A redesign of the MinSmukfest app, created in collaboration with IBM to strengthen attendee engagement and create a more personal festival experience.
Role
UX researcher / information architect / UX/UI designer
Timeline
March '23 - May '23
Team
4 designers
During my second semester of Multimedia Design, my team collaborated with IBM to rethink the MinSmukfest app for Smukfest, one of Denmark's largest music festivals.
Despite being downloaded by thousands of attendees every year, the app played a relatively small role in the overall festival experience. While it offered features such as friend tracking, memories, and event information, many users struggled to understand their value or rarely returned after their initial use.
Our goal was to transform the app from a passive information tool into a digital festival companion that attendees would actively engage with throughout the week.
How might we create an experience that people actively want to use before, during, and after the festival?
The challenge was not about just improving the interface. We needed to understand why users weren't returning to the app and identify opportunities to make it feel more valuable during the festival itself.
Smukfest is built around spontaneity, social connections, and memorable experiences. However, the existing app felt disconnected from many of the situations attendees encountered throughout the festival.
To better understand attendee needs, we conducted desk research, user interviews, usability testing, and information architecture exercises.
Across our research, one insight consistently appeared: users didn't see enough value in returning to the app throughout the festival.
Several recurring frustrations emerged:
. existing features lacked a clear purpose or overlap in functionality
. finding and coordinating with friends felt unnecessarily complicated
. the experience lacked personalization
. navigation required too many steps in situations where users needed quick answers
Early usability testing feedback
Experience mapping helped us identify the moments that mattered most during the festival experience: staying connected with friends, discovering events, navigating the festival grounds, staying safe, and capturing memories.
These insights shifted our focus away from adding more features and towards creating a more useful and engaging experience.
Experience mapping
Our initial assumption was that users wanted new functionality, but research quickly proved otherwise.
The issue wasn't a lack of features, but rather how existing features were organised, understood, and experienced.
This led us to focus on five key goals:
. improve usability and navigation
. create clearer distinctions between features
. introduce meaningful personalization
. increase engagement throughout the festival
. strengthen the connection between digital and physical experiences
These principles became the foundation for the redesign.
Through user flows, wireframes, concept development, and iterative testing, we redesigned the app around the festival journey rather than individual features.
A significant part of the process focused on information architecture and simplifying interactions. Users often struggled to understand where features lived, what they were for, and how they connected to one another.
Information architecture
One of the key design decisions was separating functionality from expression. Navigation, controls, and core interactions were kept simple and intuitive, while users could personalise parts of the visual experience through dynamic backgrounds and profile customisation inspired by the creative and expressive nature of the festival itself.
Style tile
Instead of introducing a completely new visual direction, we worked within the existing Smukfest and IBM design guidelines while exploring opportunities to create a more personal experience.
Design application
This balance allowed the app to remain easy to use in busy festival situations while still feeling uniquely personal.
The concept was continuously refined through usability testing and feedback sessions.
Testing revealed confusion around several features and interactions, particularly profile personalisation, SmukStats navigation, and the distinction between SOS-related functions.
Testing feedback
These insights informed multiple rounds of iteration focused on simplifying terminology, improving navigation patterns, and clarifying feature purposes.
Each round of testing helped reduce friction and create a more cohesive experience.
The redesigned MinSmukfest app creates a more personal, social, and engaging festival experience by making key features easier to use and more relevant to attendees throughout the festival.
User profiles
Customisable profiles allow attendees to express themselves through interests, preferences, favourite artists, and visuals.
Find Friends
QR-based invitations make it easier to create groups, find friends, and access emergency support through connected contacts.
Earn Goodies
A rewards system connected to festival purchases encourages engagement through perks, discounts, and festival benefits.
Live Up
Real-time event information and crowd insights help attendees decide where to go and what to experience next.
Unwrapped
A personalised recap transforms festival activity into a memorable post-event experience.
Smukstats
Spending, activity, and participation data are presented through a clearer and more engaging overview.
This project was one of my earliest experiences working with UX research as a foundation for design decisions.
One of the biggest lessons was seeing how quickly assumptions can change once real users become part of the process. Many ideas that initially seemed promising evolved significantly after testing revealed unexpected behaviours and frustrations.
One outcome that stood out was our proposal to replace long numerical group codes with QR-based invitations for the Find My Friends feature. Seeing a similar solution later adopted within Smukfest's own product ecosystem through Smuklab was a reminder that even small UX improvements can have a meaningful impact when they solve real user frustrations.
Looking back, the project strengthened my understanding of UX research, information architecture, and designing for real-world situations where speed, clarity, and usability matter most.
