Introduction
The challenge was to design a SaaS product that could support multiple audiences within the event ecosystem. The platform needed to work smoothly for administrators, exhibitors, brands, and event visitors. It also had to support product visibility, commercial activity, and a social layer where people could connect, share knowledge, and continue conversations before, during, and after each event.
Together with one of the most recognized fair institutions in Spain, we helped shape Ifema's Live Connect platform, a digital product designed to extend the event experience beyond the physical venue. The result was a platform that supported activities, networking, and event participation in a more connected way.
Would you like to discover more about this case study? Continue reading below.
Research
As with any new product, research was essential. We started by defining proto-personas and gradually built a research panel with real users. Once we had an MVP available for testing, we began gathering insights from real behavior and feedback, which became a key part of how the product evolved.
Like many SaaS products, this platform had to serve a wide range of user types. We had to consider administrators managing the platform, teams organizing each edition, community participants, and visitors attending events both in person and online. That variety of roles made research especially important.
After launching the MVP, we expanded our research through qualitative and quantitative surveys, as well as design thinking sessions with the Service Design team. This helped us understand the event world more deeply and identify new opportunities for improvement.
The MVP also allowed us to work with real data. We implemented tools that gave the administrator team access to useful information and helped us make better decisions based on actual usage patterns.
Define & Ideate
From the beginning, the product needed to function either as a complete suite or as independent modules that could be deployed across different ecosystems in an international market.
As we moved into definition and ideation, we worked closely with the Service Design team, clients, and users to understand their needs and priorities. Research guided many of our early decisions, while also reminding us that some of those decisions would naturally evolve as the product matured.
One of the biggest challenges was understanding the needs of each user profile and the different moments of interaction they would have with the platform.
Wireframing & Prototyping
Once the core concepts, profiles, and technical requirements were clear, it was time to turn them into concrete solutions. To begin solving the design challenges, we mapped flows for each user type. The platform experience for an administrator was very different from the experience of an event attendee, so role-based flows and information architecture became central to the work.
In the early stages, we created wireframes focused on features and functionality, deliberately leaving brand expression aside so we could concentrate on structure, logic, and usability.
Once the direction became clearer, we moved into prototyping. Prototypes were essential for validating ideas before development and for testing whether the proposed interactions actually worked in practice.
Every feature was tested through prototypes, which helped us uncover inconsistencies and refine the experience early. Prototypes were easy to share with the team, stakeholders, and research participants, allowing us to gather feedback, identify issues, and run qualitative interviews that reduced bias in decision-making.
UI Design
In this project, we worked within a waterfall framework that allowed us to implement features in stages and grow the product incrementally.
One of the first priorities was building a Design System that could serve as a shared source of truth for components, specifications, and future updates.
We also worked closely with the Marketing team to review components regularly and ensure the interface aligned with the brand guidelines.
Testing
Testing was a core part of the process from beginning to end. We wanted to validate ideas and iterate at different stages, from ideation to the final product, which allowed us to move faster and build a better digital experience.
We implemented testing solutions for both prototypes and production versions. That meant using tools during the design phase in Figma and continuing with analytics in the live product. These tools gave us valuable information about demographics, devices, languages, and user behavior.
Outcome & Learnings
Every project teaches something, and this one was no exception. Being part of the design of a complex SaaS platform such as Live Connect was one of the most demanding and rewarding challenges of my career.
It also gave me the opportunity to collaborate closely with service designers, developers, project managers, business stakeholders, and other multidisciplinary teams across the platform. That experience was highly enriching and helped me grow both as a designer and as a teammate.
Conclusion
Never stop learning. This project gave me the opportunity not only to deepen my knowledge of digital product design, but also to learn from colleagues in other disciplines and contribute to the creation of a platform with real scale and complexity.