisfying experiences.
Bring friends together, regardless of their user status.
Design for effortless interactions.
Tasks should be simple.

16. Scenario: Sasha

17. Prototype Narrative

18. User testing with prototype
Methods
We tested various iterations of our
prototype with potential users.
Findings
Our features were on the right
track, but we needed more
clarity.
Opportunities Identified
Users liked our Send Ticket to Friend
feature, thought we could
emphasize it more.

19. Iterations

20. Branding, Business Development & Rollout Considerations
Our user research showed that Fandango was viewed as an
informational platform, not as a place to buy tickets. Creating
an app that is targeted to a group that are already looking to
buy tickets could drive more business to Fandango Movies,
as well as increase revenues from ticket sales for both events
and movies.
Rollout: Target event producers, promoters, and
venues and build relationships with them. Encourage
them to promote Fandango’s event app to their
followers and fans.

21. Thank you
Allison Cooper
Lissa Doty
Phoebe Yang
allison@allisonmariecooper.com
lissa.doty@gmail.com
phoebe.n.yang@gmail.com
Student Project: General Assembly UXDI Winter 2013