Seatlab
A research piece on the NFT event ticketing marketplace
The problem
Seatlab moved their ticketing on-chain as they can stop fraudulent tickets and scalping by having an immutable record on the blockchain for each unique NFT ticket. However, purchasing an NFT can be a daunting experience for many users and user adoption is crucial to Seatlabs growth and success. The ticketing world caters to a broad range of individuals and Seatlab has done limited user research and testing to date in part because the range of potential users is so large. The Seatlab team designed high-fidelity wireframes with a limited understanding of who their users are and who they should be testing their designs with.
Our main focus was to help Seatlab define an approach for user research and feedback. We helped SeatlabNFT to better understand their users and the product functionality that would appeal to them. This was achieved by defining user types, identifying areas that would improve user adoption and looking at the broader ticketing ecosystem.
Role: UX Designer
Project: Research (building personas & competitor audit), future planning to improve experiences and build functionality
Duration: 2 weeks
Sector: Web3 ticketing
Our approach
We identified three user types
User Type 1Newbies
Newbies are not familiar with the web 3.0 world and NFT is a completely foreign term to them.
Needs
These users will benefit from a simple process that allows them to purchase tickets without any prior knowledge of crypto.
Users with no experience will need more hand holding through the experience. Offering education, guidance or resources would be appealing to these users.
Pain points
Never set up a digital wallet.
Lack of trust in crypto products & services.
May have crypto misconceptions.
Insights
Makes up majority of ticketing customers.
A lot of growth will come from this group.
More familiar with web 2.0 experiences.
Not familiar with web 3.0 jargon.
May prefer printed tickets.
Not interested in speculative side of crypto.
User Type 3Crypto fans
Observers are tech savvy individuals who own crypto and are open to buying NFTs, however they need some convincing.
Needs
They want to know specifics e.g. what’s being offered and why it's worthwhile for them.
They want to know they are getting value.
Access to in depth information e.g.white papers, additional guidance and resources.
To build trust in what’s being offered.
Pain points
Waiting for the right moment to take a leap into the NFT world.
Having complete trust in the platform.
Insights
Theses users are willing to learn more about web 3.0.
Good UX is key for adoption.
Not familiar with web 3.0 jargon.
May prefer printed tickets.
Not interested in speculative side of crypto.
Can feel overwhelmed by choice when opening their first wallet.
A lack of awareness of NFTs is stopping me from owning them
Adoption from this user will positively influence those with limited experience.
User Type 2Observers
Observers are tech savvy individuals who own crypto and are open to buying NFTs, however they need some convincing.
Needs
They want to know specifics e.g. what’s being offered and why it's worthwhile for them.
They want to know they are getting value.
Access to in depth information e.g.white papers, additional guidance and resources.
To build trust in what’s being offered.
Pain points
Waiting for the right moment to take a leap into the NFT world.
Having complete trust in the platform.
Insights
Theses users are willing to learn more about web 3.0.
Good UX is key for adoption.
Can feel overwhelmed by choice when opening their first wallet.
A lack of awareness of NFTs is stopping me from owning them
Adoption from this user will positively influence those with limited experience.
Examining competitors
Competitor research was conducted to better understand the Web 3.0 and NFT ticketing space. By understanding the competitor landscape Seatlab can determine how best to differentiate and promote themselves.
Users
Artists & musicians
Members
Fan
Functionality
Yellow Heart appeals to artists and teams as they benefit from royalties in secondary sales tickets.
There is an appeal for ticket buyers as an artist can engage with them through airdrops before, during and after key moments.
Insights
Yellow heart address their users needs by offering 3 different types of payment options.
Yellow heart has partnered with MGM Grand to provide NFT tickets with unique benefits.
Competitor 1 Backstage
Users
Artists & musicians
Fans
Event organisers
Ticket buyers
Functionality
Backstage offers crypto integration and NFT ticketing on the Binance smart chain. They have a fundraising and incubation aspect to the platform to help those in the event industry to launch events. Currently focussed on music and events but could be well placed to move into other ticketing avenues e.g. sports.
Insights
A number of Artists are already using backstage (e.g. Sting and KISS) building trust in the platform
Backstage has undertaken user research and competitor analysis to better understand their market.
