myMarket MOBILE APP
Designing the ultimate event companion.

Overview

High Point Furniture Market is the world’s largest home furnishings trade show, held twice a year in North Carolina. It attracts over 75,000 buyers, designers, and industry professionals from around the globe, spanning 11.5 million square feet of showroom space across 180 buildings.

As the Lead Product Designer, I was tasked with overhauling the outdated Market attendee mobile application. The app had fallen far behind modern usability and accessibility standards —particularly due to inconsistent Android and iOS experiences, resulting in confusion and poor adoption across attendee groups.

The Problem

The legacy app suffered from poor discoverability and navigation, leaving users unable to efficiently find exhibitors, events, or plan their visits. Key deficits included inconsistent UI patterns, limited accessibility features, and a fragmented cross-platform experience—ultimately diminishing attendee satisfaction and engagement at the show.

The Goal

Shape a unified, intuitive mobile companion that empowers users to seamlessly navigate, discover, and document their Market experience before, during, and after the event. This included:
• Streamlining exhibitor search and filtering
• Centralizing event schedules and favorites
• Ensuring an accessible, cohesive UI regardless of device

The Outcome

The redesigned 2.0 MyMarket App launched to overwhelmingly positive feedback. Users praised the clean UI, improved navigation, and consistency across platforms—reflected in strong engagement metrics and glowing testimonials from event attendees. The update earned specific recognition from the High Point Furniture Market team and helped elevate the overall guest experience.

“The existing app is just not where we need it to be...”

High Point Furniture Market aims to lead the way in innovative event technology, but this mobile app falls short of that vision.

Challenge #1

Outdated App User Experiences

The Android and iOS versions were built years apart, creating entirely different user experiences.

Challenge #2

Fragmented User Journeys

Attendees relied on multiple tools—event websites, paper maps, personal calendars, and even Instagram—for navigation.

Challenge #3

Opportunities for Discovery

The app didn’t help users go beyond their routine—no filtering, no visual inspiration, no transportation integration.

Research Methodology

I began by conducting detailed heuristic audits of both app versions, measuring them against modern UX principles and accessibility standards. This gave us a baseline of technical debt and misalignment with user needs.

Research Study #1:
Heuristic Evaluation

A usability inspection method where experts review an interface against established usability principles (heuristics) to identify usability issues.

Research Study #2:
User Interviews

One-on-one conversations with users to gather insights about their needs, behaviors, and experiences with a product or process.

Research Study #3:
Contextual Inquiries

Field-based interviews where users are observed and questioned in their natural environment while performing tasks, to uncover real-world workflows and pain points.

Use Case #1

Map Navigation

Attendees needed a GPS-style, intuitive map that reflected their real-time location and helped them navigate across a complex, multi-building event campus.

Use Case #1

Exhibitor Scheduling

Users wanted to build personalized schedules by favoriting exhibitors they planned to visit.

Use Case #1

Event Discovery

Users browsed keynote events and educational talks to decide which to attend.

Pain Point #1

No Filtering

Users left the app to search exhibitors on the website due to its robust filtering system.

Pain Point #1

No Imagery

Exhibitor pages lacked visuals, leaving users blind to the exhibitor’s aesthetic—critical in the world of interiors and furnishings.

Pain Point #1

No Routes

Maps didn’t integrate shuttle routes or stops, making navigation frustrating.

User Need #1

Clear Visual Indicators

Discover which exhibitors align with your personal style and current trends.

User Need #2

List Filtering

Find exhibitors that perfectly fit your purchasing and style niche.

User Need #3

Transportation Data

Visualize exhibitors conveniently located near transit routes.

User Need #4

Streamlined Planning

Plan and schedule your market journey from beginning to end.

User Want #1

A True 'All-In-One' App.

Want a single app that allows them to manage all their tasks at the event.

User Want #2

To Feel Like a "Market-Pro"

Seek a sense of comfort while exploring new areas and exhibitors.

User Want #3

Post-Show Tools

Need a tool that will support their work even after the event concludes.

User Want #4

Get the "Most" Out of Market

Want to maximize their styles and trends discoveries during the event.

