Elevating the Stadium Fan Experience
This is a three-year ongoing project which started from 2021 to 2023. Global Payments’ partnership reveals how optimizing commerce technology throughout the stadium can enhance a fan’s game day experience.
The streamlined event experience will start before fans even enter the stadium. With the ease of digital tickets, mobile ordering, and self-service kiosks, fans can order food, navigate the stadium and make it to their seats with time to spare.
With Global Payments’ personalized payments technology - PWA Mobile Ordering System, vendors can offer a unique selection of food and beverages on all levels of the stadium.
Link to Related News and Posts
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Oct 2021 - Present
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Elevated the fan experience to be more personalized and efficient than ever by collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Stadium as their official tech partner.
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Led user research like interviewing fans on a game day and identified, categorized, and described stadium user cohorts by different stadium events.
Increased design consistency with a robust design system that’s accessible to the entire design and front/back end team.
Designed the PWA mobile ordering user flow based on GP’s internal payment system and clients’ requirements.
Worked cross-functionally with engineer team & PM to improve the overall in-stadium mobile ordering product experience for returning and guest users.
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Figma, Adobe After Effects, Illustrator & Photoshops, Google Forms
Click the “Play” Button to Watch the Concept Video!
Turning Challenges into Opportunities
Through innovation, we are turning challenges into opportunities to elevate the fan experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Let’s watch this full video for why and how.
Why did we build PWA Food Ordering for Stadium Fans?
Progressive Web App (PWA)
PWAs include easy updates, better indexing, searchability (as compared to native apps), universal access, offline-first approach resulting in data savings for end-users.
Reliable — Load instantly and never show the downasaur, even in uncertain network conditions.
Fast — Respond quickly to user interactions with silky smooth animations and no janky scrolling.
Engaging — Feel like a natural app on the device, with an immersive user experience
Who are we designing for?
For all stadium cohorts who want a better in-stadium food ordering experience.
How does it work?
With Global Payments’ personalized payments technology - PWA Mobile Ordering System, vendors can offer a unique selection of food and beverages on all levels of the stadium. Simply put, Global Payments Inc. and Mercedes-Benz Stadium are elevating the fan experience to a new level.
Design Process
Background
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Increasing Number of Sports Events Globally Drive the Smart Stadium Market Growth
The smart stadium market was valued at USD 6.8 billion in 2020 and is expected to register a CAGR of 21.53% during the forecast period (2021 - 2026) to reach USD 18.23 billion by 2025.
The trend of stadiums getting completely digital will drive the smart stadium market. Consumers with technological advancements prefer to purchase and stats on their mobile devices, leading stadiums to find newer ways to monetize, fill the stadium, and compel the fans to increase expenditure.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt -
Safe and Contactless Will Be the Trending of the Future of Smart Stadium Market
When crowded sports stadiums meet COVID-19, there is a high entry of attendees; building a contactless, safe and healthy smart stadium is a challenge now.
How can we make different cohorts all feel safe and secure? How can we elevate the fan experience? Buying food and merchandise is what directly affects the fans' experience. In an era where everyone has a cell phone, mobile ordering has become a familiar and expected feature for most people.
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt
Competitive Analysis
Define the core competencies by analyzing competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) from business, interaction, and visual perspectives.
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Opportunities:
Make mobile ordering fictioness with Flexible options (delivery & pick-up).
Encourage guests to sign-up at the end of the ordering flow.
Threats:
Maintain visual consistency and avoid different styles of components.
Text message required for order status.
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Opportunities:
Users set their seats for in-seat delivery and nearby recommendations.
Show maximum quantity for alcoholic beverages (ID required).
Threats:
No guest checkout - users must sign up to continue to check out.
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Opportunities
Visualize the distribution of restaurants on the map with an option to display directions from your current location.
Improve food safety - avoid users choosing foods that make them allergic.
An order summary page before check out.
Estimated wait times in minutes.
Option to reschedule or cancel the order pickup.
Threats
Must sign-up / login to continue ordering or browsing the menu.
In-Stadium Fans’
Interviews & Surveys
Research Goal:
Explore the food and beverage purchasing habits, pain points, and needs of different groups in the stadium to provide qualitative and quantitative information.
Preparation for In-Stadium Interview & Survey
Five $15 Amazon Gift Cards for 15 mins Interview
Five $10 Amazon Gift Cards for Survey Form
In-Game Day:
To learn about stadium fans’ food and drink purchasing experience, I went to Levi’s Stadium near me to interview ten Fans and send out ten surveys.
I also interviewed the fans sitting around me about their experience buying food and drinks.
I found the fans lining up for food and drinks at the stadium and had a 10 minute live interview with each of them.
My day at the stadium
Preparation for In-Stadium Interview & Survey
User Interview
Qualitative Research
Interviewees: Age from 25 - 50, seven male and three female.
Scenario Definition: Users want to try mobile orders after finding it inconvenient and time-consuming to purchase F&D in person.
Interview Outline
User Behaviors: In-stadium buying habits, preferences, & methods.
User Motivations: Factors that influence the purchase decision.
User Experiences: The process of purchasing food and beverages.
User Pain Points: The main problems faced in the purchase process.
User Needs: Users want shorter waiting times; contactless, convenient, and frictionless experiences. They don’t want to miss the exciting moments of the game.
Interview Takeaway
Organize the content of the interviews, categorize them according to users' "think, listen, see, act", and build a user empathy map.
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Searched restaurant ratings and information on various platforms.
Followed the recommendations of others.
Chose a store closest to them and with the shortest line.
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They will no longer miss out on the action, and can safely enjoy their entertainment.
More efficient, fast, and reliable food & drink ordering experience.
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Waited more than 30 mins in the line for food & drink.
Can’t find the top rating concession stand nearby.
There were too many people watching the game and I didn't feel safe.
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Keep social distance and contactless ordering during the pandemic time.
Skip the long waiting line at the concession stand.
Find concession stands’ ratings and information efficiently.
User Demands - FOOD & BEVERAGE
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75%
of fans in the US said they would use mobile, tablet, & kiosk ordering.
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85%
of fans said in-seat delivery and express lines were preferred for food & drink.
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10 Mins
is the maxium acceptable waiting time to buy food & drink.
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58%
of fans would spend more on food and drink if waiting times were shorter.
Persona
Narrowing Scope
I created user journey maps for registered/returning users and guests to empathize with their food and drink ordering experience at the stadium. At the same time, I discovered the pain points during their food purchasing processes and wrote down opportunities for later designs.
Opportunity Points
After sorting and organizing the opportunity points from user journey maps, I have decided on three main optimization directions which are:
Optimizing the food & drink ordering process
Elevating the fan engagements
Exclusive and personalized options
Visual Design
We designed for all types of stadium cohorts!
Most tool-based & lifestyle software has a clear purpose.
Our MBS food & drink ordering progressive web app is used based on the noisy environment and thumb-clicking experience of one-handed operation; so the core functionality should be moved to an easier to click to, visually more focused area.
This is a work-in-progress product that is not yet live and available to the public.
More processes and designs are coming soon!
If you are interested in this product, don't hesitate to contact me via email or phone. Thank you very much.