Meet Hannah Winnie | UX Designer for live music experiences

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hannah Winnie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hannah, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I grew up in South Pasadena, a suburb near Los Angeles. Growing up so close to culturally rich LA, surrounded by museums and live music, deeply influenced my love for art, music, and new experiences. Both of my parents working in the medical field instilled in me a sense of curiosity and problem-solving. These traits, combined with my passion for visual arts and live music, guided my career path. I now work as a UX designer for AEG Presents, focusing on creating festival mobile app experiences. My approach involves immersive research at music festivals, gathering insights on user experiences, pain points, and preferences. This blend of curiosity, problem-solving, and visual background fuels my work in crafting user-friendly digital solutions for festival attendees. On a personal level, my upbringing has also shaped my values, making me someone who enjoys sharing experiences and wants everyone to feel included.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a UX designer at AEG Presents, specializing in creating festival mobile app experiences that blend art, music, and technology. Because UX is so new within my company, it really allows me to take ownership over the work I do and adopt an immersive approach by conducting on-the-ground research at music festivals and combining my strong visual background with a passion for inclusivity, problem-solving, and live music to enhance fan experiences in the digital atmosphere. Transitioning between careers is never easy, but I think that really honing into the skills that different roles taught me and leveraging my collaboration skills, curiosity, and resilience helped me get to where I am today.

I’m most proud of my work on the Coachella and Stagecoach apps this year. I played a part in the addition of new features like schedule sharing and iOS Live Activities, hoping to change what’s possible for fans in mobile apps and enhance their overall experience. These are new to the music festival world, and I feel strong that my team is really spearheading innovation in this sector. The work we’ve done will also help enhance apps for smaller festivals, like Cruel World and Just Like Heaven in Pasadena, Head in the Clouds New York, and Portola in San Francisco this fall.

Along my journey, I’ve learned the importance of compromise, especially in navigating the relatively new field of UX with larger/older companies. Understanding others’ perspectives and values has been crucial to my work, bridging gaps and creating impactful digital experiences.

I want the world to know about my commitment to creating inclusive and user-friendly digital experiences that enrich people’s lives at the intersection of art, music, and technology.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The beauty of LA is that there are activities for every type of person – whether they are a foodie, music and art lover, outdoorsy type, or even someone who just prefers being inside.

I’m from the east side of LA, so I think my itinerary would definitely revolve around that area. I’m thinking some hiking, getting some food at the amazing restaurants in Atwater Village, Los Feliz, and Highland Park (I cannot live without Homestate tacos once a week), and hitting some museums like the Broad would be so fun. Of course I would have to take my friend to see a show with me – the Greek Theatre is one of my favorite venues so ideally there! While I love the east side, I think that no LA trip is complete without time spent at the beach and getting something to eat in Santa Monica — really feeling the classic LA vibe. good boy bob is one of my favorite coffee shops that I used to go to all the time when I worked on the west side, so that would be a necessary stop!

After a busy week, I think unwinding by doing a park picnic and just enjoying the LA sun would really round out the trip. That all sounds so fun… might have to do this all next week!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents have always been really supportive of furthering my interests and helping me see my potential and talent in different activities. I think in my early 20s it was really easy to feel lost and uninterested in having a career, but they have always been there to bounce ideas off of and really were open to me trying anything as long as I was really putting my whole heart and efforts into that activity. They’ve both been amazing mentors and shown me that you don’t have to have it all together all the time, as long as you are actively working to better yourself and to be a good person to others.

Website: hannahcwinnie@gmail.com

Instagram: hannahwinnie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahcwinnie/