Ongoing | Georgia Tech
Upholding festival safety & fostering community culture
Role: UI/UX Designer
Timeline: August - December 2025
Team: Josalyn Chow, Tanya Punater, Natasha Valluri
Background & Problem
PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) is an ethos that festival-goers commonly practice to encourage community and ensure safety and mutual respect. However, in recent years, the mass-popularization of such events has drastically increased attendance and diminished the understanding and practice of PLUR.
The increase in festival attendance has led to a lack of community, and thus, a lack of safety overall. When people feel unsafe at an event, they find it more difficult to trust one another and make connections with new people.
How might we maintain and uphold festival safety while encouraging community culture?
User Research
How do festivals currently address safety? & What are common attendee behaviors, practices, or concerns?
Field Observations: The Weekend & Kali Uchis
I attended 2 concerts to get a better understanding of standards in the music event industry and the end-to-end attendee experience. I analyzed the transit experience to reach the event venue, the check-in process with on-site security, and observed patterns in audience behavior or unique moments that influenced my personal experience.
Semi-Structured Interviews: 11 Participants
Conducted interviews with avid concert and festival goers to understand user experiences, behaviors, and perceptions within festival environments, focusing on social interaction, safety, community values, and opportunities for improvement.
Social Media Analysis & Secondary Review: X, Reddit, & Instagram
Users expressed that PLUR has become performative rather than practiced, citing increased hostility, commercialization, and unsafe environments as festivals grow larger and more mainstream. Many attendees lament the loss of kindness and respect once central to the rave community.
“I’m always scared to get trampled in pit, I’ve been hit and elbowed in the past so I usually stay in the middle of friend group to feel protected physically”
- Interview 01
“ At the Kali Concert there was a strange man in the front row who kept giving me creepy looks. He was kicked out by the staff after being alerted by another attendee”
- Interview 03
“When I was leaving the festival, a thousand people rushed to the exit. Me and my friends felt really scared so we huddle together in a corner to feel safe!”
- Interview 04
Research Synthesis & Insights
Users struggle with overcrowding, poor navigation at venues, & limited access to essential personnel
01
Overcrowding: The unpredictable nature of audience movement can result in congestion and life-threatening stampedes
02
Navigation: Poor event navigation can lead to bottleneck crowds, attendee frustration & stress, and difficulty exiting
03
Access: A lack of security access can result in slow response to emergency situations and cause anxiety or worry amongst attendees.
Ideation: 3 Brainstorming Sessions & 185+ Ideas
Heatmap App to improve festival navigation & Festival Wristband to receive real-time safety alerts
Concept A: Festival Heatmap App 🔥
A mobile application designed to enhance festival safety and navigation through a real-time heat density map and security locator feature. The heat map visualization communicates crowd density across festival zones, such as stages, bathrooms, and exits, allowing users to navigate efficiently and avoid congestion. By translating real-time data into an intuitive visual format, the app supports both safety awareness and a smoother festival experience.
Impact:
Users gain real-time insights to plan routes, avoid bottlenecks, and exit safely, improving comfort and reducing anxiety in large gatherings.
Limitations:
Because crowd dynamics shift quickly, users must actively monitor updates, which can momentarily distract from the event experience.
Concept B: Safety Wristband 🚨
A wearable safety and convenience device designed to streamline the festival experience. The wristband connects to the user’s ticket via Bluetooth, stores ID information for faster entry, enables friend-to-friend connection through tap-to-share profiles, and includes an emergency alert system that can buzz or flash all attendees during critical situations.
Impact:
Users benefit from time savings, seamless access, and enhanced safety, as they can locate friends easily and receive instant alerts in emergencies. The design encourages proactive preparation before the event and hands-free convenience during it.
Limitations:
Adoption depends on user participation and organizer support. Not all attendees may wear the wristband, and mass emergency alerts could unintentionally trigger panic if not properly managed.
Work In Progress: Expected December 2025
