Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance
& Motoring Festival
Client Sponsored Project
Year
2026
Duration
10 weeks
Overview
Over the course of 10 weeks, I collaborated with nine other students to reimagine the 2026 Hilton Head Island Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival (HHI Concours).
We worked with the HHI Concours team to developed a seamless, end-to-end journey from initial awareness and digital registration to the physical site experience and guest flow.
My Roles
Service Strategist: I translated market research and user data into actionable design goals to meet the client requirements.
UX Designer: I defined the features and functionality of the ticket confirmation email and translated them into high-fidelity prototypes.
Project Outcomes
86%
Nearly all tested users preferred the redesigned ticket purchasing and confirmation experience.
10+
Prototypes delivered for both visitors and volunteers
📍 Context
Where did the project begin?
The Hilton Head Island Concours asked us to reimagine its end-to-end event experience, from initial awareness and ticketing to the on-site experience and post-event engagement.
The client also hoped to grow and diversify its audience, educate the public about the Concours, and make better use of Hilton Head Island as a destination.
🔍 Discovery
Understanding the Whole Visitor Journey
To understand the experience beyond the client brief, we studied how visitors discovered, planned, attended, and reflected on the Concours.
How we investigated the journey?
447 Survey Responses
To identify wider patterns and trends among different audiences
16 Interviews
Interview with both visitors and key stakeholders from marketing and operation.
2 Observations
Watched how people actually interacted within the event and what's the story in the back stage.
🧩 Key Insights
Turning Research into Insights
We used Mental Model, Customer Journey Map, Ecosystem Map and Visitors Service Map to analyze those research data.
01
Experience & Engagement
Visitors love the cars, but limited storytelling and interaction give them little reason to stay or engage after their first walk through the field.
02
Arrival & First Impressions
Parking, wayfinding, and transportation create friction before guests even reach the event, undermining the premium experience they expect.
03
Connecting with Younger Audiences
Younger visitors want more than cars on display. They’re looking for stories, learning, and hands-on experiences that make car culture feel relevant to them.
04
Tension Between Tradition & Evolution
The event’s lasting appeal comes from its sense of community and tradition. The challenge is to evolve without losing what makes it special.
💡 Design Strategy
Prioritizing the Opportunities
Our team surfaced opportunities across the full visitor journey. And we used the 2x2 map and a co-creation workshop to prioritized our ideas.
Choosing Where to Focus
After decided the stage we wanted to focused, we separated into 3 teams (Awareness & Decision Making; Trip Planning and Purchase; Explore Fields; Reflection & Evaluation.)
Our team focused on trip planning and purchase stage because it affected every ticketed guest and could be improved through a clear, high impact digital touchpoint.
Priority Opportunity For Trip Planning And Purchase
Turn the post purchase experience into a clear pre arrival guide that helps guests find essential information and strengthens their first impression of the event.
✅ Final Prototype
How might we improve arrival stage by turning the ticket confirmation email into a more thoughtful touchpoint?
I translated this service opportunity into a redesigned ticket confirmation email that brings ticket status, event details, and arrival information into one clear experience.
Old Design
Only listed payment info.
New Design
1. Simplified the email hierarchy so guests can quickly find their ticket status, event details, and next steps.
2. Added arrival essentials, including parking, maps, schedules, and venue information, to reduce uncertainty before the event.
See the Prototype link
Scroll to view ↓
📊 Validation
86% preferred the redesigned experience
Participants found the ticket status, event details, and arrival information easier to locate, helping them feel more prepared before reaching the event.
✨ Reflection
Learning how to prioritize ideas
This project taught me that design isn't about fixing everything you find, but about making deliberate choices. Facing too many possible improvements, I learned to slow down, weigh impact against effort, and focus on what would create the clearest value. Prioritization became not a limitation, but a design skill, one I'll carry into future work.