Introduction

Vstage is a startup focused on creating a platform for hosting virtual events. As a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, Vstage caters to companies, festivals, and associations looking to host virtual events. In 2021, I joined Vstage to design end-to-end features, develop early product concepts, and drive product growth.

Problem statement

The main challenge was to design the next generation of virtual events that are personalized, user-friendly, and engaging. With the event industry transitioning to virtual platforms due to COVID-19, our aim was to replicate and enhance the experience of in-person events.

Research

• Reviewed whitepapers from 2020/21 that analyzed the event industry during the pandemic and its future evolution.
• Explored virtual event statistics and insights from industry reports.
• Conduct user interviews

Competitive Analysis

Identified gaps in main competitors like:

• Data trust
• White-label platform
• Customer support
• Users data and reporting
• Technical issues

User Interviews

I interviewed 15 event organizers to collect insights and perspectives. I delved into their experiences in organizing online events, examining the various steps involved, challenges encountered, desired improvements, and methods used to gauge success. Three main themes emerged during the interviews:

• Needs: Organizers desired a white-label platform to manage collaborators and brand assets effectively.
• Reporting: Existing platforms lacked a streamlined process to generate comprehensive event reports. Organizers struggled to consolidate data from multiple sources within the platform.
• Quality Assurance: Importance of prototype testing and verifying the platform's functionality before events.

KPI

• Event Setup Time: Average time taken to set up an event
• Support ticket creation: Ratio attendee and support ticket created
• Registration-to-Attendance Ratio: The percentage of registered attendees who actually attended the event.
• Attendee Engagement Rate: The level of engagement and interaction from attendees during the event (measured by factors like chat messages, polls, questions asked, etc.).
• Event Dropout Rate: The percentage of attendees who registered for the event but did not attend or dropped out before its completion.
• Post-Event Net Promoter Score (NPS): A customer satisfaction metric that measures the likelihood of attendees recommending the event to others.

Design approach

• Initially focused on creating events for clients, aligning UI elements with client branding.
• User personas, user journey, competitor analysis, analytics analysis.
• Conducted client interviews to prioritize new functionalities.
• Later shifted focus to a self-service platform where organizers could build their own events.
• Information architecture, design system, prototyping.

Client Area prototype