Redefining Nightlife Safety Through Real-Time Booking & Capacity Control
Company
Case Study
Timeline
2021
—
2021
Role
Product Designer, Branding
Project overview
Experience (EXP) is a mobile app concept created during the late stages of the COVID-19 era—a time of uncertainty, shifting regulations, and heightened anxiety around public gatherings. EXP was designed to support nightlife-focused businesses such as restaurants, clubs, lounges, bars, and workshops that operate from evening to late night and represent nearly 40% of Canada’s entertainment economy.
The app bridges safety with entertainment by giving users clear visibility into venue capacity, real-time crowd levels, and a smooth booking experience.
What I worked on
As the Product Designer, I led the experience from discovery to final prototype. I conducted my own research, facilitated interviews, shaped the UX flows, and collaborated with my mentor PM for product direction. I created the wireframes, designed the interface system, and built the interactive prototype used for testing.
Key Contributions
Conducted user interviews (online + in-person)
Competitive & market research
User flows and journey mapping
Low-fidelity exploration and wireframing
High-fidelity UI design and design system
Interactive prototyping and usability testing
Iterations informed by real user feedback
Challenges
Nightlife businesses were struggling to reopen safely while managing fluctuating crowd sizes and strict capacity rules. Customers, on the other hand, didn’t feel confident entering a venue without knowing:
How crowded it was
What safety measures were in place
Whether capacity limits were being followed
Traditional booking systems didn’t address these needs. Walk-ins were unpredictable. And without real-time data, both users and businesses lacked transparency.
Opportunity
There was a chance to create a tool that:
Restores trust by revealing live capacity levels
Supports businesses through predictable attendance
Allows customers to book safely, not blindly
Reinforces safety regulations during booking
Brings structure to events, workshops, and nightlife experiences
By combining transparency with convenience, EXP could help revive late-night businesses during a fragile time.
Challenges
Experience (EXP) is a mobile app concept created during the late stages of the COVID-19 era—a time of uncertainty, shifting regulations, and heightened anxiety around public gatherings. EXP was designed to support nightlife-focused businesses such as restaurants, clubs, lounges, bars, and workshops that operate from evening to late night and represent nearly 40% of Canada’s entertainment economy.
The app bridges safety with entertainment by giving users clear visibility into venue capacity, real-time crowd levels, and a smooth booking experience.
Design process
1. Research & Interviews
I conducted interviews with nightlife-goers, restaurant customers, and business owners to understand concerns around post-COVID socializing. The common theme: people wanted to go out again, but safely.
2. User Journey Mapping
I mapped the flows for both users and business owners—highlighting key steps where transparency, reassurance, and clarity were needed.
3. Wireframing & UX Exploration
Multiple low-fidelity wireframes tested different approaches to capacity awareness, ticket organization, and booking flows.
4. Visual Language & UI Design
The visual system was designed with nightlife in mind: dark mode foundations, high contrast, and energetic neon accents. The interface stays intuitive even in low-light environments.
5. Prototyping & Testing
I built a high-fidelity prototype and conducted usability sessions. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with suggestions for minor refinements that informed future iterations.
Impact
EXP successfully demonstrated that nightlife and safety can coexist. The prototype delivered meaningful improvements:
Increased user confidence through real-time visibility
Reduced overcrowding risks with capacity monitoring
More predictable event attendance for businesses
Clear safety expectations throughout the booking flow
Streamlined ticket management and event organization
Users appreciated how the app balanced transparency and fun—making social plans feel safe again.
Results
Building EXP taught me the importance of designing with empathy during uncertain times. Users were not only looking for convenience—they were looking for reassurance. The project also reinforced the value of research, especially early interviews that exposed real fears and expectations.
If I were to continue evolving EXP, I would:
Expand research with more nightlife business owners
Develop advanced business tools like analytics and event management
Add more iterative usability testing throughout the process
Explore collaboration with developers to support live data tracking
Plan more deeply for scalability—for both guests and business owners
EXP became more than a prototype; it was a meaningful exploration of how design can rebuild trust in shared spaces.
