Introduction
In this project I help an underground music venue serve a digital experience that keeps up with big-ticket artists and festivals. I found it to be an interesting creative challenge; crafting a visually appealing lo-fi aesthetic that embodies the venue's atmosphere while providing a user experience that is smooth, efficient and accessible.
Discovery
My primary research method was surveying people outside shows, before and after. I asked them to rate their ticketing experience for this show, recall past experiences both positive & negative, and other questions like how they found it and what types of concerts they typically go to. Additionally, I conducted a competitive audit of various venues' websites as well as industry leaders like Ticketmaster and AXS. Based on what I gathered, I created a user persona and user journey map with key pain points.
Prototyping & Testing
I created a Figma prototype for the mobile ticketing flow and tested it in a remote unmoderated usability study. I provided prompts for completion in app and asked users to rate overall.
Creative Decisions
The aesthetic takes inspiration from punk, skater culture and brutalist architecture. Raw and textured, but with a strong emphasis on functionality. How do I make it bold and brash, not belonging in the trash?
Meaning of Freque
The name actually came to me in a dream! Like an onion, it has layers:
Freak: weird, alternative, association with subculture
Frequency: -> vibrations, sound waves, audio, relation to music
Frequent -> spending time somewhere, a social third place
Visuals
I designed the browsing experience to mimic real life, for example looking around at the posters stapled all over the nearby telephone pole. I created placeholder posters for fake events, using different visual styles for each to express the diversity of music and vibes that would frequent the venue.
Typography
In choosing fonts, I prioritized readability in particular to balance out the chaos; posters designed independently and will full creative freedom could obscure or omit details; for web they must be accompanied by readable text.
The audio and visual content should take center stage, since those are what primarily drive customer decisions. I chose Neue Haas Unica, a neo-grotesque font, for its sharpness and readability, and Rock Salt for moments of flair.
Logo
The electric guitar is one of the most recognized and beloved shapes; just the sight of its silhouette evokes so much, it's no wonder it has also become the basis of so many logos throughout the music industry.
Above is how the logo evolved during the design process. I wanted to harness the impact of the guitar silhouette and distinguish it from the pack by giving it an abstract twist. The cuts are made deliberately to give it a distinct shape and deconstructed look, aligning with the brand identity. I used photorealism on one part to visually communicate guitar and simplified other parts for harmony and balance.
Reflection
When experimenting with a lo-fi or brutalist aesthetic, striking the right balance is key; if I over-decorate, or go too far with changing the form or simplifying components, usability suffers. On the other hand, if there isn't enough visual appeal, the end result looks half-baked and dull.
Design choices can be intentional without appearing so. Natural charm is transcendent; hairstyle, fashion, an old beat up guitar…character is built over time, through story, natural occurrence, and culture. To draw inspiration from a culture rather than imitating it, there needs to be communication, understanding and active involvement.
Standing on Business
Independent music venues often rely on social media and word of mouth to promote shows and events. While artists' fan bases typically drive much of the interest, a venue can also attract show-goers through its own aura. Part of a successful strategy is helping the venue cultivate its own following as a hub for music discovery. Although, from the consumer’s perspective, attending a concert to find new music involves more risk and investment than using streaming playlists or TikTok—now the predominant methods of discovery. The physical space itself can be super awesome, and fantastic at curating shows, but without a strong digital presence it will be increasingly difficult to outcompete those more convenient channels.
This focus on “venue as discovery” differs from standard ticketing apps like AXS, even though ticketing itself is universal. The real-life venue that inspired this project sells tickets only in person with cash, presenting an opportunity to establish an online ticketing system independent of larger services such as Ticketmaster. Ultimately, for a smaller venue to stand out and gain a following, it must compete in the digital landscape with the same energy that drives the rest of the music industry.
What's Next
Right now, the volunteering process at this venue is very informal: if someone wants to help out at a show, they simply arrive before it starts and check with the coordinator about any needs. Although that system has been serviceable, there are considerable limitations due to lack of structure, and it’s harder to plan for specific roles or skill sets. This has led to major struggles. A digital portal to streamline volunteering processes could do wonders.