Week 1 | Lo-Fi

Week 3 | Mid-Fi

Week 6 | High-Fi

Iterative Design

I began the redesign process with a rough sketch of the new interface layout to ensure the user experience aligned with our established requirements. I transformed the sketch into straightforward user flows that we could use to evaluate the new experience with users who were still using the old app. In the final stages, I refined the design and created a polished prototype, enabling staff, developers, and users to engage with and test the new features.

Enhanced Exhibitor Search

"As an attendee, I want to filter exhibitors based on my specific interests, so I can easily discover what I'm looking for."

I created a filters drawer for every search bar in the mobile app, enabling attendees to refine lists based on various criteria available in the web app version.

Increased Exhibitor Discoverability by 50%

Increased exhibitor discovery and engagement by allowing attendees to filter by styles, categories, and product types.

Increased App Engagement to 3x longer

Enabled a personalized and efficient browsing experience, leading to higher satisfaction scores in post-Market user feedback.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

Exhibitor Profile Enhancement

"As a first-time attendee, I want more visuals from exhibitors to help me quickly spot the styles and trends I'm interested in."

I revamped the exhibitor details page to emphasize visual brand identity over text content, allowing users to quickly recognize an exhibitor's style and products.

Increased Exhibitor Profile Views by 50%

Boosted engagement with exhibitor profiles through a more visually immersive experience.

Increased Profile Likes by 3x

Helped first-time and returning attendees quickly assess exhibitor aesthetics, reducing friction in showroom discovery.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

Unified Map System

"As an attendee, I would like to see a map of exhibitors located near bus stops, so I can easily plan my transit routes."

I developed a new map featuring fresh icons and customizable layers, allowing users to toggle on and off to personalize their view of exhibitors and shuttle routes.

Reduced Help Desk Direction Inquiries.

Reduced wayfinding friction and improved time-on-site efficiency for Market attendees.

Increased City Shuttle Utilization by 23%

Enabled a personalized and efficient browsing experience, leading to higher satisfaction scores in post-Market user feedback.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

Event Scheduler Page

"As an attendee, I want to store events I plan to attend, so i can organize my exhibitor visits around the keynote sessions."

I overhauled the events page and event card design to help users swiftly identify key information and easily add events to their daily schedules.

Increased Profile "Saved" Events by 2x

Helped attendees create personalized, time-aware schedules that reduced conflicts between events and showroom visits.

Increased App Engagement to 3x longer

Boosted daily app engagement by giving users a reason to return and check their schedule throughout Market week.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

Market Newsfeed

"As a first-time attendee, I'm eager for more news and stories to explore, helping me uncover exhibitor events throughout the city."

I introduced a new Twitter-like newsfeed page to the app that aggregates and shares all news from exhibitors at the market, providing users with a central hub to discover and read about exciting events and stories.

Increased Exhibitor Engagement by 2x

Increased content discovery by centralizing exhibitor news, product highlights, and event promotions in one feed.

Reduced Print Material Resources by 20%

Positioned the app as a real-time resource hub, especially valuable for first-time and exploratory attendees.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

18,600+

Over 18,600 verified users logged into the mobile app during the 5-day Market—demonstrating widespread adoption among attendees and exhibitors.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

8,700+

Maintained an average of 8,700 active users per hour across the event, indicating high ongoing engagement and consistent app value delivery throughout the day.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

186,000+

Users saved over 186,000 exhibitors to their personal lists, a strong signal of buyer intent and exhibitor discoverability within the app.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

29,600+

Attendees used the app to book nearly 30,000 events—validating the app as the central planning tool for navigating Market programming.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

8,600+

Over 8,600 users used the Visit Date scheduling feature to coordinate showroom visits, increasing lead quality and appointment preparedness for exhibitors.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.

8,200+

Attendees recorded more than 8,200 in-app notes to track products, meetings, or insights—proving the platform’s utility as a business productivity tool during the show.
All numerical values shown are for illustrative purposes, and do not disclose any confidential or proprietary information of the client or organization involved.
"Hands-down the best event app i have ever used..."