Overview
Overview
Over the years, Manchester United's ticketing journey had become a catch-all for ad hoc requests and amendments from across the business.
With a main revenue pipeline creaking under the weight of its content, it became clear that it was time to apply blueprints and behavioural science to the platform.
Over the years, Manchester United's ticketing journey had become a catch-all for ad hoc requests and amendments from across the business.
With a main revenue pipeline creaking under the weight of its content, it became clear that it was time to apply blueprints and behavioural science to the platform.
Role: Lead Product Designer (Contract)
Role: Lead Product Designer (Contract)
Role: Lead Product Designer (Contract)
Design soundtrack: Future Islands
Design soundtrack: Future Islands
Design soundtrack: Future Islands
Responsibility: Sole design responsibility. Project collaboration with internal and external engineers and a PM.
Responsibility: Sole design responsibility. Project collaboration with internal and external engineers and a PM.
Responsibility: Sole design responsibility. Project collaboration with internal and external engineers and a PM.
Ticketing in Tumble Tots
When asked to audit existing UX work, I usually begin with, "If I vocalised everything within this UI, how would it sound?"
This helps me understand the complexity of the design, the choices presented to the user and how successful the design is in its intended outcome.
The MUFC ticketing flow sounded very much like Tumble Tots on a Saturday morning; loud, incoherent and full of competing voices asking for sweets or, in this case, clicks.
Users don't do well with the noise that complexity and extensive choices create within interfaces. Imagine yourself trying to buy tickets to a popular football game surrounded by thirty sugar-fueled toddlers. At best, this increases the time it takes us to make decisions and, at worst, forces us to leave without a ticket just to escape the chaos.
This in the online realm is called Hicks Law.
When asked to audit existing UX work, I usually begin with, "If I vocalised everything within this UI, how would it sound?"
This helps me understand the complexity of the design, the choices presented to the user and how successful the design is in its intended outcome.
The MUFC ticketing flow sounded very much like Tumble Tots on a Saturday morning; loud, incoherent and full of competing voices asking for sweets or, in this case, clicks.
Users don't do well with the noise that complexity and extensive choices create within interfaces. Imagine yourself trying to buy tickets to a popular football game surrounded by thirty sugar-fueled toddlers. At best, this increases the time it takes us to make decisions and, at worst, forces us to leave without a ticket just to escape the chaos.
This in the online realm is called Hicks Law.
Pain Points & Opportunties
Pain Points & Opportunties
With Hypotheses for testing
Alongside my general findings, I reviewed each stage of the ticketing and SSO process against best practice patterns, detailing pain points, such as poor accessibility and a lack of design devices to support the user, as well as areas of opportunity, such as places for optimised conversion.
Alongside each observation, I provided a research suggestion to test my hypothesis.
Alongside my general findings, I reviewed each stage of the ticketing and SSO process against best practice patterns, detailing pain points, such as poor accessibility and a lack of design devices to support the user, as well as areas of opportunity, such as places for optimised conversion.
Alongside each observation, I provided a research suggestion to test my hypothesis.
Pain Point - Content Depth
Pain Point - Content Depth
Pain Point - Content Depth
An extended amount of options is likely to overwhelm users and increase cognitive load, which has been shown to be a significant driver of exit rates.
An extended amount of options is likely to overwhelm users and increase cognitive load, which has been shown to be a significant driver of exit rates.
An extended amount of options is likely to overwhelm users and increase cognitive load, which has been shown to be a significant driver of exit rates.
Hypothesis for test
User frustration and cognitive load will decrease if content is available in a personalised format using search functionality.
Key Result: Increased utilisation of the search function.
Secondary Result: An increase in the number of users interacting with the search function who proceed to the next stage of the ticketing journey.
Validation method — Multi variant.
Hypothesis for test
User frustration and cognitive load will decrease if content is available in a personalised format using search functionality.
Key Result: Increased utilisation of the search function.
Secondary Result: An increase in the number of users interacting with the search function who proceed to the next stage of the ticketing journey.
Validation method — Multi variant.
