Celeb Guest Organizer

Manage guest lists and send invitations for seamless event planning.

Introduction

Planning an event can be overwhelming, especially for busy individuals who want to ensure a seamless and enjoyable experience for their guests.

This case study explores my design process for Celeb Guest Organizer, a web application aimed at simplifying event planning.

Through research, ideation, and iterative design, I developed a solution that enhances guest list management and invitation tracking.

Below, I detail my journey, key learnings, and future recommendations.

What is the problem?

Planning a party can be exciting, but it involves a lot of details and coordination. Many people do not have the time or expertise to manage all aspects of event planning, leading to a demand for tools that can simplify and streamline the process.

The solution

A user-friendly web application designed to simplify event planning by providing intuitive tools for managing guest lists, sending personalized invitations, and ensuring a seamless experience for hosts and attendees.

Understanding the User

To create an effective solution, I conducted research to understand user needs and challenges.

Research Goals

We want to understand the needs, pain points and preference of potential users to design a user-friendly and effective party planning website that simplifies the party planning process.

Research Objectives

  1. Identify the key tasks and activities involved in party planning from the users’ perspective.

  2. Understand the pain points and challenges users face when planning a party.

  3. Determine the features and functionalities that users consider essential for a party planning website.

Competitive Analysis

I compared the features, advantages, and disadvantages of 4 online Party Planning resources: Top Event app, My Party Planner app, Evite app and Paperless Post app. Identifying competitors' common advantages and disadvantages helped me identify elements to mimic or avoid in developing our product.

User Interview

Interviewed four participants who have experience planning at least one party or event.

User Feedback

Occasions

  • Most parties are typically held at the host or co-host's house, influencing factors like decoration and space utilisation.

  • Planning for loved ones may require more consideration of their preferences and expectations.

Budget Management

  • Budgeting is more informal, with friends chipping in to help cover costs.

  • The focus is on sharing and enjoying special moments together rather than strict financial planning.

Entertainment

  • Choices range from DJs and live bands to games, photo booths, swimming, piñatas, and group games.

  • The type of entertainment should align with the party’s theme and audience preferences.

Preparation

  • Creating detailed checklists and timelines.

  • Delegating tasks to ensure all aspects are covered.

  • Specific preparations include:

    • Arranging food and beverage options

    • Catering services

    • Hiring helpers or waiters

    • Selecting or ordering a cake

    • Researching and deciding on games or activities

    • Setting the date and time

    • Planning and executing decorations

Purpose of Party Planning

  • The emphasis is on creating an enjoyable experience for all attendees.

  • Sharing moments and creating memories are central to the party's purpose.

Challenges

  • Challenges include last-minute changes, guest management, collaboration with co-hosts and friends, engaging of vendors and resources, and ensuring that everyone enjoys the event.

User Persona

To humanize our target users, I created Jessica, a busy project manager who finds event planning overwhelming. This step helped me stay user-centered throughout the design process.

Jessica is a project manager with a busy schedule, and planning a party for her loved one feels overwhelming. She wants the event to be special and meaningful, but managing guest lists, sending invites, and tracking responses takes a lot of time and effort. She needs a tool to make this process quicker, easier, and less stressful.

With this app, Jessica can save time, stay organized, and focus on what really matters—making her loved one feel special. It helps her plan a stress-free and meaningful event without sacrificing her busy schedule.


User Flow

Digital Wireframes

With research insights and a clear problem definition, I brainstormed and sketched low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the user experience.

Brand Logo & Color

After finalizing wireframes, I moved into UI design, considering branding and user experience.

The CELEB logo combines playful typography and a celebratory party popper icon to convey the brand's values of reliability, effectiveness, connection, happiness and celebration.

Color - Purple as the main color, giving the design a creative, warm, and passionate feel. Yellow is used as the secondary color to add a bright and inviting touch. Together, these colors create a brand identity that is both warm and energetic.

Testing

I conducted usability testing to evaluate the design’s effectiveness.

Tasks Tested

Task 1 - Creating New Account and login

Task 2 - Creating a New Event

Task 3 - Adding Guest to the Event

Task 4 - Assigning Guest to Group

Changes to Implement

Assigning Tag to Guest

  • Improve user flow to be more intuitive by assigning tag under guest profile.

  • To only display the assigned tag under the user profile to reduce confusion.

Assigning Guest to Group

  • Adding icons and buttons to improve user flow.

Task 5 - Assign Tag to Guest

Task 6 - Sending Invitation

Task 7 - View the RSVP Response

Adding Guest to the Event

  • Add labels to the “Add Guest” icons in the guest list so user can clearly understand the purpose of each buttons.

  • Use the words “Guest List” instead of “Manage Guest” under menu to reduce confusion.

  • Use the word “Invitation” instead of “Invites” to avoid confusion.

Creating a New Event

  • Rename “Let’s Go” and “Create Event” buttons to avoid confusion about the event creation process.

Summarised Testing Feedback/ Comments

High-Fidelity Wireframes

The design process started with low-fidelity wireframes to plan the layout and structure. Next, digital wireframes were improved based on user feedback. Finally, high-fidelity prototypes were created with polished visuals and branding.

Key Learnings & Reflections

Through this case study, I learned several valuable lessons:

User Research is Key

Conducting interviews and usability tests helped me uncover real pain points and refine the solution accordingly.

Iterate, Iterate, Iterate

The design went through multiple iterations, emphasizing the importance of continuous improvement.

Clarity in UI/UX Design

Small changes, like renaming buttons and simplifying workflows, had a significant impact on user experience.

Balancing Functionality & Simplicity

While users wanted comprehensive features, keeping the interface intuitive was critical.

Future Recommendations

Mobile Optimization

Refining the mobile experience for better accessibility and usability on the go.

Guest Engagement Features

Adding interactive elements like polls, chat forums, and icebreaker suggestions to enhance guest participation.

Integration with Calendar Apps

Enabling synchronization with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, and Outlook for better event scheduling.