SCHOOL PROJECT / MOBILE APP REDESIGN
An app redesign, created in collaboration with IBM, focused on the improvement of the physical and digital experience of Smukfest Festival attendees.
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PROJECT BACKGROUND
During my 2nd semester in Multimedia Design, my team and I were challenged to rethink and enhance the MinSmukfest app as part of a collaboration with IBM. The goal was to improve the festival experience for Smukfest attendees by redesigning the app and introducing new, engaging features.
Smukfest, held annually in Skanderborg, Denmark, is a well-loved music festival known for its diverse lineup and picturesque forest setting. To elevate the festival experience, the MinSmukfest app was introduced, offering features like:
. Find My Friends – Helping attendees locate their group on the festival map.
. Just Fun – Providing insights on bracelet usage and spending habits.
. Beautiful Memories – Summarizing key moments from the festival week.
However, the app in its current state struggles to attract and retain users due to limited functionality, poor user experience, and a lack of intuitive design. Some features remain incomplete or non-functional, leading to frustration rather than convenience. The lack of a seamless, user-friendly experience prevents attendees from fully engaging with the app, missing an opportunity to enhance both the digital and physical festival experience.
The goal was to transform the MinSmukfest app into a must-have festival companion that not only provides useful features but also enhances user engagement. This meant rethinking its interface, refining existing functionalities, and designing an intuitive experience that seamlessly integrates into the festival atmosphere.
The ultimate challenge was to bridge the gap between the physical and digital festival experience, ensuring the app became an essential and enjoyable tool for attendees rather than an afterthought.
We want to strengthen the MinSmukfest, so it can attract more people to engage with it, as well as enhance the user's experience of the festival and the app itself.
DESIGN PROCESS
DESK RESEARCH / ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS / EARLY USER TESTING / MARKET SEGMENTATION
Early user testing (feedback grid)
We started with desk research to understand why the MinSmukfest app wasn’t popular among attendees. The festival itself, known for its lively atmosphere and focus on sustainability, attracted over 55,000 attendees each year, yet the app wasn’t playing a key role in enhancing their experience.
We explored features, such as "Find My Friends", “Beautiful Memories” and "Just Fun", and realized they lacked user-friendliness and functionality. Users struggled to engage with the app, describing it as uninteresting and difficult to navigate.
To dive deeper, we conducted user interviews and early testing. Feedback confirmed our suspicions: users found the app confusing, lacked personalized experiences, and felt that features didn’t add enough value to the festival experience. They wanted an app that was intuitive, personalized, and could truly enhance their festival journey.
This research revealed key areas for improvement: usability, engagement, and personalization - all of which needed to align better with the dynamic festival environment.
BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS / VALUE PROPOSITION CANVAS / USER PERSONA / EXPERIENCE MAPPING / CARD SORTING / HOW MIGTH WE'S
User persona (2nd page)
With our research insights, we moved to the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas to map out the key elements of Smukfest’s structure and identify areas needing attention. A key discovery was that festival-goers were seeking more personalized, real-time experiences - something that app wasn’t delivering.
Next, we created a user persona, Rasmus Nielsen, to visualize the needs, motivations, and frustrations of a typical attendee. We discovered that festival-goers like Rasmus often lose track of their friends and struggle with the app’s navigation, looking for something more intuitive and tailored to their personal experience.
Using experience mapping and card sorting techniques, helped us identify pain points such as losing friends on the festival grounds and confusion between similar features like "Beautiful Memories" and "Just Fun" within the app.
"How Might We" questions allowed us to reframe the challenges as opportunities, helping us define our main goals: improve usability, enhance engagement, and create a more personalized and intuitive app experience for festival-goers.
These findings gave us a clear direction for the next stages of development.
SKETCHING / CRAZY 8'S / USER FLOW / USER FLOW TESTING / MOODBOARD / STYLE TILE
User flow testing (feedback grid)
Building on the insights from our research, we focused on transforming findings into actionable design solutions, addressing key user issues while ensuring feasibility. We identified several critical issues: low user engagement, confusion with features like Beautiful Memories and Just Fun, lack of intuitive navigation, and a lack of personalization. Furthermore, users struggled to find friends at the festival and wanted a more tailored experience.
We generated over 20 ideas to enhance intuitiveness, usability, engagement, and personalization. Key improvements included clarifying navigation and adding emergency contact options.
A crucial turning point in our design process was deciding to rework the app’s core features - renaming and clearly differentiating Beautiful Memories and Just Fun, which directly addressed user confusion.
With clear ideas, we began with Crazy 8 sketches to explore potential solutions. These sketches led to the creation of an optimized user flow, which we then tested with 5 different groups of users. We wanted to ensure ease of navigation and intuitive interactions. The results helped us refine usability, enhance personalization, and improve clarity in naming and actions.
To align the app's visual identity with Smukfest’s brand, we developed a mood board and style tile, ensuring our design evoked the desired user experience.
User flow testing (changes)
LOW FIDELITY FRAMES / LOW FIDELITY USABILITY TESTING / HIGH FIDELITY PROTOTYPE / HIGH FIDELITY USABILITY TESTING
Low fidelity usability testing (feedback grid)
With a clear direction, we focused on building a functional Figma prototype and refining it through usability testing. Our goal was to ensure a seamless, engaging experience that meets user needs.
Starting with low-fidelity wireframes, we prioritised usability before visuals, applying UX laws and design principles to enhance interaction. We optimized button placement (Fitts’s Law), and minimized decision fatigue (Hick’s Law) to improve efficiency.
Lo-fi usability testing revealed key pain points:
. Confusion around profile personalization
. Difficulty navigating "SmukStats" feature
. Unclear distinction between "SOS Button" and "SOS Group"
Using these insights, we refined navigation, adjusted labels, and improved clarity before transitioning to high-fidelity mockups. We integrated Smukfest’s branding and visual hierarchy, introducing:
. Customizable colorful schemes for a more personal experience
. "Earn Goodies" rewards to boost engagement
. A redesigned “Find My Friends” feature, replacing a static map with group-based navigation
. A refined profile section, improving customization and usability
Final hi-fi usability testing validated our changes while highlighting new areas for improvement:
. Profile customization still lacked clarity, so we renamed buttons for better understanding
. Sorting in "SmukStats" feature was misleading, leading to the replacement of a three-dot icon with a "Filter by" dropdown
Through continuous iteration and user feedback, we created a visually appealing, intuitive, and user-friendly solution, ensuring a smooth and engaging festival experience.
low and high fidelity testing (changes)
The redesigned Smukfest app enhances both the digital and physical festival experience, attracting more users through personalization and engaging features. The new design bridges the digital-physical gap by helping attendees find friends, navigate events in real-time, and share their festival memories. Additionally, it supports the festival’s business goals by boosting engagement with the bracelet payment system through gamification.
The previous app lacked intuitive navigation, personalization, and excitement. By focusing on user needs and UX principles, we made the app a seamless part of the festival experience.
USER PROFILE
The upgraded feature includes an SOS function, allowing users to quickly contact medical teams or emergency contacts in critical situations. Users can also add friends via QR codes and view profiles.
SMUKSTATS
Redesigned from "Just Fun," SmukStats now lets users compare drinking statistics within their friend groups or track their overall consumption in a fun and engaging way.
REFLECTIONS
QR CODES FOR
THE WIN
One of our most impactful solutions - replacing long numeric passwords with QR codes for group invites - was officially recognized and is now implemented in the latest version of the Smukfest app, Smuklab. Seeing our idea influence a real product was a huge validation of our work.
MORE PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE
