Discovery to delivery —
end-to-end ownership
As the sole designer, I drove every phase of this initiative: from diagnosing the real problem to designing the test, running iterations, and measuring impact. Here's how the process unfolded.
A value signal system,
not just a badge
The solution centered on a disciplined redesign of how deals are surfaced — combining a credible label with filter-level discoverability. Restraint was the design principle: fewer, stronger signals over more noise.
Three badge states tested (filled, outlined, ghost) alongside a contextual tooltip surfacing real-time demand and relative value signals — giving users both urgency and confidence.
Key design decisions
Contextual value, not universal
A "Hot Deal" is relative to similar inventory in that event — not a global standard. This kept the label honest across constantly-shifting pricing.
Selective application
Set a threshold: no more than ~20% of listings could carry the badge. Scarcity preserves signal strength. More than that and it's noise again.
Filter integration
Turned "Hot Deals" into an active discovery tool — not just a passive badge. High-intent users could filter directly, creating a fast lane to checkout.
Eye-movement aligned placement
Positioned to appear in the natural scan path — left of price, where users' eyes were already landing when comparing options.
Extending the signal to the seat map
The badge didn't stop at the ticket list. Hot Deal sections were mirrored directly onto the interactive seat map — so when a user hovered or selected a flagged listing, the corresponding section lit up with the same 🔥 marker. This closed the loop between the list and the visual map, reinforcing the signal at every touchpoint in the selection flow.
Perception changed.
Revenue followed.
By shifting from noisy, overused labels to a disciplined value-signal system, conversion improved meaningfully — proving that the bottleneck wasn't inventory, pricing, or intent. It was perception.
Conversion funnel improvement
Beyond the numbers
MegaSeats as a test bed
Proved MegaSeats as an effective, lower-risk testing environment before rolling changes up to TicketNetwork — faster learnings, lower exposure.
Scalable A/B framework
Walked away with a documented, repeatable experiment framework applicable to future merchandising and pricing initiatives.
Design as business strategy
Revenue grew without touching pricing or inventory — demonstrating that design decisions directly impact business outcomes at scale.
XFN trust
Led end-to-end with full ownership. Built credibility with product and engineering as a design partner who thinks in systems and ships results.