Épico
Discover events in Lisbon with real-time
help from the crowd
Discover events in Lisbon with real-time
help from the crowd
Discover events in Lisbon with real-time
help from the crowd
Épico makes it easy to discover events in Lisbon, with real-time updates on the details that matter.
Épico makes it easy to discover events in Lisbon, with real-time updates on the details that matter.
Épico makes it easy to discover events in Lisbon, with real-time updates on the details that matter.
Live Event Updates
Live Event
Updates
Community Powered
Community
Powered
Advanced Filters
Advanced
Filters
Event Reviews
Event
Reviews
YEAR
2024-2025
TYPE
Solo Project
context
context
FLAG UX/UI Design &
Digital Product Course
FLAG UX/UI Course
The challenge
People could find events, but not what was actually happening.
People could find events, but not what was actually happening.
Most platforms list events but don’t reflect what’s actually happening: whether something is delayed, crowded or worth attending. At the same time, discovering smaller, non-mainstream events remains difficult, leaving users without a reliable way to explore what truly matters to them.
Most platforms lacked real-time context and made discovering smaller events unnecessarily difficult.
RESEARCH
Exploring the landscape
Exploring the landscape
To understand how events are discovered today, I combined surveys with market analysis.
To understand how events are discovered today, I combined
surveys with market analysis
To understand how events are discovered today, I combined surveys with market analysis.
Real users,
real insights.
Market review
Market review
Market review
I reviewed existing event platforms through a structured comparison to identify patterns, strengths and opportunities for differentiation.
6 platforms
6 platforms
analysed
Surveys
Surveys
I combined structured and open-ended questions to explore how people search for events and their pain points.
47
47 Lisbon
responses
residents
Lisbon
residents
Learning from real people
Learning from real people
Turning research into insights.
Turning research into insights
Turning research into insights.
Real-time is missing
For users, the biggest challenge isn’t finding events, it’s keeping up with what’s happening in real time.
70%
of users value real-time updates the most
Real-time is missing
For users, the biggest challenge isn’t finding events, it’s keeping up with what’s happening in real time.
70%
of users value real-time updates the most
Real-time is missing
For users, the biggest challenge isn’t finding events, it’s keeping up with what’s happening in real time.
70%
of users value real-time updates the most
Mainstream takes over
People want more niche experiences but platforms prioritise mainstream events.
51%
of users want access to lesser-known events
Mainstream takes over
People want more niche experiences but platforms prioritise mainstream events.
51%
of users want access to lesser-known events
Mainstream takes over
People want more niche experiences but platforms prioritise mainstream events.
51%
of users want access to lesser-known events
People trust people
Users rely on recommendations and peer opinions to decide which events are worth attending.
64%
users rely on friends and family to find events
People trust people
Users rely on recommendations and peer opinions to decide which events are worth attending.
64%
users rely on friends and family to find events
People trust people
Users rely on recommendations and peer opinions to decide which events are worth attending.
64%
users rely on friends and family to find events
DEFINITION
Reframing the problem
Reframing the problem
How my perspective evolved
How my perspective evolved
How my perspective evolved
I THOUGHT…
Finding events was the problem.
Finding events was the problem.
My initial
assumption
I DISCOVERED…
The real challenge is
staying informed in real time,
discovering relevant experiences
and deciding with confidence.
The real challenge is
staying informed in real time,
discovering relevant experiences
and deciding with confidence.
The real challenge is
staying informed in real time,
discovering relevant experiences
and deciding with confidence.
A deeper understanding of the real problem
Who I designed for
Turning insights into stories
Turning insights into stories
Beatriz
Wants to know what’s actually happening before leaving home
Trustworthy updates
Better planning
João
Tries to avoid the same mainstream recommendations
Alternative experiences
Relevant discovery
IDEA
Turning events into live updates
Turning events into live updates
Real-time updates powered by the crowd
Real-time updates powered by the crowd
Real-time updates powered by the crowd
Like Waze,
for events
Like Waze,
for events
Real-time updates
Real-time updates
What’s happening, as it happens, shared by people at the event.
What’s happening, as it happens, shared by people at the event.
Community validation
Community validation
Updates are confirmed or challenged by others, making it easier to trust what’s real.
Updates are confirmed or challenged by others, making it easier to trust what’s real.
Niche discovery
Niche discovery
Less mainstream events are easier to find through specific filters and user suggestions.
Less mainstream events are easier to find through specific filters and user suggestions.
Confident decisions
Confident decisions
Reviews and ratings from past editions add context, helping users decide what’s worth it.
Reviews and ratings from past editions add context, helping users decide what’s worth it.
Shaping the experience
Turning live updates into a real experience meant reducing it to a simple user flow, one that could happen in the moment
Turning live updates into a real experience meant reducing it to a simple user flow, one that could happen in the moment
take under 10 seconds
1
Share what's happening
Share what's happening
One tap to start sharing what's happening
One tap to start sharing what's happening
2
Add quick context
Add quick context
Simple tags make updates clear and useful
Simple tags make updates clear and useful
3
Optional media
Optional media
Photos or videos add real-world context
Photos or videos add
real-world context
4
Share with the crowd
Share with the crowd
Updates go live and get validated in real time
Updates go live and get validated in real time
SOLUTION
Making it real
Evolving ideas into clear, usable flows through iterative screen design
Evolving ideas into clear, usable flows through iterative screen design
Hover to peek inside the experience
Tap to peek inside the experience
1
Share updates instantly
Post what's happening
in just a few taps
2
See what's happening now
Real-time context
validated by people
3
Refine
the
discovery
Relevance emerges as filters adapt to choices
4
Decide
with confidence
Decisions take shape through shared experiences
5
Add events worth discovering
Hidden events, reviewed before going live
1
Share updates instantly
Post what's happening
in just a few taps
2
See what's happening now
Real-time context
validated by people
3
Refine
the
discovery
Relevance emerges as
filters adapt to choices
4
Decide
with confidence
Decisions take shape through shared experiences
5
Add events worth discovering
Hidden events, reviewed before going live
1
Share updates instantly
Post what's happening
in just a few taps
2
See what's happening
Real-time context validated by people
3
Refine the discovery
Relevance emerges as filters adapt to choices
4
Decide with confidence
Decisions take shape through shared experiences
USER TEST
What changed after testing
What changed after testing
I refined key interactions based on usability feedback, focusing on clarity, flow and decision-making
I refined key interactions based on usability feedback, focusing on clarity, flow and decision-making
Clearer update feed
Users struggled to interpret updates quickly, so I refined the labels and introduced a dedicated section for users’ own updates.
Before
refinements
Stronger primary action
The update action lacked visibility within the event page, so I increased its prominence to make participation feel more immediate.
Before
refinements
Deeper category navigation
Users needed more control after selecting a category, so I introduced subcategories for deeper exploration.
Users needed more control after selecting a category, so I introduced subcategories for
deeper exploration.
Before
refinements
VISION
Beyound the prototype
Looking ahead at how the platform could evolve over time
01
WHAT WORKS
Real-time signals
rely on community
Live community signals make discovery feel more immediate, relevant and connected to what’s actually happening.
02
NEEDS VALIDATION
Open contribution
require curation
Keeping the platform open while maintaining trust, quality and relevance would require continuous testing and moderation.
03
WHAT'S NEXT
The ecosystem
needs organizers
Long-term growth would require dedicated research into organizer workflows, alongside tools and shared value for both sides.