During COVID 19, a lot of businesses that showcased the arts suffered due to restrictions deeming it not safe for the public to attend productions indoors. In the UK, theatres and producers have had at least £1.04 billion in lost revenue from box office and retail revenue (up to December 2020), causing many to lose their jobs (APPG, 2020). The festival theme chosen is musical theatre and will be named “A weekend at the theatre”. It will showcase a range of different musicals and performers, performing some of the most popular musical theatre of the last 100 years.
UX (User experience) is defined as all aspects of the users interaction with the company/service being provided and encompasses the user’s whole journey ( Norman D., Neilsen J., N.D).
The UX for this festival should be simple, yet easily adjusted dependent on the user’s needs. Way in which the users needs could be accounted for on the website could include the ability to change the primary language for text, having clear text with contrasting colours, making navigation easy to understand, and directions with a map to assist with those not from the area.
This festival will also have a companion app for phone users. To assist with usability with the app, there will be the option to switch to stakeholder view (for those who are providing food/ drink or merch at the event), the ability to have a digital ticket for those who would prefer it, and lots of information what’s on, on the day. The app would also hold information for quiet zones, which would be tents primarily for those with sensory issues and/or anxiety to escape the crowds. This is important for the festival as currently up to 16.5% of the population have symptoms associated with sensory processing challenges (Miller et al., 2017) and 5% of the population experiencing GAD (NHS, 2018). By using quiet zones, the festival is then opened up to a larger community and is inclusive for those who need adjustments to be made.
References
APPG (2020), The impact of COVID 19 on the theatre industry. Available online: https://uktheatre.org/EasySiteWeb/GatewayLink.aspx?alId=3187408 [Accessed 23/03/2022].
Norman D., Neilsen J. (N.D), The definition of user experience (UX). Available online: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/definition-user-experience/ [Accessed 23/03/2022].
Miller et al. (2017) Identification of sensory processing and integration system clusters: A preliminary study. Occupational ther int. 10.1155/2017/2876080.
NHS (2018) Overview – Generalised anxiety disorder in adults. Available online: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/generalised-anxiety-disorder/overview/ [Accessed 23/03/2022].