Domain
Media & Entertainment
Geography
India, UK
Platform
WebApp
Services
Research, Strategy, Design, Branding
Festival from India is India’s first comprehensive online platform dedicated to showcasing, celebrating, and promoting the rich art and cultural festivals across various art forms, locations, and languages. This platform was entirely designed and curated by NetBramha for British Council to scale their Global Creative Economy Program.
Festivals From India is 1st-of-its-kind of curated selection of contemporary and traditional festivals, enhanced by international partnerships between the UK and India. Designed for festival attendees, managers, suppliers, sponsors, advertisers, volunteers, and cultural enthusiasts, the platform serves as a hub for everything niche, cultural, inclusive.
Challenges
This initiative had to satisfy the needs of a highly diverse audience, requiring a deep understanding of different user groups, across the arts & culture domain to create a solution that resonated broadly and effectively. It was pertinent to obtain both objective & subjective insights from varied user personas – from festival attendees to organizers to even those exploring learning/career opportunities in this niche.
Owing to limitations posed by the Pandemic (2021-22), conducting deep user research posed a challenge, not to mention aligning these insights with multiple stakeholders, with different business goals in mind. This collaboration was essential but complex, given the diverse perspectives and expectations involved. Additionally, it being a first-of-its-kind platform, it meant a great deal of charting unknown territories such exploring the pain points of users in the cultural context, creating an all inclusive platform catering to disabilities needs, & so on.
Solution
NetBramha crafted a dynamic platform that captures the joy, inclusivity, and diversity of festivals across India. Leveraging our full suite of services, we designed a vibrant & inclusive platform that celebrates India’s rich heritage by curating both contemporary and traditional festivals, enhanced by international partnerships. This platform serves as a comprehensive hub, catering to the needs of festival attendees, managers, suppliers, sponsors, and advertisers, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for all stakeholders, a rich collaboration between India & UK.
Our
research
The project required addressing a diverse range of user groups across multiple dimensions. We engaged users in four languages, ranging in age from 18 to 60, and from various ethnicities and geographies, including Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities across India. The platform also needed to be accessible to differently-abled individuals. With less than 2 months to work on this comprehensive platform, we used a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative research involved user interviews and use cases to capture detailed needs, while quantitative research utilized surveys for broader insights. This approach enabled us to design a platform that effectively catered to this diverse audience within the tight timeframe.
Painpoints discovered
Lack of
Community
Cultural events remained isolated & scattered with no common platform for all
Market Entry
Challenges
Organizers looking to enter the market lacked direction and connections, with negligible support.
Limited Event
Coverage
There was a clear need for a platform that provides comprehensive information about all types of events.
Our
strategy
Our strategy to build the platform focused on integrating key elements such as content and community, while emphasizing diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. We innovated during the pandemic by incorporating live virtual events to enhance engagement. Accessibility was a priority, with a disability-friendly UX, measures for social distancing, and considerations for gendered bathrooms.
Our business goals included providing learning materials and establishing connections with universities to support the entire festival organizing ecosystem. We developed a detailed information architecture, including Level 1 and Level 2 structures, and created an in-depth content model. Backend process workflows were designed to streamline user onboarding and follow-up. The platform features rich, engaging content, including articles, case studies, reports, and blogs, to ensure a comprehensive and dynamic user experience.
Content & Community
Bringing global attention to Indian culture
Iterative Design
Human-centered design for cultural nuances
Wide Diaspora
Platform that caters to a billion+ population
Design
execution
We prioritized several key elements to ensure a successful outcome. We focused on dynamic branding to create a compelling and engaging identity for the platform. A well-structured workflow and information architecture were essential for a seamless user experience. We aimed for a detailed and visually appealing user interface, supported by a comprehensive design system to maintain consistency and quality. Our approach included responsive front-end development to ensure accessibility across various devices, and a CMS-based backend for efficient content management. Additionally, we adopted a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) model to ensure smooth implementation and ongoing support.
Information Architecture
We developed detailed layouts in multiple levels to ensure comprehensive planning. The overarching roadmap included all essential details, starting with basic layouts and progressing to more intricate designs. These detailed layouts showcased content categorization, event types (online, hybrid, or offline), and the structure of each event.
Visual design
During the visual design phase, we created the entire brand language from the ground up. Our goal was to use clean, clear design elements featuring bright colors and patterns. The logo was meticulously crafted to be versatile, serving as a foundational element that could be adapted throughout the site. All visual components on the site are variations of the logo pattern, ensuring a cohesive and unified design.
The
outcomes
Our design delivered significant impact and outcomes, particularly through innovative solutions and inclusive features. We introduced live virtual events, ensuring continued engagement despite physical limitations. We prioritized accessibility by implementing a disability-friendly UX, accommodating social distancing, and incorporating gendered bathrooms, through design. Our platform provided valuable learning materials and established connections with universities to enhance the festival organizing ecosystem. This led to more than 3500+ festivals & events being hosted in the 1st year alone!
