Project Background
The demand for virtual events grew exponentially over the last couple years due to quarantine. Event organizers needed a dedicated online feature that would help ease the planning and the presenting of small scaled presentations. Organizing an event can be an overwhelming process involving the collection of projects and materials, communicating with the presenters and attendees, and now preparing all the correct Zoom links and invitations.
Project Outcome
To better support the organizers, the Artifact Center feature allows simple planning and showcasing of all types of small scaled presentations online. Organizers can manage presenters, projects, documents, video, livestream links, and more all in one space, and presenters have the ability to upload their own material, saving time and energy for all parties.
Research
User Goals
First, we needed to understand what specific tasks each type of user had to complete in preparation for the event.
Competition
To better understand the project, I researched competing platforms, poster sessions, art galleries, auctions, and competitions, in the physical and virtual space.
Iterate Iterate Iterate
Prototyping & Testing
Once we completed the user goals, user stories, competitive analysis, and user research, I began wireframing and high fidelity mockups. One issue we ran into was aiming too high in the beginning. To offer the most customizable options to the organizers, we originally intended to include the ability to auction items in the first release. After a few rounds of user testing, we found that this extra layer of complexity would not be beneficial to the organizers. It would only cause confusion and possible drop offs. One main goal of this feature is to make it as easy as possible to use and it was clear we were trying to provide too many options.
We removed the auction feature to focus on simplicity
Part Five | Final Product & Reflection
Organizer sets the title of the Artifact Center and type of presentation
Organizer creates scheduled email that includes link for presenters to upload their material
Organizer can control what information is displayed in presenters' profiles
Organizer can view all presenters and their work
Presenters are able to uplaod their material through this personalized link
Web App view of presentations where attendees can interact with presentations and presenters
Mobile App view of presentations
Presenter can also edit their profile through the Whova Mobile App
Feedback
The reviews we received from the organizers and attendees were extremely positive, with many noting the ease of setting up and accessing the presentations. We’ve also seen an increase in retention with organizers and engagement with attendees as a direct result of releasing this feature.

What I learned
One major lesson learned was the importance of understanding the requirements and conducting thorough research before diving into the design. This was my first major project, and through the support from my team, I recognized the value of deeply understanding the problem and users.

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