Event App

DIY Event Planning & Vendor Discovery Ecosystem

Overview

The Challenge

Final Design

Design Approach

Reflection

Summary

Overview

Event planning is exciting, but the process is chaotic.

From weddings and birthdays to corporate events and religious functions, users struggle with fragmented vendor discovery, budget confusion, and decision fatigue.

This project reimagines event planning as a guided, theme-driven, structured ecosystem instead of a flat vendor marketplace.

My Role

Product & UX Designer

Scope

IA · System Design · UI · Interaction Strategy

The Challenge

Bridging the gap between inspiration and execution.

The Problem

Event planning is overwhelming due to scattered vendors, lack of structure, budget confusion, and decision fatigue. Users planning events face a "paradox of choice." They have fragmented platforms for discovery, but no structured flow to make decisions. This leads to budget confusion, aesthetic inconsistency, and decision fatigue.

Real User Struggles

Users don’t know where to begin

Endless scrolling without clarity

Decision fatigue due to too many choices

Booking decisions feel risky without context

Vendor browsing feels endless

No structured planning flow

Final Design

Event Selection

Users choose the type of event they are planning: Birthdays, Weddings, Baby Showers, etc.

Design Decisions:

Visual cards instead of dropdowns
Large imagery for quick recognition
Clear categorization to reduce decision effort

Users choose the type of event they are planning: Birthdays, Weddings, Baby Showers, etc.

Design Decisions:

Visual cards instead of dropdowns
Large imagery for quick recognition
Clear categorization to reduce decision effort

Event Selection

Users choose the type of event they are planning: Birthdays, Weddings, Baby Showers, etc.

Design Decisions:

Visual cards instead of dropdowns
Large imagery for quick recognition
Clear categorization to reduce decision effort

Users choose the type of event they are planning: Birthdays, Weddings, Baby Showers, etc.

Design Decisions:

Visual cards instead of dropdowns
Large imagery for quick recognition
Clear categorization to reduce decision effort

Categories Selection

Instead of displaying all vendors at once, services are organized into clear categories such as Decoration, Photography, Catering, Entertainment, etc.

Adding micro-categories allows the platform to deliver more accurate recommendations without requiring users to manually filter large vendor lists later.

Instead of displaying all vendors at once, services are organized into clear categories such as Decoration, Photography, Catering, Entertainment, etc.

Adding micro-categories allows the platform to deliver more accurate recommendations without requiring users to manually filter large vendor lists later.

Event Details Form

Gather essential planning information before generating recommendations. Rather than asking users to search manually, the platform uses event details to personalize vendor suggestions.

UX Consideration

Collecting information at this stage improves recommendation quality and reduces effort later in the flow.

Gather essential planning information before generating recommendations. Rather than asking users to search manually, the platform uses event details to personalize vendor suggestions.

UX Consideration

Collecting information at this stage improves recommendation quality and reduces effort later in the flow.

DIY vs Hire Event Planner

DIY Path

Users plan and manage their event independently while receiving vendor recommendations.

Hire Planner Path

Users connect directly with professional event planners who manage the entire event.

UX Consideration

Providing both paths increases flexibility and ensures the platform serves different planning styles.

DIY Path

Users plan and manage their event independently while receiving vendor recommendations.

Hire Planner Path

Users connect directly with professional event planners who manage the entire event.

UX Consideration

Providing both paths increases flexibility and ensures the platform serves different planning styles.

Vendor Recommendation List

Present personalized vendor recommendations based on user selections. Recommendations are generated using Event Type, Selected Categories, Subcategories, Location, and Guest Count.

UX Consideration

Instead of forcing users to browse hundreds of vendors, recommendations are filtered before they reach this stage.

This reduces overwhelm and improves decision confidence.

Present personalized vendor recommendations based on user selections. Recommendations are generated using Event Type, Selected Categories, Subcategories, Location, and Guest Count.

UX Consideration

Instead of forcing users to browse hundreds of vendors, recommendations are filtered before they reach this stage.

This reduces overwhelm and improves decision confidence.

Design Approach

Strategic Framework

Before designing UI, I defined three product pillars:

1. Event-Based Context

Everything should adapt to the type of event.

2. Structured Vendor Discovery

Browsing must be guided, not open-ended.

3. Integrated Decision Support

Comparison + shortlisting should exist within the flow.

These pillars informed every design decision.

The Core Product Flow

Instead of designing disconnected screens, I built a structured journey:

This flow reduces cognitive overload by turning a complex task into smaller, logical steps.

It applies the UX principle of progressive disclosure.

Event-First Information Architecture

Why Not Vendor-First?

Vendor-first = overwhelm.

Event-first = context.

Users choose:

Wedding
Birthday
Farewell
Bachelorette
Baby Shower

Immediately, the platform adapts.

Dynamic Theming System

Instead of static branding, I designed a dynamic theme engine.

When a user selects an event such as a wedding, birthday, corporate event, or baby shower, the interface adjusts to reflect the tone and expectations of that event.

Wedding → Elegant pastel palette
Birthday → Vibrant playful visuals
Corporate → Minimal neutral design
Festive → Rich gold design style

This approach helps create an emotional connection while maintaining a consistent design system.

Reflection

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges was balancing inspiration with structure. The platform needed to feel flexible and exploratory while still guiding users through a clear process.

Another key challenge was organizing a large number of vendor categories without creating visual clutter or overwhelming navigation patterns.

Designing scalable themes for multiple event types while maintaining a consistent design system also required careful refinement throughout the process.

Reflection

Key Learnings

This project highlighted the importance of designing systems that align with how users naturally think and plan.

Rather than focusing purely on visual design, the process required careful attention to information architecture, user behavior, and decision support mechanisms.

One of the most important lessons was that effective UX design is not about presenting more options, but about organizing complexity in a way that makes decision making easier.

Summary

Designing this event management platform demonstrated how thoughtful UX design can transform a complex and stressful process into a more intuitive and manageable experience. By restructuring the platform around user needs and planning behavior, the final solution provides users with a clearer path from event idea to event execution.

The project reinforced the importance of iteration, collaboration with stakeholders, and continuous refinement throughout the design process.

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