- Platform: Mobile app (iOS and Android)
- Duration: 12 weeks
- Tools: Figma, Miro
- Role: Ajmain Fayek completed this case study end to end, as problem finder, researcher, UX designer and UI designer.
The problem
Event organisers often struggle to book bands because there's no central place for information about availability, pricing and preferences. Booking means long back-and-forth conversations, and poor sound-system arrangements often lead to disappointing performances, leaving both organisers and bands unhappy.
Design process
We followed a Double Diamond approach (Empathise, Define, Ideate, Design, Test), iterating between ideation and testing.
Research
Desk research. Several Bangladeshi platforms cover music and events, but none offers proper online booking:
- Bangladesh Musical Bands Association (BAMBA) is an association, not a booking platform.
- Concerts in Dhaka lists upcoming concerts but doesn't help organisers book bands.
- Ontaheen's Top Bangladeshi Bands lists bands but has no booking feature.
- The Celebrity Singer and Bands Booking Agency takes booking requests but has no schedules, direct messaging, sound-system arrangement or revenue model.
Outside Bangladesh there are two similar platforms, Live Trigger and Omari MC, but neither offers features like Gala's.
Competitive analysis. We compared each platform on type, service, location, live schedule, booking and sample videos. No local competitor offered all three.
User survey. We surveyed students, job holders, event planners and business people about their age, profession and booking habits, and whether a dedicated website or app to contact and hire well-known bands would help. 93.3% said it would (60% "of course", 33.3% "yes"), and only 6.7% said "not really".
Defining the user
From the research we built a user persona, scenario, empathy map and user journey map. Our primary persona, Orno Mahmud, is the organising secretary of a university debating club who regularly arranges events. His pain points include struggling to contact bands directly, lacking proper contact information, scheduling issues and unclear rates. He wants one place to find, compare and book.
Insights and the Kano model. The insights became a feature list, prioritised with the Kano model into must-haves (search and filter, availability, ratings and reviews, booking and payment) and delighters (pre-recorded sample performances, price comparison, sound-system rental and discounts).
Solution
Gala is a one-stop booking app for event organisers. It shows each band's schedule, availability, hiring rates and requirements, so organisers can decide without the usual back-and-forth. A standout feature is the ability to listen to pre-recorded performances before booking. Local musicians also get a stage: they can upload sample videos and get hired as freelance performers.
Information architecture and wireframes
We mapped the app with a site map and user flows covering discovery, band profiles, booking, payment and messaging. We then sketched paper wireframes to test layouts quickly before moving to high-fidelity screens.
High-fidelity design
The final UI includes the home and discovery feed, band and artist profiles with sample performances, booking and scheduling, sound-system rental, a map to find artists nearby, in-app messaging with organisers, and profile and settings screens.
Revenue model
Gala earns a commission on each booking, plus subscription fees from band managers and sound-system providers for listing their services. With effective marketing, the platform can serve event organisers, bands, local singers and sound-system providers alike.
Outcome
Gala gives Bangladesh's live-music scene something it was missing: a transparent way for organisers to find, hear and book the right performers, and a way for new artists to be discovered. In our survey, 93.3% of respondents said they would find a dedicated booking app helpful.