Redefining Nightlife Safety Through Real-Time Booking & Capacity Control
Company
Case Study
Timeline
2021
—
2021
Role
Product Designer, Branding
Project overview
Experience (EXP) is a mobile app concept created during the late stages of the COVID-19 era—a time of uncertainty, shifting regulations, and heightened anxiety around public gatherings. EXP was designed to support nightlife-focused businesses such as restaurants, clubs, lounges, bars, and workshops that operate from evening to late night and represent nearly 40% of Canada’s entertainment economy.
The app bridges safety with entertainment by giving users clear visibility into venue capacity, real-time crowd levels, and a smooth booking experience.
What I worked on
As the Product Designer, I led the experience from discovery to final prototype. I conducted my own research, facilitated interviews, shaped the UX flows, and collaborated with my mentor PM for product direction. I created the wireframes, designed the interface system, and built the interactive prototype used for testing.
Key Contributions
Conducted user interviews (online + in-person)
Competitive & market research
User flows and journey mapping
Low-fidelity exploration and wireframing
High-fidelity UI design and design system
Interactive prototyping and usability testing
Iterations informed by real user feedback
Challenges
Nightlife businesses were struggling to reopen safely while managing fluctuating crowd sizes and strict capacity rules. Customers, on the other hand, didn’t feel confident entering a venue without knowing:
How crowded it was
What safety measures were in place
Whether capacity limits were being followed
Traditional booking systems didn’t address these needs. Walk-ins were unpredictable. And without real-time data, both users and businesses lacked transparency.
Opportunity
There was a chance to create a tool that:
Restores trust by revealing live capacity levels
Supports businesses through predictable attendance
Allows customers to book safely, not blindly
Reinforces safety regulations during booking
Brings structure to events, workshops, and nightlife experiences
By combining transparency with convenience, EXP could help revive late-night businesses during a fragile time.
Challenges
Experience (EXP) is a mobile app concept created during the late stages of the COVID-19 era—a time of uncertainty, shifting regulations, and heightened anxiety around public gatherings. EXP was designed to support nightlife-focused businesses such as restaurants, clubs, lounges, bars, and workshops that operate from evening to late night and represent nearly 40% of Canada’s entertainment economy.
The app bridges safety with entertainment by giving users clear visibility into venue capacity, real-time crowd levels, and a smooth booking experience.
Design process
1. Research & Interviews
I conducted interviews with nightlife-goers, restaurant customers, and business owners to understand concerns around post-COVID socializing. The common theme: people wanted to go out again, but safely.
2. User Journey Mapping
I mapped the flows for both users and business owners—highlighting key steps where transparency, reassurance, and clarity were needed.
3. Wireframing & UX Exploration
Multiple low-fidelity wireframes tested different approaches to capacity awareness, ticket organization, and booking flows.
4. Visual Language & UI Design
The visual system was designed with nightlife in mind: dark mode foundations, high contrast, and energetic neon accents. The interface stays intuitive even in low-light environments.
5. Prototyping & Testing
I built a high-fidelity prototype and conducted usability sessions. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with suggestions for minor refinements that informed future iterations.
Impact
EXP successfully demonstrated that nightlife and safety can coexist. The prototype delivered meaningful improvements:
Increased user confidence through real-time visibility
Reduced overcrowding risks with capacity monitoring
More predictable event attendance for businesses
Clear safety expectations throughout the booking flow
Streamlined ticket management and event organization
Users appreciated how the app balanced transparency and fun—making social plans feel safe again.
Results
Building EXP taught me the importance of designing with empathy during uncertain times. Users were not only looking for convenience—they were looking for reassurance. The project also reinforced the value of research, especially early interviews that exposed real fears and expectations.
If I were to continue evolving EXP, I would:
Expand research with more nightlife business owners
Develop advanced business tools like analytics and event management
Add more iterative usability testing throughout the process
Explore collaboration with developers to support live data tracking
Plan more deeply for scalability—for both guests and business owners
EXP became more than a prototype; it was a meaningful exploration of how design can rebuild trust in shared spaces.