Orlando Magic Fan Experience

Project Overview

The Orlando Magic is one of the lowest performing teams in the NBA but they still need a way to retain and grow their fanbase. They wanted Ticketmaster to help them envision and create a better future state of the fan experience that did not rely on a championship team.

Project Type: Product Innovation
Industry: Entertainment & Travel

My Role

• Product Design Strategist
• UX Researcher
• UX Lead
• Prototyper
• Workshop Facilitator

What I Did

• Fan Interviews
• Staff Interviews
• Persona Development
• Workshop Facilitation
• Created UX deliverables

Research

UNDERSTANDING THE USER & CREATING EMPATHY

Fan & Staff Interviews

The Orlando Magic is one of the lowest performing teams in the NBA and the organization needed a way to retain their current fanbase and grow new fans in the face of this reality. So we traveled to Orlando and interviewed staff, fans, and season ticket holders at the Amway Arena where the team plays. We did additional phone interviews to fill out our research and findings.

Personas

The Orlando Magic has no personas previously developed so we had to start from scratch to create them. We were able to use the insights we gain from speaking to actual fans, season ticket holders, and staff to create a suite of personas specific to their current situation. In the end we settled on one persona for staff, and three personas for the different types of fans.

How Might We…?

To help focus our ideas we wanted to develop a “How Might We…?” statement that would guide our brainstorming. We wanted it broad enough for a wide range of solutions but narrow enough to give boundaries to the team. Typically we go with a shorter HWM question but we found many areas worth exploring during our research so we entertained a more comprehensive HMW. After much brainstorming, we landed on a series of related HMW questions that we felt would be the perfect fit for our needs.

Innovation Workshop

USING DESIGN THINKING TO UNCOVER INSIGHTS

Innovation Workshop

My team led the two-day innovation workshop with the Orlando Magic staff where we gave the Orlando Magic staff the understanding of how to walk a mile in the shoes of their fans. The workshop was highly participatory and focused on each of the four different personas that we identified and developed.

The workshop was designed to help participants gain empathy for their fans as well as other departments in the organization. We had the Orlando Magic staff work together in teams to generate ideas and to build on the ideas of other teams.

Surfacing Fan Pain Points

Once we had “brain dumped” every user pain point we could, we grouped them into themes that allowed us to recognize the various areas where user pain points existed. We then narrowed those themes down to the top three for each persona and selected the top pain points that encapsulated the theme. At this point, we had a deep understanding of the user, their top pain points organized into themes or areas of focus

Ideation Sessions

Based on the pain points we discovered and the How Might We questions guiding us, we began brainstorming ideas that solved those problems. We divided into teams and quickly iterated products and new features for existing Ticketmaster products.

Using an “Idea Template” we were able to answer key questions and highlight specific benefits for each idea the team generated. Each team then presented their ideas as if they were pitching on “Shark Tank,” just to add some fun to it. In the end, we voted individually on the ideas that we felt best solved user needs.

Wireframes & Solutions

COMPOSING SOLUTIONS THAT DELIGHT THE USER

A Suite of Solutions

We were able to develop several ideas including three prototypes that represented significant product updates:

• TM ONE Today: This is an add-on to a popular B2B app called TM ONE that solves several issues many customers face each event.

• Virtual Venue: Using virtual reality we devised a way to allow fans to immediately upgrade their experience to court-side seats with a tap.

• Magic Chatbot: This is a chatbot where the Orlando Magic mascot “Stuff” educates fans and allows them to customize their experience before they enter the arena.

App Wireframes

Let’s Work Together

LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN HELP

If you’re looking for advice on your next big idea or you are looking for a seasoned design leader to add to your team, send me note. I am always on the lookout for my next challenge.

LET’S TALK