Wizard Retreat Weekend



About the Project



Title: Head of Desing and Development



Client: Urban Wizards, 50c



Duration: July 2021 project is ongoing with pauses



Tools: Figma, HTML, CSS, WordPress



Overview of the clents:

the world’s largest in-person Harry Potter meetup group. They have over 4,000 members and hold events threw out the Metro of New York City.

Logo of Urban Wizards and phonix over nyc skyline

Problems

Main Problem



Getting New Yorkers to travel out of NYC



New Yorkers dont own cars for the most part traveling away from the subway system is hard and time intensive there location isn't on a bus route so a cab is required.

Problem 2



The Time Frame



The bref was given to me two weeks before the site needed to be finished. I had to design and develop a full site in two weeks for people to be able to buy tickets for the event.

Problem 3



House Colors and fall colors



Its best to avoid house colors so the site couldn't use yellow, blue, black, red, green, gray, and Urban Wizards wanted a fall theme.

Solutions

Main Solution



Getting New Yorkers to travel out of NYC



Using information from running other event inculting a 500 person convention in Laconia NH, where the nearest train, or bus was an hour and half from the location. Using that date I was able to make design choices.

Solution 2



The Time Frame



14 days, for a project from start to finish isn't much time, I broke the project into desing using pior gathered data while developing the site while making plains with the team

Solution 3



House Colors and fall colors



I got aproveal from the team pretty fast on the colars for the site, I would use gold, purple orange and black.

Research

User Persona

Using data from other events I was able to make a user Persona with many years of experince working with this population

Persona



Name: Meg



Age: 27



Job: Teacher



Location: New York City



Goals: Meet people they have things in common with



Needs: To be able to get to the event without a car



Pain Points: Wants to know if it's worth the cost



Habits: YAI book reader and often sews or makes there cosplays by hand



Harry Potter Fans at a party drinking 
and having fun in custom

Competitor

Since Harry Potter Fans who are adults and well travel for a weekend to go to Harry Potter Themed actives for 3 days is a pretty nict group. I only reviewed Pax unplugged its' also a fairly nitch group as well.



Pax Unplugged is ran by Reed Pop who runs large Cons such as New York Comic Con with 100k guests and Pax East and West both have large attenince Pax unplugged is a game board event with a lower population.

Harry Potter Fans at a party drinking and having fun in custom
Harry Potter Fans at a party 
drinking and having fun in custom

The Home Page for the Site giving information the guests would need and updated as the event gets closer

Harry Potter Fans at a party drinking and 
having fun in custom

SWOT

Strengths

Weakenesses

Opportunities

Threats

User Journy

Harry Potter Fans at a party drinking and having fun in custom

The Users Journy



Reviewing the way of the the user this was the first large eventing people could attent after Covid many had meet online and would be able to meet in person for the first time. selling the user that they would have a good time and finally get to see each other again would be worth the travel.

The Final Site

Please visit the site here:

View the Wizard Retreat Weekend site

Part II

I was supose to visit this project in 2023/2024 when a new retreat woudl be held in 2024, how ever New York Comic Con dates over lap with ours and we need ot move our event. So stay tune as I revist this project and develop a new palet and with more time I'll be able to make a more polished website.

How ever our first retreat was sold out and people had a lovely time, the car less new yorker where able to make it to the site. There were some people who where upset they don't eat fish and where unhappy they would have to eat the vegtain choice at meals. But even with out a car people were able to get addtional food if needed. But the event was suggesful enough we wish to to host an other one in a few years.

Part III

The updates have become for 2024-2025 are live.