Hypothesis for test
User frustration and cognitive load will decrease if content is available in a personalised format using search functionality.
Key Result: Increased utilisation of the search function.
Secondary Result: An increase in the number of users interacting with the search function who proceed to the next stage of the ticketing journey.
Validation method — Multi variant.
I also produced a comprehensive service blueprint to accompany my audit, intended to help the team manage change requests to the flow by visualising the impact of these asks, both positive and negative.
I also produced a comprehensive service blueprint to accompany my audit, intended to help the team manage change requests to the flow by visualising the impact of these asks, both positive and negative.
Patterns & Best Practice
Patterns & Best Practice
Mitigating risk
With research resources tied up, I was asked to redesign the flow using low-risk changes that would improve the overall experience and provide a solid foundation for further testing by the internal team later in the year.
To mitigate risk, I utilised UX, UI, and Behavioral Science best practices to improve the current flow's content, complexity, and cognitive load.
With research resources tied up, I was asked to redesign the flow using low-risk changes that would improve the overall experience and provide a solid foundation for further testing by the internal team later in the year.
To mitigate risk, I utilised UX, UI, and Behavioral Science best practices to improve the current flow's content, complexity, and cognitive load.
UX Best Practice
UX Best Practice
UX Best Practice
Increased use of white space to improve legibility and accessibility.
CTA signifiers added to clarify affordances and encourage engagement.
Content redesigned to adhere to average reading age guidelines.
Increased use of white space to improve legibility and improve accessibility.
CTA’s redesigned to illustrate hierarchy and function
Increased use of white space to improve legibility and accessibility.
CTA signifiers added to clarify affordances and encourage engagement.
Content redesigned to adhere to average reading age guidelines.
Behavioural Science Best Practice
Search functionality added to allow for personalisation and reduce choice paralysis.
Cognitive load reduced through the use of accordions to decrease complexity.
Behavioural Science Best Practice
Search functionality added to allow for personalisation and reduce choice paralysis
CTA signifiers added to clarify affordances and encourage engagement
Cognitive load reduced through the use of accordions and the introduction of accessible friendly spacing
Behavioural Science Best Practice
Search functionality added to allow for personalisation and reduce choice paralysis.
Cognitive load reduced through the use of accordions to decrease complexity.
Before & After
Before & After
By implementing best practices, I was able to significantly decrease the cognitive load and risk of overwhelm for the user within MUFC's ticketing process.
By implementing best practices, I was able to significantly decrease the cognitive load and risk of overwhelm for the user within MUFC's ticketing process.
Hover over the revised designs below to view the original.
Click the revised designs below to view the original.
Click the revised designs below to view the original.
However, while the experience was functional, there was little delight, which was all the more noticeable given the process's significance to MUFC's fans.
To address this, I asked for permission to revise the design system and include delight moments at three key junctures: post-checkout, account registration and account verification.
These milestones were designed to be visually attractive, with vibrant, high-resolution imagery and microcopy that predicted users' next whilst also using colloquial language that appealed to football fans, a departure from the required formal language used elsewhere in the flow.
However, while the experience was functional, there was little delight, which was all the more noticeable given the process's significance to MUFC's fans.
To address this, I asked for permission to revise the design system and include delight moments at three key junctures: post-checkout, account registration and account verification.
These milestones were designed to be visually attractive, with vibrant, high-resolution imagery and microcopy that predicted users' next whilst also using colloquial language that appealed to football fans, a departure from the required formal language used elsewhere in the flow.
Results
Results
Alpha testing showed reduction in both bounce and exit rates
Alpha testing showed reduction in both bounce and exit rates
Alpha testing showed reduction in both bounce and exit rates
Whilst the full redesign is currently in build, limited internal testing has shown a reduction in both bounce and exit rates.
The Service Blueprint has been reported to have fostered better collaboration and understanding in the broader business, leading to fewer change requests to the ticketing platform team.
Whilst the full redesign is currently in build, limited internal testing has shown a reduction in both bounce and exit rates.
The Service Blueprint has been reported to have fostered better collaboration and understanding in the broader business, leading to fewer change requests to the ticketing platform team.