The wide range of functionality on offer appeals to crypto enthusiasts and potentially new users types e.g. event investors.
Competitor 2 Get Protocol
Users
Global audience
Ticket buyers
Event organisers
Functionality
Get Protocol offers a non invasive technology that acts as a blockchain layer on top of their clients existing ticketing tool. So clients can experience all the benefits of blockchain without impacting their current systems.
Insights
Get protocol appeals to users who are not interested in crypto and simply want to experience an event with a traditional ticket purchasing experience.
Web 3.0 functionality is being brought into a traditional web 2.0 ticketing platform.
Competitor 3Centaurify
Users
Artists & musicians
Event organisers
Ticket buyers
Competitor 4Yellow heart
Functionality
Centurify empower artists and musicians worldwide by rewarding them with 2% reflection on every ticket sold. In addition artists can use the platform to upsell NFT albums and NFT collectibles alongside ticket purchases.
Insights
Centaurify is working with artists as a full service NFT agency. Here they leverage their experience and know how to design, mint, list and promote bespoke NFTs.
Competitor 5Audius
Users
Artists & musicians
Fans
Functionality
Audius is a fully decentralised digital streaming service that gives everyone the freedom to distribute, monetise and stream audio.
Insights
Whilst not a direct competitor in the NFT ticketing space, Audius is working closely with artists. These relationships with artist, the $Audio token and a large fan base make ticketing a strong potential avenue for Audius to move into or partner with.
Proposed next steps for Seatlab
Why user testing and
research is right for Seatlab
User testing and research allows for a better understanding of what users want and how they would use the product. These insights allow for better overall usability and adoption of your product. By understanding the needs of your users, product functionality can be prioritised and designed to make the maximum impact.
User
Interviews
We suggest conducting user research to better understand your users behaviours, needs and motivations.
Possible hypothesis for testing
How comfortable are regular users with Web 3.0 terminology.
What are users biggest concerns when it comes to purchasing NFT tickets.
How comfortable are users when using an NFT ticket at an event.
User
Testing
User testing can uncover any usability issues with the product and allows you to revise the design before releasing it.
Possible hypothesis for testing
Purchasing tickets to an event
Buying seat lab tokens
Setting up a wallet
Purchasing a collectible
Accessing QR codes
Surveys
Surveys will provide you with large scale user feedback and quantitative data.
Possible hypothesis for testing
Familiarity / ownership of NFT
Has a crypto wallet
Familiarity with competitors
Participation in an IDO
Rank potential product functionality
Example timeline for user research
Live AB
Testing
Testing two variables of the same design will reveal which one is more effective and can lead to better conversion.
Possible hypothesis for testing
CTA’s
Headlines
Content
Tokens
Payment options
Page designs
Images
Building functionality
Our research identified several potential new areas for Seatlab. These areas appeal to existing and new user types providing new sources of value and differentiation from competitors.
Opportunity
mapping
A half day workshop in which opportunities for the product are identified, prioritised and mapped to a roadmap. E.g. Identifying potential partnerships and an approach to engaging with them, developing an event fundraising offering.
Community
elements
To help user discover events and collectables
To find like minded individuals and to share NFTs with others
Personalised
experiences
Personalising the ticketing experience depending on familiarity with web 3.0. E.g. A web 2.5 experience for those not familiar.
Educating users with relevant web 3.0 knowledge depending on their familiarity.
Improving experiences
Alongside the research approaches outlined in the previous section we believe there’s additional opportunities to learn from and improve the user experience. This will help Seatlab to scale and improve user adoption.
Personas
Through research we can better define and validate the user persona types we have outlined in this deck.
Value
proposition
Helping Seatlab to articulate and demonstrate the value being provided to each user type.
Using brand, experience and functionality to help Seatlab to differentiate itself from competitors.
Ux flows
We would like to examine user flows and make suggestions for improvements such as creating different experiences to accommodate to your user types.
Content
audit
Conduct a content audit that addresses tone of voice keep a consistent, clear message that is comprehensible to everyone.
Evaluate language on both the website and product to keep all audiences engaged.
Up next*
Up next*
Juniper networks
Redesigning Junipers website for enhanced user experience and increased user adoption