Virtual Events
Move from in-person to virtual events in a few weeks during the pandemic
About The Project
RegFox is an registration platform for in-person conferences, workshops, camps and more. In the wake of the 2020 pandemic, I was tasked with designing a virtual event experience for our existing customers.
• Services I provided: UX / UI Design
• Time frame: 2 Projects / First in 3 weeks / Second in 6 months
• Team: I was the product designer alongside the CPO, the lead engineer, and an engineering team of six.
Part 1: Transition from in-person to virtual events
The anticipation of a pandemic began to spread in January and February. Our customers had been working for months on their upcoming event, from lining up sponsors to getting speakers and venues secured. In March, the lockdown brought everything to a halt. Attendees canceled, and our company's revenue took a nose dive. With everyone now stuck at home, we looked for an opportunity. These attendees that had plans, now had nothing to do. We focused on our customers that might be able to move their in-person experience online. We focused on conferences.From sketch to wireframe to prototype in one night.
Design and launch in 3 weeks
The project brief was simple:
• Attendees need a way to access this virtual event
• Event creators need a way to stream conference sessions inside this paywall
• Attendees need a structured schedule to browse sessions(From left to right) Alex, Eric and myself working virtual events during our all-nighter
We quickly mapped out a solution. Event creators would be able to build their virtual event inside their existing event registration, and attendees that had a registration confirmation could gain access to that virtual event. We began exploring a UI that stacked all event content in one vertical, scrolling view. This was similar to our one-page registrations. We quickly realized that the virtual event experience mimics online courses, and we transitioned the UI into a standard video layout with a session listing on the right. Our first release of virtual events was shipped in a few weeks, and many customers found this flexible, at-home conference experience so compelling that they continued to use it even after the shutdowns lifted
Part 2: Customers want the full conference experience
Through the Spring of 2020 it became clear that the pandemic was not going anywhere anytime soon. By this time, event creators had more opinions. We realized if we were going to win larger customers in this space that we would need a solution that covers more needs, and brings more of the in-person experience online. We began plans on Virtual Events Pro.
Design and launch Virtual Events Pro in 6 months
We approached this second iteration with a few questions.
Were attendees watching on their phones?
We knew that over 75% of event registrations happen on mobile devices. However, it was too early to know how people preferred virtual events. I decided to prioritize mobile. A mobile-first approach simplified the interface, and allowed us to be quick, nimble, and create a great customer experience across all devices.
What would attendees expect from a virtual conference?
Keynote speakers and networking are the bread and butter of conferences. I designed a schedule that could execute well on both. Our customers can place sessions into a schedule, and define it as a speaker (streaming or live), or a networking opportunity. To create a networking experience, we utilized a white labeled, built in zoom-like video experience where attendees are launched into a small group session. Attendees are either paired by profile similarities or they opt into a topic. These solutions gave our customers control, and were big wins for attendees by providing the experiences they look forward to at in-person events.
Would there be enough value for companies to sponsor a virtual event?
Sponsors and Exhibitors wanted visibility and leads, but how could we get attendees to explore a virtual exhibition hall? Surprisingly, the answer was the same for virtual events as it is for in-person events: swag. We designed and built a tool for exhibitors to promote their brand by giving exclusive deals to event attendees. In return, attendees share their interest and personal info. Swag restored.
The Result
After 6 months of hard work, we launched our virtual events pro platform in January of 2021, extending our registration software into hosting events online. We provided event creators with all the core tools to host an incredible virtual conference.
