Uxcel Design Contest 2023
Uxcel? Oh, it’s my dose of design delight! Seriously, this platform’s UX is so slick, it’s like digital candy. Whether I’m there for a quick design snack or a full-course UX feast, it’s always a blast. Climbing up the leaderboard among the world’s top designers (among the top 50 now 🤓) — it’s like playing a game where every level up boosts my design mojo. So, when I learned about the Uxcel Design Contest 2023, I knew I had to attend.
Contest task
Design a search and booking experience to help people easily discover holiday-related events and experiences in their location of choice.
Problem definition
Picture this: It’s Christmas time in Prague, a city that turns into a winter wonderland. But here’s the hitch — finding out where the magic happens is a bit like hunting for hidden treasure without a map.
Tourists and locals alike are wandering around, with adults looking for the best mulled wine and children searching for an enchanting living nativity scene that’s not just a hit with the kids. Guess what?
Information about the festive hotspots, from twinkling Christmas markets to jolly events, is scattered like snowflakes across different websites, mostly in Czech. And if you don’t speak the language, good luck! Let’s not forget the ‘trdelnik trap’ — tourists often mistakenly believe it’s a traditional Czech Christmas treat.
The goal? Crafting a one-stop digital platform, a Santa’s little helper if you will, that dishes out all the details on Prague’s Christmas celebrations in multiple languages. It’s not just about guiding people to where the fun is. It’s also about shining a spotlight on local businesses and cultural gems. It’s time to make the holiday season in Prague a seamless, joyous experience for everyone!
Problem at Hand: Prague lacks a unified source for information on Christmas markets and events, creating confusion for tourists during the holiday season.
Target Users:
- Primary: Tourists (both foreign and Czech) visiting Prague for one or two days.
- Secondary: Local Residents — Prague residents searching for holiday activities and events, potentially more familiar with the city but still in need of detailed and updated information on events.
Challenges:
- Dispersed information about markets and events, primarily in Czech.
- Difficulty in finding special, less-known events and places.
- Unclear information on event accessibility and bookings.
Goal: To create not just a platform, but a festive guide. This will be the resource for everything Christmas in Prague, from market locations to event timings and ticketing details. It’s about bridging gaps, illuminating hidden corners, and ensuring that every jingle bell in Prague rings loud and clear for everyone to hear and follow.
Competitive research
Tourist Information Blog:
- Example: Prague Christmas Markets 2023
- URL: Prague Experience
Pros:
- Detailed focus on major markets like Old Town and Wenceslas Squares.
- Offers tips on weather-appropriate clothing and insights into December in Prague.
Cons:
- Content available only in English.
- Website not optimized for mobile.
Personal Travel Blog:
Pros:
- List of Christmas activities with local insights and detailed event descriptions.
Cons:
- Limited to the author’s personal perspective.
- Content not regularly updated and available only in English.
Official City Website:
- Example: Prague.eu: Christmas Section
Pros:
- Official comprehensive resource including markets, events, exhibitions, concerts, and nativity scenes.
- Features Prague Visitor Pass for convenient attraction access.
Cons:
- Overwhelming amount of information.
- Lack of explicit multilingual support.
Regional Event Website:
- Example: Brno Christmas
Pros:
- Well-presented and categorized information.
- Focused resource for Christmas activities in Brno, Czech Republic’s second-largest city.
Cons:
- Limited scalability, applicable only to Brno.
Possible solution
Obviously, people will need the platform on mobile, but nobody wants to download an app just for a one-day trip to Prague. So, I’m leaning more towards a web app. For those who prefer to plan in advance, a desktop version could be more convenient.
An easy way to find Christmas markets? Picture an interactive map, not just of Prague but detailed maps of the markets themselves. After all, some are quite large, and you’ll want to find exactly what you’re looking for. Each market is unique, with highlights that might be time-sensitive, like the lighting of the tree.
Visiting the most famous market at peak times could mean getting squished by crowds, which is hardly festive. So, how about crowd tracking or showing predictive data for the busiest times?
And for event searches: people can find events based on location, theme, or other preferences, like concerts in churches or ballet in theaters. These events might be free or ticketed. The app won’t sell tickets directly but will provide links to official event websites or theaters for easy booking access.
I keep in mind scalability so that the solution can be applied to any city, but this is more of a data challenge
