Uncovering Why People Skip Events They Want to Attend
Through interviews, participants revealed something surprising:
People weren’t skipping events because they didn’t want to go, they were skipping because they didn’t feel prepared.
They expressed uncertainty around:
Not knowing if the venue would feel safe or accessible
Fear of showing up alone with no one to interact with
Difficulty starting conversations with strangers
“I usually bail last minute because I don’t know what I’m walking into.” - Paige
“I hate showing up alone and not knowing where to go.” - Cooper
“I need a way to meet people before I get there…” - Jared
The emotional cost was clear:
Uncertainty leads to avoidance, even when the event itself could spark joy, excitement, and connection.
Redefining the Experience to Build Confidence Before Arrival
My goal was to reshape the event-going experience around confidence, not just information.
I focused on three core outcomes:
Reduce Uncertainty - Give users visibility into venue layout, parking, accessibility, crowd size, and logistics before they arrive.
Build Social Readiness - Connect users with people who share mutual interests, so they aren’t walking in alone.
Start Conversations Upfront - Enable pre-event chat so interaction feels natural when they meet in person.
The goal wasn’t just usability, it was emotional transformation:
Turning uncertainty into anticipation.
Creating a More Confident, Socially Ready Event Experience
The prototype demonstrated how small emotional nudges create measurable behavioral change.
What Worked Well:
Matchmaking by interests made meeting new people feel effortless rather than intimidating.
Venue details removed the “unknown” and helped users plan.
Pre-event chat built familiarity, leading to more meaningful in-person connections.
Pain Points Identified:
Some users wanted reassurance they could control who they connect with.
Others wanted a more guided way to start conversations.
The emotional impact was consistent:
Reducing uncertainty → increases commitment.
Creating connection → increases follow-through.
Mapping the Experience to Reveal Opportunities
I grouped user insights from Cooper, Jared, Paige, Kim, and Chris into themes of social comfort, information fragmentation, and tool preferences. These insights revealed clear gaps, KnoGo’s current event discovery risks solo hesitation and planning friction from scattered venue sites and social media, while lacking the visual previews, mobile interactivity, and pre-event connections that build confidence on platforms like Eventbrite or Instagram.
KnoGo users, from social coordinators like Alex to occasional solo attendees like Taylor, struggle with fragmented coordination, solo-anxiety, and tool-switching, as event info scatters across venue sites, emails, and social apps, while lacking integrated group formation, safe pre-event matching, or mobile-first sharing. Event planning adds value for excitement and connection but feels inefficient and isolating without centralized details, visual prep (maps/layouts), or privacy-focused social tools. Key needs include integrated matching and group chats, quick event overviews with schedules, seamless mobile navigation, and opt-in icebreakers to boost confidence, attendance, and engagement across frequent and rare event-goers.
The proposed KnoGo user flows enable seamless event connection and planning by opening the app, accessing the Home Page/Dashboard, and branching into three core paths:
Event Matching - clicking Connections, viewing Match Suggestions, and accepting to start in-app chats;
Event Information - selecting My Events, choosing an upcoming event, and exploring overviews, interactive details, or ticket verification;
In-App Chat - initiating chats with matches via icebreaker prompts.
Users return to the dashboard from any point without losing context. This addresses fragmentation, solo-anxiety, and prep uncertainty by centralizing social coordination, rich event information, and mobile-first interactions, delivering confidence, efficiency, and engagement from discovery to attendance.
Mapping showed where confidence broke down: deciding to attend, arriving at the venue, and starting conversations.
Simplifying Interaction Through Thoughtful Wireframes
1. Event Matching
When originally designing the event matching screens I wanted to make sure to focus on simplicity and familiarity.
2. Interactive Event Information
For the interactive event map screens, I was wanting to ensure that the design was user friendly and comprehensive.
3. In-App Chat with Icebreakers
The in-app chat and icebreakers I made the design keep with the familiarity of basic messaging apps, so there was no reason to reinvent the wheel.
Brand Values
Connection: Fostering meaningful links between attendees.
Empowerment: Giving users confidence to enjoy events.
Simplicity: Offering an easy, intuitive experience.
Trust: Ensuring safety and reliability.
Excitement: Sparking joy for upcoming events.
Community: Building a sense of belonging.
Accessibility: Making events reachable for all.
Branding Color Palette
#163C3F (Deep Teal) A rich, grounded tone that conveys Trust and Connection, stable and professional, perfect for safety-focused features like matching and maps.
#416973 (Cool Teal) A vibrant yet calming shade that signals Excitement and Empowerment, energizing the interface while maintaining Simplicity and Accessibility.
Focusing on the visual design of KnoGo, I prioritized a UI that is instantly user-friendly and easy to comprehend at a glance. Every element layout, icons, and navigation, was crafted for clarity and speed, allowing users to understand and act without effort.
Lo-fi sketches prioritized clarity and emotional guidance:
clear venue intel, a simple match flow, and easy conversation starters.
Hi-fi designs refined the feel into a warm, playful visual system that reflects the excitement of going somewhere new, with someone new.
Validating Through Usability Testing
Participants completed all task flows with ease: discovering an event, matching with a person, viewing venue details, and starting a conversation.
They described KnoGo as:
“Comforting”
“Encouraging”
“Exactly what I need to stop canceling plans”
Small enhancements, like adding conversation prompts and safety controls, dramatically increased user confidence and emotional buy-in.
Validating Through Usability Testing
After testing, I refined key interactions to support user autonomy:
Added conversation starter prompts for low-pressure engagement
Enhanced privacy controls so users choose who can connect with them
Streamlined the match-and-message flow to reduce hesitation
These updates ensured that the product wasn’t just functional, it felt supportive.
Designing for Confidence, Not Complexity
The biggest insight?
People don’t need more features.
They need more clarity, support, and emotional safety.
KnoGo proved that when design anticipates emotional barriers, not just functional ones, behavior changes.
Next steps include integrating event host partnerships and piloting a beta with local event communities.
Key takeaway:
Confidence drives attendance.
Connection drives engagement.
And great design transforms hesitation into action.
