9Event – Event Discovery & Ticketing Mobile App Redesign

About the project

9Event is a mobile-first event discovery and ticketing platform designed for Gen Z and millennial users. The client approached us with declining conversion rates and poor user retention. We conducted a comprehensive UX audit, mapped user journeys, and completely redesigned the platform's interface. The project resulted in a gamified experience system that increased engagement by 280% and ticket conversion by 62% within four months of launch.

Problems

The original platform suffered from critical usability issues: event discovery was algorithm-driven but impersonal, resulting in irrelevant recommendations; the booking flow required seven steps with multiple confirmations, leading to 64% cart abandonment; users couldn't manage invitations effectively, forcing manual external communication; the interface felt cluttered with too many options presented simultaneously; and there was no social incentive for users to invite friends or share events. User interviews revealed 78% of users felt overwhelmed within 30 seconds of opening the app.

Challenges

The core challenge was redesigning the entire user journey to prioritize social engagement without sacrificing ticketing functionality. Users needed better event discovery, faster purchasing, and built-in mechanisms to share and coordinate with friends. The platform also needed to compete with larger players while offering a differentiated experience. A secondary challenge was maintaining conversion velocity while introducing gamification—too much friction in earning rewards could backfire.

Our Approach

We implemented a user-centric redesign centered on three pillars: discovery through social proof, buying without friction, and ongoing engagement through rewards. The methodology involved conducting UX audits on 15 competitor apps, mapping detailed user journeys across three primary use cases, and testing low-fidelity prototypes with 60+ target users. We introduced a personalized feed algorithm that learned from user behavior, implemented a three-step booking flow (select, confirm, pay), and designed a comprehensive gamification system with achievement badges, streak tracking, and referral rewards. The social layer allowed users to see friend attendance, create event groups, and share experiences.

Project Timeline

UX Audit & Research (Weeks 1–3): Competitive analysis, user interviews (40 participants), journey mapping, analytics review.

‍Design Strategy & Wireframing (Weeks 4–6): Information architecture redesign, flow optimization, gamification framework development. 


High-Fidelity Design (Weeks 7–10): Visual design system, interactive prototypes, animation specifications.

Gamification Implementation & Testing (Weeks 11–13): Reward system design, A/B testing framework setup, 80+ participant usability tests.

Final Polish & Handoff (Weeks 14–15): Performance optimization, developer documentation, design system export.

Sketch

Initial sketches explored multiple layout styles — list-based, card-based, and social feed formats.
User feedback revealed a key insight: people cared most about seeing which friends were attending.
The booking flow was simplified from 7 steps to 3 by focusing only on essential info.
Early tests showed users preferred achievement badges over points, influencing the gamification system.
Sketches also refined how to show social proof (“friends attending,” “popular now”) without clutter.

Style Guide

Low-fidelity wireframes established the main flows: home feed, event pages, checkout, profiles, and gamification dashboard.
Social proof appeared directly on event cards, and a new “Your Plans” section centralized invitations.
User testing confirmed the 3-step checkout was faster yet complete.
Gamification progress worked best inline, letting users track achievements naturally.

Wireframe

Low-fidelity wireframes established the main flows: home feed, event pages, checkout, profiles, and gamification dashboard.
Social proof appeared directly on event cards, and a new “Your Plans” section centralized invitations.
User testing confirmed the 3-step checkout was faster yet complete.
Gamification progress worked best inline, letting users track achievements naturally.

Micro-Interactions & Animations

Micro-animations brought delight without distraction.


Confetti pops, badge reveals, and smooth progress fills reinforced achievements.


The social feed used smart refresh animations, while event cards had scale and parallax effects.


Transitions were optimized for 60fps performance and honored reduced motion settings for accessibility.

Multi-Screen Experience

The app included 45 unique screens, from onboarding and home feed variants to event pages, checkout, and gamification dashboards.

Layouts adapted responsively from 5.5″ to 6.7″ devices without breaking flow.Every screen followed a unified navigation structure, ensuring a cohesive experience across the app.

Visual Identity & Brand Story

9Event positioned itself as “where friends discover and celebrate experiences together.”


Rejecting corporate tones, it embraced vibrant, social, and inclusive design.


Illustrations showcased diverse groups enjoying real-world events, while geometric logo shapes symbolized movement and connection.


Gamification added emotional value — users weren’t earning points, they were building event legacies.


The tone stayed warm and community-driven: friends first, tickets second.

Results & Learnings

Post-launch results surpassed expectations:

• Ticket conversion: +62%
• Event discovery engagement: +280%
• DAU growth: +156% (in 4 months)
• Day 30 retention: 22% → 58%
• Users with badges were 4.2× more likely to return within 7 days
• 34% new users came via friend referrals
• Support tickets: −45%
• NPS: 32 → 68


Key insight: Gen Z engagement thrives on authentic social proof and meaningful achievements.


Gamification only works when it celebrates real community behavior, not artificial rewards.