Introduction
Sandbox Festival is an annual music festival hosted on the beaches of El-Gouna, Egypt.
The client needed a mobile app to streamline the management of the festival activities to go hand-in-hand with each visitor’s RFID bracelet. The app was to be used before, during, and after the festival experience.
Sandbox Festival is an annual music festival hosted on the beaches of El-Gouna, Egypt.
The client needed a mobile app to streamline the management of the festival activities to go hand-in-hand with each visitor’s RFID bracelet. The app was to be used before, during, and after the festival experience.
The design process
During the research phase, a list of the most common problems and situations the vistors face every year at the festival was created. Digital solutions in the form of features were proposed to the client in light of these problems.
During the research phase, a list of the most common problems and situations the vistors face every year at the festival was created. Digital solutions in the form of features were proposed to the client in light of these problems.
Limitations and timeframe
We had 3 weeks to design the entire user experience and visual design. We did the research process, created a full journey map, low-fidelity wireframes, user interface, followed by user testing.
We had 3 weeks to design the entire user experience and visual design. We did the research process, created a full journey map, low-fidelity wireframes, user interface, followed by user testing.
Problems faced by visitors + Solutions proposed
1. Visitors line up at the cash booth for a long time to be able to add credit to their balances in order to purchase anything.
2. Visitors are often large groups of friends who get each other drinks then settle their debts afterwards.
2. Visitors are often large groups of friends who get each other drinks then settle their debts afterwards.
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A digital wallet that can be topped up with money through a credit card, or money can transferred to or from friends. No cash needed.
3. Visitors leave and come back to the Sandbox grounds, often missing out on some performances or announcements.
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The app would display a full visual lineup schedule, with push notifications to announce visitor’s favorite artists or announcement.
4. Visitors often get lost in the festival grounds and/or are not able to identify where facilities are due to the huge crowds.
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An interactive sitemap with all the facilities available would help align the visitors on where they are and where the nearest facilities is.
Design Pillars
With the problems, limitations, and solutions in mind, 3 design pillars were set in order to prioritize certain design solutions to provide the best experience possible:
Adaptive and fast updates
As with any festival, delays and schedule changes are inevitable. Artists don’t always perform on time. The app would need to accomodate flexibility in schedules and notify visitors in case of changes
Accessible & easy features
Visitors would be using the app 3 days a year. There isn’t much time to get to know the app in order to habituate features. The app has to have clear iconography and clear call-to-actions, so that the visitor would be able to get to what they want as fast as possible.
Drunk-proof
experience
Visitors would likely be under the influence of alcohol as they use the app. Sensitive transactions such as money top-ups and transfers would need extra validation in case of errors. Data input should be limited to avoid the situation altogether.
Simplified App Outline
Festival Homepage
The homescreen is the hub of updates where news and updates on the festival happenings appear.
Shortcut Cards
These card styles can be seen throughout the app directing festival go-ers to relevant information.
Lineup Carousel Cards
The carousel announced the upcoming artists scheduled to play in the festival. Each card contains the artist name, time they will play, stage, and an option to add to favorites.
The carousel announced the upcoming artists scheduled to play in the festival. Each card contains the artist name, time they will play, stage, and an option to add to favorites.
Wallet Cards
The top card can be seen before the festival begins in the case the festival go-er hasn’t yet purchased or activated their pass. While the bottom card can be seen during or after the festival on the screen and in the wallet page informing festival go-ers of their current balance.
Top-up Process
The top-up process is where the visitor can add more credit to their wallet balance to be able to purchase items or drinks from the festival vendors.
One of the key challenges for this particular feature was the process of trying to limit the amount of accidental topups. An extra zero added could be a huge accident that we wanted to try to avoid altogether.
Quick-Add Option
The quick-add option was a tool to try and limit the process of adding numbers. The visitor can easily just select from one of three amounts to add instead of typing in the whole amount to top-up
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The top-up process is where the visitor can add more credit to their wallet balance to be able to purchase items or drinks from the festival vendors.
One of the key challenges for this particular feature was the process of trying to limit the amount of accidental topups. An extra zero added could be a huge accident that we wanted to try to avoid altogether.
Quick-Add Option
The quick-add option was a tool to try and limit the process of adding numbers. The visitor can easily just select from one of three amounts to add instead of typing in the whole amount to top-up
Closed Transaction Accordion
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Open Transaction Accordion
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Open Transaction Accordion
Quick-Add Option
The quick-add option was a tool to try and limit the process of adding numbers. So the festival go-er can easily just select from one of three amounts to add instead of typing in the amount to top-up.
Action Cards
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The quick-add option was a tool to try and limit the process of adding numbers. So the festival go-er can easily just select from one of three amounts to add instead of typing in the amount to top-up.
Action Cards
navigational Call to actions
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Transactional Call to actions
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Transactional Call to actions
Line-up
The lineup landing page features a long list of all the artists set to play at the festival, with easy shortcuts to access the schedule and the favorites list. While the Artist Page can be accessed by selecting an artist to view their profile.
Artist Page
Each artist profile features a gallery of 2 or 3 photos of the artist to browse, with an easy access button to add to or remove from favorites. Each artist profile also contains a card with information on the date and time of the artist performance.
Lineup Schedule timeline
The lineup schedule is a key feature in the Sandbox Festival app. It allows the user to live-track all the artists playing across 3 stages simulatenously on any given day. And also shuffle to see who has been playing before, and who is to play after. It is also easily updateable whenever there is any change in schedule.
The lineup schedule is a key feature in the Sandbox Festival app. It allows the user to live-track all the artists playing across 3 stages simulatenously on any given day. And also shuffle to see who has been playing before, and who is to play after. It is also easily updateable whenever there is any change in schedule.
The show favorites button, when active, would only display the visitor’s favorite artists and dim the others.
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More Menu
The More Menu was designed to accomodate all the actions and features that a festival-goer can use at a glance. While the notifications tab was designed to notify festival go-ers of announcements, new or expiring offers or promotions, or transfers.
Navigation buttons
All the app pages are consolidated in the profile page so that the festival go-er can access any page directly.
Profile Cards
The more menu provides easy access to a festival go-er’s profile where they can get info regarding their festival passes and make changes to their account settings.
Festival Info
The information section was designed to accomodate frequently-asked questions, articles and updates, as well as information regarding accomodation and transport.
FAQ Accordion card
The App was published in May 2022, two years after it was designed due to a string of Covid cancellations. It was downloaded by 3,000+ visitors and was used throughout the 3-day festival.
The app was later modified and changed by another team for the following year due to a change in management and development team.
