Case Study
El Locale - Events Page
El Locale is a locally focused e-commerce platform. For this project, I was tasked with designing a new events marketplace as an additional offering, enabling users to discover, host, and purchase tickets for experiences in their area.
Working within the existing design system, I created an end-to-end experience covering event discovery, detailed event pages, ticket checkout, and event creation for hosts. The goal was to deliver a seamless, intuitive flow that feels fully integrated with El Locale while enabling real-world, local engagement.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Team
Lucas Côrtes, Kevin Mbuyamba
Skills
UX Research, UI Design, Product Strategy
The Problem
Consumers want to support local businesses but struggle to find them online due to big brands dominating search and advertising. Small businesses often lack the resources for web design, SEO, and marketing, leading to lost sales and increased environmental impact.
El Locale solves this by offering an affordable e-commerce platform exclusively for local businesses, making it easier for consumers to shop locally without the usual digital barriers. Our task was to design a dedicated Events page that would expand the platform's capabilities.
Research & Key Findings
User Groups Identified
- Hosts:Local businesses, nonprofits, and event spaces need a simple way to promote events and sell tickets.
- Attendees:Want a reliable, single platform to discover upcoming events in their area.
Key Insight
A large percentage of small, locally-sustained businesses lack an online presence, and very few have platforms to promote or sell tickets for events. An integrated Events page on El Locale will not only support local hosts but will also help tourists discover activities during their visits.
Competitive Analysis
Eventbrite
Offers a more feature-rich and engaging experience that invites users to explore. Clean, card-based layout with clear categorization helps users quickly find events of interest.
PortsmouthNH
Offers a more direct and simple experience with a clear offering to purchase tickets easily. Emphasizes community tone and hyper-local content.
Competitive Positioning Matrix
NH
| Dimension | Eventbrite | PortsmouthNH | El Locale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature Richness | |||
| Local Focus | |||
| Ease of Use | |||
| Community Feel | |||
| E-commerce Integration | |||
| Affordability for Hosts |
The Strategic Sweet Spot
El Locale occupies a unique position in the market: combining the robust feature set and polished UX of commercial platforms like Eventbrite with the authentic, hyper-local community focus of regional sites like PortsmouthNH. This positioning allows us to serve both users seeking quality event discovery and local businesses needing affordable, accessible promotion tools.
Our design strategy strikes a balance between the commercial usability of Eventbrite and the community-driven authenticity of PortsmouthNH. By merging these approaches, we aimed to create an events page that is functional and effective in driving ticket sales while reflecting El Locale's core mission to support local communities.
Design Process & Strategy
Strategic Approach
We adopted a streamlined, tab-based layout that introduces users to core features in a clear and accessible way. This structure allows for gradual exploration of additional functionality without overwhelming the user. We made a deliberate decision to limit initial offerings to avoid the platform feeling cluttered.
Key Design Decisions
- Visual card-based layout with filters for date, category, and location
- Concise event descriptions with high-contrast CTAs
- Integrated maps for location-based discovery
- Suggested events connected to taste profile algorithmically based off of saved and previously attended events
Cross-selling Concept
Having suggested events connected to products being sold on El Locale helps keep people on the website longer, similar to adding more to your order before checking out on delivery apps. This creates a seamless connection between shopping and event discovery.
The Solution
Our solution addresses the needs of all user groups by positioning El Locale as a comprehensive and accessible platform for event discovery. By curating a variety of local events, including those hosted by smaller businesses that may not have resources to advertise on major commercial platforms - El Locale offers users a more personalized, community-rooted experience.
For event hosts, the platform provides a simple, accessible way to promote events and sell tickets without relying on expensive third-party platforms. This directly supports El Locale's mission of strengthening its reputation as a hub for authentic, locally rooted experiences.
Expected Impact
For Users
Easier event discovery, simplified ticket purchasing, and a centralized platform for local activities.
For El Locale
Increased site traffic, additional revenue streams, and stronger brand loyalty through community engagement.
For Local Businesses
Affordable promotion tools and direct ticket sales without complex third-party platforms.
For Communities
Strengthened local connections and increased support for small businesses and local events.
Reflection
Throughout our research and comparative analysis, we observed that while many platforms offer similar event-related services, the user journey can vary significantly depending on the scale and focus of the website. This contrast reveals a unique opportunity for El Locale to position itself within a strategic middle ground.
Skills Developed
- Project & Client Management
- Research Experience
- Communication Skills
- Problem Solving
- Figma Experience
- UX Documentation
Next Steps
The next phase involves gathering direct user feedback through questionnaires, surveys, and video call sessions with users from the email list and social media following. This will help validate our design decisions and identify areas for improvement before full implementation.
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