Patrick Purdy
experience | interaction | design
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Mobile Music Player
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bullsmadtown.com
Ticket sales for the Chicago Bulls have slowed and the team needed a new way to attract a younger crowd to their 300 level seats, a section popular among casual basketball fans due to lower price and greater availability.

We designed an online social communication hub and a means to enhance fan involvement at live games. The social hub would highlight Madison Avenue, a street neighboring the Bulls home stadium, as a great option for social occasions by focusing on the many restaurants and bars in the area. We also created new ways for fans to interact at live games by designing an improved mobile experience.
Interviews and research into analogous events in the area revealed an important insight. The desired audience liked to make a sporting event part of a "night out" that usually involved a meal beforehand and then some kind of social gathering at a local bar or restaurant afterwards. Most people we spoke to did not consider a Bulls game for their night out because they thought the area surrounding the stadium had few dining options.
Our first goal was to educate the audience as to the many options available on Madison Avenue. We wanted to communicate that, in addition to the large number of bars and restaurants, the area itself was vibrant and exciting. By focusing on events, local entertainment and highlighting certain venues, we felt that Madison Avenue would be seen as a good place for a night out.

To enhance the way fans experienced the live game itself we decided to enable new services, accessible using smart phones, in the stadium during live games.
To raise awareness of the local options available on Madison Avenue we created an online restaurant guide. This guide included a map of the area, restaurant deals, abbreviated menu choices, reviews and photos. To incentivize participation, weekly prizes, deals and contests would be featured on the homepage.

For the live game experience, fans in the stadium would be able to use their smart phones to order food from the concession stands and souvenirs from the gift shop. We also created a component of the mobile experience that allowed fans both in the stadium and at home to submit text messages to be displayed on the center-court Jumobtron.
We created an online networking hub that communicated both the value of the Chicago Bulls by showcasing local events and entertainment our design overcame mistaken impressions and revealed Madison Avenue to be a great place for a "night out". By making the Jumbotron display interactive and offering the option to order food and souvenirs from their seats, we also enhanced the mobile experience both for fans at the live event and at home.
Without Michael Jordan, the Chicago Bulls were looking for a new way to spark ticket sales
The "night out" is important to Chicago sports fans
 
The Chicago Cubs enjoy a strong following in part due to the social atmosphere surrounding Wrigley Field
Madison Avenue provides a diverse set of social destinations
The mobile experience would allow fans to be more engaged in the atmosphere of the United Center
 
Wireframes were used to guide the final visual design
With both mobile and online components the social communication hub would be accessible everywhere
 
The online experience would include restaurant information, Chicago Bulls news and promotional events
© Patrick Purdy 2011
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