Designing a mobile event platform that guided users through content, scheduling, and live moments.
I led the UX and visual design of Zillow’s Unlock Mobile Experience, a purpose-built event application designed to support large-scale, multi-day events with live programming, dynamic schedules, and real-time communication needs. The work focused on creating a cohesive, mobile system that reduced friction for attendees while improving clarity and operational efficiency for event teams.
The Unlock app functioned as a centralized hub for the entire event experience, bringing together schedules, session details, real-time updates, location navigation, and personalized content in a single, intuitive interface. The platform enabled attendees to stay oriented, informed, and engaged throughout the event lifecycle.
I created the design in close collaboration with product, engineering, marketing, and event stakeholders to balance usability, reliability, and scalability. The result was a system-driven mobile experience that supported both the immediacy of live events and the broader goals of engagement, coordination, and operational clarity.
Zillow’s event experiences relied on traditional approaches such as static schedules, manual check-ins, and disconnected communication channels. These methods created friction for attendees and increased operational overhead for organizers, particularly during large, fast-moving events.
The challenge was not simply to design a mobile app, but to create an experience that could guide users fluidly through an event while adapting to real-time changes and evolving needs.
Designing a mobile-first experience for large, time-sensitive live events
Ensuring clarity and orientation for attendees navigating complex schedules
Supporting real-time updates without overwhelming users
Balancing rich functionality with speed, reliability, and ease of use
Establish a unified design and interaction foundation across learning platforms
Improve discoverability, usability, and engagement for internal users
Embed motion as a functional system, not a visual flourish
Enable teams to scale content and experiences without redesigning from scratch
Led end-to-end UX and visual design for the Zillow Unlock mobile application
Defined interaction models, navigation patterns, and mobile layouts
Created wireframes, high-fidelity designs, and interactive prototypes
Collaborated closely with product managers, engineers, marketers, and event teams
Led iterative design reviews and usability validation
Prepared design documentation and supported development through implementation
Conducted research with event stakeholders to understand attendee and organizer needs
Identified pain points related to navigation, communication, and real-time updates
Aligned on experience principles centered on clarity, flow, and responsiveness
Zillow’s existing event tools lacked cohesion, real-time flexibility, and a clear mobile experience. Attendees struggled to stay informed and oriented, while organizers relied on manual processes and fragmented systems to manage updates and communication.
The goal was to move from static, disconnected tools to a unified mobile experience that could support the pace, complexity, and expectations of modern events.
Designed a mobile-first navigation structure optimized for quick access and orientation
Created modular layouts to support schedules, sessions, maps, and notifications
Developed high-fidelity prototypes to validate usability and interaction patterns
Ensured consistency across screens while allowing flexibility for live content
Delivered production-ready designs and interactive prototypes
Partnered with development teams through build and QA
Iterated continuously based on usability testing and stakeholder feedback
Improved attendee engagement and orientation during live events
Reduced reliance on manual processes and static materials
Increased clarity and consistency across event communications
Established a reusable mobile framework for future Zillow events
The Zillow Unlock Mobile Experience transformed how attendees and organizers engaged with live events. By focusing on flow, clarity, and real-time responsiveness, the app replaced fragmented tools with a cohesive, mobile-first system.
This work demonstrated how thoughtful UX design can elevate live experiences, reduce operational complexity, and create meaningful engagement at scale—turning events into guided, connected journeys rather than disconnected moments.