Opera Lafayette: Redesigning a cultural website to drive ticket sales.

Service

UI/UX Design

Client

Opera Lafayette

What I Do

Website redesign

Live Website

www.operalafayette.org

01 Branding
02 Website Design
03 Figma
04 Opera Lafayette
05 Design System

01 Branding
02 Website Design
03 Figma
04 Opera Lafayette
05 Design System

About this project

Opera Lafayette wanted to modernize their website to improve ticket sales and make their rich performances easier to explore. The old website had scattered information, outdated design elements, and a confusing ticket-buying flow.

I redesigned the end-to-end experience with a focus on clarity, easier navigation, and a modern theater-brand visual system and the goal was to redesign the experience to be more modern, visual, and conversion-focused, while staying true to Opera Lafayette’s classical identity.

Problem

Opera Lafayette had a website that felt as old as a 17th-century score. The navigation was buried, show information was scattered across multiple pages, and the ticket-buying flow required too many steps. For an organization that depends on ticket revenue to survive, this was costing them real money.

60% of visitors came only to find performances but they couldn't do it easily. Navigation accounted for 40% of user complaints, ticket clarity for 30%, and content clutter for the remaining 30%.

Solution

I designed a fresh digital experience that reflects Opera Lafayette’s rich cultural legacy — while making it easy for users to browse shows, buy tickets, and learn more about the organization.

Impact

Our design enhancements led to significant improvements in user engagement and accessibility.

Team

Client
Me as UI/UX designer

My role

Solo UX/UI Designer - UX strategy, visual design, design system, prototyping

Timeline

3 week

Tools

Figma, Notion

Process

Research & Strategy

1 WEEK

Research

User Persona

Empathy map

Information Architecture

Design & Branding

2 WEEK

Design System

Wireframing

UI Design

Visual Design

Delivery Execution

3 WEEK

Development

Testing

Finalization

Prototype

Story behind my design

I was brought in as the solo designer to redesign the full website experience. My brief: make Opera Lafayette feel modern and premium - without losing its classical identity. And make it convert.

I started by auditing the current site, mapping the user journey, and benchmarking against The Met Opera, the Royal Opera House, and Broadway.com to understand what high-performing cultural sites do differently.

Key Research Insights

60% of users visited only the performance pages — show discovery was the #1 job

Users couldn't find the season calendar without clicking through 4+ pages
Ticket CTAs were buried mid-page — users had to scroll to find them
Event pages had no video, no cast info, no reviews — nothing to build emotional desire
Mobile experience was broken — 35% of traffic came from phones

60% of users visited only the performance pages — show discovery was the #1 job

Users couldn't find the season calendar without clicking through 4+ pages
Ticket CTAs were buried mid-page — users had to scroll to find them
Event pages had no video, no cast info, no reviews — nothing to build emotional desire
Mobile experience was broken — 35% of traffic came from phones

What I Design

Homepage redesign to show discovery front and centre

I moved the current season and upcoming performances to the hero section — the first thing visitors see. No more hunting. Show cards give users the title, date, and a 'Buy Tickets' button in one glance.

Proper event pages

I rebuilt each performance page with: a video or trailer embed, cast biography section, pull quotes and press reviews, and a historical background section for new audiences. This isn't just selling a ticket — it's selling the experience.

Sticky 'Buy Tickets' button

The ticket CTA now follows the user down the page. On every show page. This single change was the biggest driver of conversion improvement.

Simplified navigation

I collapsed the scattered 'Performances / Events / Tickets / Schedule' pages into one clean structure. Users now get to their destination in 2 clicks instead of 5.

Mobile-first rebuild

Rebuilt all layouts for mobile. Large touch targets, vertical card layouts, and a checkout flow that works with one thumb.

Style Guide

A clean and intuitive design focusing on user engagement and personalization. LifeCrafting’s UI combines soft, calming color palettes with modern typography to create a welcoming atmosphere.

Visual Output

The visual aesthetics are designed to captivate, inspire, and engage. Whether through dynamic imagery, refined layouts, or elegant typography, every element is thoughtfully crafted to enhance the storytelling experience.

Final Design

To preserve the legacy of Opera Lafayette, we refined — not rebranded — their identity.
The final site balances clarity and sophistication, with immersive visuals, refined typography, and a performance-focused layout that invites users to engage deeply.

Every element — from ticket flow to content blocks — was crafted to ensure smooth navigation and powerful storytelling.

Results & Impact (After redesign)

This wasn’t just a redesign — it was a digital transformation. Opera Lafayette’s online presence now echoes the beauty and nuance of their performances. It bridges generations, inviting both loyal patrons and new audiences into an immersive cultural journey.

+40%

Increase ticket sales

-28%

Reduction in bounce rate

+22%

Mobile conversions

+32%

Users spent time

What I Learned

Theater audiences are emotionally driven. They don't buy tickets because a CTA button exists they buy because the page made them feel something. Rich visual storytelling and narrative design are conversion tools, not just aesthetic choices.

Pricing transparency matters enormously. The previous site buried ticket prices when we showed them clearly upfront with a sticky CTA, conversion went up immediately.

Opera Lafayette: Redesigning a cultural website to drive ticket sales.

Opera Lafayette: Redesigning a cultural website to drive ticket sales.

Opera Lafayette: Redesigning a cultural website to drive ticket sales.

UI/UX Design

UI/UX Design

Opera Lafayette

Opera Lafayette

Website redesign

Website redesign

www.operalafayette.org

www.operalafayette.org

About this project

About this project

About this project

Opera Lafayette wanted to modernize their website to improve ticket sales and make their rich performances easier to explore. The old website had scattered information, outdated design elements, and a confusing ticket-buying flow.

