Human-Centered Design | irkku.fi

Human-Centered design loves – yes, humans.

The Client: The Irish Festival of Oulu, irkku.fi
Background: The Irish Festival of Oulu had a strong reputation and over 100,000 visitors since 2006.

Highlights
92% would recommend to friends (0% detractors).
100% plans to return.

The Brief
Surveys showed high satisfaction, but the audience journey had never been mapped with design thinking methods.

The Approach & Methods
After going through the previous customer surveys (N = several hundreds), I wanted to go deeper in the audience experience.

Combined qualitative and quantitative tools:
Customer Journey Mapping – 12 touchpoints across before, during, after.
Personas – loyals, culture tourists, first-timers.
Service Safari – walking the festival “as a visitor.”
Semi-structured Interviews – revealing emotional depth.
Value Proposition Canvas (VPC)

Key Findings
Loyalty & WOM: 78% remembered atmosphere over program.
85% rated the festival “excellent” or “very good.”
100% would return; 92% would recommend to friends; 0% detractors.
Critical gaps – signage, digital touchpoints, venue flow.
Digital. 100 % visitors bought their tickets online.

Survey Comments (2022 survey, N=41)
“The whole weekend felt like a little trip to Ireland. The atmosphere was relaxed and communal.”
“The atmosphere is incomparable.”
“The best part was the truly Irish vibe.”
“Relaxed and warm atmosphere.”

My Role
Listening to audience voices made atmosphere visible as a strategic design element.

Actions
With 100% of tickets sold online, I recommended a seamless digital journey. A dedicated audience engagement plan and digital upgrade were prioritised.