Leeds 2023

Letting Culture Loose

LEEDS 2023: A dynamic cultural showcase with diverse offerings from dance to sport, highlighting Leeds globally.

What did we do?

Working alongside Leeds 2023, we helped design and implement the digital aspects of the UK's Year of Culture. Our joint effort focused on creating a seamless online experience, making a year of cultural events accessible to all.

Platforms

  • Web

Expertise

  • PM & Strategy
  • UX/UI Design
  • Full-stack Development
  • Next.js

Deliverables

  • End to end product development
  • Web application

Learn More

What is LEEDS 2023?

LEEDS 2023 is an extraordinary Year of Culture, bursting with creativity and imagination. In collaboration with top-notch creatives, local talent, communities, and global arts organisations LEEDS 2023 is a one-of-a-kind celebration that truly embodies the spirit of Leeds, made for Leeds.

Lucky Duck was honoured to partner with LEEDS 2023 as the agency of record to build out the digital platform.

Early goal setting

Our initial discovery workshop we outlined core requirements of the project such as a volunteering platform and user authentication system to store tickets. An events gallery, and an interactive user raffle for the opening ceremony.

Then we started to create wireframes to outline key flows within the platform.

Wireframes
Initial wireframing at the start of the project

How are we looking 👀

From there we took the brand identity guidelines and started to flesh out various style tiles for the user interface.

Once we settled on a design language, we checked out designs against WCAG accessibility standards and started to combine the visual style tiles with the wireframes into a functional prototype of the MVP.

Style tiles
Concept styletiles exploring the Leeds 2023 UI

As the launch of LEEDS 2023 approached, we recognised the need for a robust and scalable technical architecture to accommodate high traffic during key events.

To ensure seamless performance from launch, we implemented NextJS and AWS serverless Lambda architecture with Vercel, providing a reliable and responsive platform that can effortlessly handle the demands of this major cultural event.

Opening Ceremony

Empowering creativity

One of the first campaigns launched for LEEDS 2023 was the opening ceremony raffle, which encouraged participants to submit a creative endeavor for a chance to win free tickets to the event.

To facilitate this, we developed a custom form builder using Zustand and Storyblok, providing a versatile and easily customisable solution through the CMS, which met the client's needs throughout the project.

Opening ceremony orders and tickets

Connecting audiences

One of the primary challenges for the LEEDS 2023 events platform was catering to a diverse range of different user personas across various event types. To address this, we developed a dynamic filtering and recommendation system using Algolia Instant Search, enabling users to discover events tailored to their preferences.

Additionally, we integrated a wallet system for convenient ticket storage and management.

What's on

Effortless ticketing

Prioritising fast performance on mobile devices and low connectivity broadband was essential for LEEDS 2023's ticketing system. We made it simple for users to access their tickets on the go and enabled a one-click checkout experience using Apple Pay and Google Pay.

This streamlined approach to ticketing ensured a seamless and accessible experience for all attendees.

Events detail