Introduction to Application Domain - To whom it caters to (Event Ticket Seller) - (Sophie)
If you took a random sample, most people would only mention Ticketmaster when asked to name a ticket seller. Ticketmaster has dominated the space in recent years and has created a sort of monopoly, and has an increasingly negative impact on consumers. However, our system is innovative and consumer friendly. We consider and cater for event venues, artists and promoters and at the forefront, individuals wishing to purchase tickets. With us, purchasing tickets and attending events can be seamless. From small events to large concerts, the system which we designed caters for everyone.
Most people may know of only one event ticket service. Ticketmaster has owned the space for many years after their founding in 1976. (1) Our system is innovative and caters for everyone. We consider and cater for event venues, artists and promoters and at the forefront, individuals wishing to purchase tickets. With us, purchasing tickets and attending events can be seamless. From small events to large concerts, the system which we designed caters for everyone.
Introduction to System - (Emma)
The system we chose to focus on was the back-end payment processing of an online event ticket seller. The Payment Processing System will establish technical connections with bank and card networks, thereby enabling us to accept different payment methods for our Event Ticket Seller network.
Two Key Motivations - (Sophie)Ethical process
- Specific thing about ticket and pricing
- Ethics of ticket selling (move info here ? )
Explanation of Activity Diagram - (Emma)
Following through the activity diagram of our payment processing system, the customer enters the payment screen after selecting a ticket previously. The system then runs a quick captcha check to ensure that the user is a real person, as a precautionary measure against bots buying mass amounts of tickets. Next, the system checks the login status of the user. If the customer is not logged in, they can enter their payment details. If they are logged in, the system uses their pre-saved details to purchase the ticket. If the account details are not sufficient, the order is ended. If their bank account has sufficient balance, the payment is authorized, and the ticket is deposited to their account and email, thus ending the order.
To follow through the payment processing activity diagram, the customer can enter the payment screen, and validate the user is not a bot through captcha. At the backend, the system checks the validity and availability of the ticket. Then, the system can check the login status. If the customer is not registered with the system, they can enter their bank details for a one-time purchase. If the customer is registered with the system, they can auto-fill their pre-saved bank details. If the account details are not sufficient, the order is ended. If their bank account has sufficient balance, the payment is authorized, and the ticket is deposited to their account and email, thus ending the order.
Two Key Motivations: An Ethical Approach to Ticket Selling
The Ethics of Event Ticket Selling (Sophie)
— for this activity diagram
Of course, with any system like this, we consider any ethical dilemmas we might face regarding our design.
There are several ethical considerations regarding this system. Other event ticket seller services may overlook these considerations, contributing to a negative user experience. Our team has thoroughly researched and selected issues faced in other systems, and have modified our system accordingly. An ethical system has been of top priority in order to restore enjoyment in buying and selling event tickets. We tackle issues such as dynamic pricing, the resale of tickets at higher prices, and the lack of motor skills of users. Dynamic pricing does not apply to this system, with tickets being the same price no matter when they are purchased. Ticket resellers gaining large profit from reselling are to be issued a fine. There will also be more time to confirm the purchase to facilitate users lacking motor skills.
Use Case: Ticketmaster (Emma)
The monopoly of the event ticket selling world, Ticketmaster, accounts for 600 million ticket sales a year, for an estimated ticket handling of 70 to 80 % of venues across America. Despite its efficiency, the system has faced criticism for implementing dynamic pricing, where ticket prices fluctuate based on demand. While this is designed to combat ticket reselling, it can lead to inflated prices, especially with increased demand of sales with bots manipulating the system, resulting in it becoming harder and harder for fans to get access to fair ticket prices.
If anyone is aware of the recent controversy surrounding the Oasis reunion tour, you’re surely aware of the backlash due to the extortionate and misleading fees due to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing. The band decided to ditch dynamic pricing for the American leg of their tour, mentioning how this could create “an unacceptable experience for fans”. However, they still defended Ticketmaster’s use of dynamic pricing, citing that “it remains a useful tool to combat ticket touting”. We believe that this ethical issue is dishonest to consumers, and intend to combat this with our purchase model.
Recently, English rock band, Oasis, has ditched Dynamic Pricing for the American leg of their tour, after price hitches in their English and Irish part of the tour, saying:
“It is widely accepted that dynamic pricing remains a useful tool to combat ticket touting and keep prices for a significant proportion of fans lower than the market rate and thus more affordable… But, when unprecedented ticket demand (where the entire tour could be sold many times over at the moment tickets go on sale) is combined with technology that cannot cope with that demand, it becomes less effective and can lead to an unacceptable experience for fans.”
-Oasis, message to fans
Our system aims to remove this by not having dynamic pricing to begin with, leading to a fixed, transparent pricing model, which results in fans being able to purchase tickets at constant prices. Through this, we can create competition in the market, which will help prevent the monopoly of ticketmaster.
Our system aims to remove this issue by not having dynamic pricing to begin with, leading to a fixed, transparent pricing model, which results in fans being able to purchase tickets at constant prices. Through this, we can create competition, which will prevent the monopoly of Ticketmaster.
Note the lack of checking availability of ticket → increase / decrease prices based on demand (maybe circle this in the video? To make it stand out more)