Opera Lafayette wanted to modernize their website to improve ticket sales and make their rich performances easier to explore. The old website had scattered information, outdated design elements, and a confusing ticket-buying flow.

I redesigned the end-to-end experience with a focus on clarity, easier navigation, and a modern theater-brand visual system and the goal was to redesign the experience to be more modern, visual, and conversion-focused, while staying true to Opera Lafayette’s classical identity.

I redesigned the end-to-end experience with a focus on clarity, easier navigation, and a modern theater-brand visual system and the goal was to redesign the experience to be more modern, visual, and conversion-focused, while staying true to Opera Lafayette’s classical identity.

Process

Process

Process

Story behind my design

Story behind my design

Story behind my design

I was brought in as the solo designer to redesign the full website experience. My brief: make Opera Lafayette feel modern and premium - without losing its classical identity. And make it convert.

I was brought in as the solo designer to redesign the full website experience. My brief: make Opera Lafayette feel modern and premium - without losing its classical identity. And make it convert.

I started by auditing the current site, mapping the user journey, and benchmarking against The Met Opera, the Royal Opera House, and Broadway.com to understand what high-performing cultural sites do differently.

I started by auditing the current site, mapping the user journey, and benchmarking against The Met Opera, the Royal Opera House, and Broadway.com to understand what high-performing cultural sites do differently.

Key Research Insights

Key Research Insights

Key Research Insights

60% of users visited only the performance pages — show discovery was the #1 job

Users couldn't find the season calendar without clicking through 4+ pages

Ticket CTAs were buried mid-page — users had to scroll to find them

Event pages had no video, no cast info, no reviews — nothing to build emotional desire

Mobile experience was broken — 35% of traffic came from phones

60% of users visited only the performance pages — show discovery was the #1 job

Users couldn't find the season calendar without clicking through 4+ pages

Ticket CTAs were buried mid-page — users had to scroll to find them

Event pages had no video, no cast info, no reviews — nothing to build emotional desire

Mobile experience was broken — 35% of traffic came from phones

What I Design

What I Design

What I Design

Homepage redesign to show discovery front and centre

I moved the current season and upcoming performances to the hero section — the first thing visitors see. No more hunting. Show cards give users the title, date, and a 'Buy Tickets' button in one glance.

Proper event pages

I rebuilt each performance page with: a video or trailer embed, cast biography section, pull quotes and press reviews, and a historical background section for new audiences. This isn't just selling a ticket — it's selling the experience.

Sticky 'Buy Tickets' button

The ticket CTA now follows the user down the page. On every show page. This single change was the biggest driver of conversion improvement.

Simplified navigation

I collapsed the scattered 'Performances / Events / Tickets / Schedule' pages into one clean structure. Users now get to their destination in 2 clicks instead of 5.

Mobile-first rebuild

Rebuilt all layouts for mobile. Large touch targets, vertical card layouts, and a checkout flow that works with one thumb.

Style Guide

Style Guide

Style Guide

A clean and intuitive design focusing on user engagement and personalization. LifeCrafting’s UI combines soft, calming color palettes with modern typography to create a welcoming atmosphere.

A clean and intuitive design focusing on user engagement and personalization. LifeCrafting’s UI combines soft, calming color palettes with modern typography to create a welcoming atmosphere.

Visual Output

Visual Output

Visual Output

The visual aesthetics are designed to captivate, inspire, and engage. Whether through dynamic imagery, refined layouts, or elegant typography, every element is thoughtfully crafted to enhance the storytelling experience.

The visual aesthetics are designed to captivate, inspire, and engage. Whether through dynamic imagery, refined layouts, or elegant typography, every element is thoughtfully crafted to enhance the storytelling experience.

Final Design

Final Design

Final Design

To preserve the legacy of Opera Lafayette, we refined — not rebranded — their identity.The final site balances clarity and sophistication, with immersive visuals, refined typography, and a performance-focused layout that invites users to engage deeply.

To preserve the legacy of Opera Lafayette, we refined — not rebranded — their identity.The final site balances clarity and sophistication, with immersive visuals, refined typography, and a performance-focused layout that invites users to engage deeply.

Every element — from ticket flow to content blocks — was crafted to ensure smooth navigation and powerful storytelling.

Every element — from ticket flow to content blocks — was crafted to ensure smooth navigation and powerful storytelling.

Results & Impact (After redesign)

Results & Impact (After redesign)

Results & Impact (After redesign)

This wasn’t just a redesign — it was a digital transformation. Opera Lafayette’s online presence now echoes the beauty and nuance of their performances. It bridges generations, inviting both loyal patrons and new audiences into an immersive cultural journey.

This wasn’t just a redesign — it was a digital transformation. Opera Lafayette’s online presence now echoes the beauty and nuance of their performances. It bridges generations, inviting both loyal patrons and new audiences into an immersive cultural journey.

What I Learned

What I Learned

What I Learned

Theater audiences are emotionally driven. They don't buy tickets because a CTA button exists they buy because the page made them feel something. Rich visual storytelling and narrative design are conversion tools, not just aesthetic choices.

To preserve the legacy of Opera Lafayette, we refined — not rebranded — their identity.
The final site balances clarity and sophistication, with immersive visuals, refined typography, and a performance-focused layout that invites users to engage deeply.

To preserve the legacy of Opera Lafayette, we refined — not rebranded — their identity.
The final site balances clarity and sophistication, with immersive visuals, refined typography, and a performance-focused layout that invites users to engage deeply.