Glasgow Local Theatre

The Glasgow Local Theatre website is a comprehensive online platform designed to support the local theatre community. It enables users to browse upcoming events, purchase tickets securely, and participate in community-driven activities. The site features an intuitive interface for both theatre staff and patrons, streamlining event management, ticket sales, and communication. By integrating modern web technologies, the platform enhances user engagement and provides a seamless experience for discovering and attending local theatre productions.

Client Brief

# The Client Brief

For this college project, I developed a PHP-based website for a fictional local Glasgow theatre, focusing on ticket booking and event management functionality. The concept was to create a digital platform that could handle the typical challenges theatres face - moving from traditional phone and paper-based booking systems to an integrated online solution. I used PHP for backend processing, JavaScript for frontend interactivity, and MySQL for data management.

Planning & Research

# Planning & Researching

I started by checking out other theatre websites (some were pretty slick, others looked like they hadn't been updated since 2005) and talked to both theatre staff and regular customers to figure out what they really needed. The main pain points were always the same: finding show times, booking tickets without calling during business hours, and getting updates about events. I mapped out the user journey from browsing shows to actually buying tickets, making sure every step made sense for both tech-savvy users and people who still prefer doing things the old-fashioned way.

Design Process

# Design

The design had to capture the theatre's personality - it's this charming local venue with tons of character, so I didn't want something that looked corporate or sterile. I used Tailwind and Bootstrap to keep everything consistent and responsive, but customized the colors and styling to match their existing brand. The goal was to make it feel welcoming and artistic while still being super functional for booking tickets and finding information quickly.

# Development

PHP was the backbone for all the server-side heavy lifting - processing ticket sales, managing user accounts, and keeping the event calendar updated. MySQL handles all the data storage, from customer information to seat availability, and I spent a lot of time optimizing queries because nobody wants to wait around when they're trying to buy tickets. The JavaScript and AJAX integration was key for making the booking process feel smooth. Instead of refreshing the page every time someone selects a seat or changes their ticket quantity, everything updates in real-time. It makes the whole experience feel more modern and responsive, which is especially important when people are making purchase decisions.

# Testing

Testing a booking system requires careful attention to detail since you're simulating real-world scenarios. I ran through various test cases - what happens if two users try to book the same seat simultaneously? How does the system handle payment simulation failures? What occurs if the database connection is interrupted during a transaction? I also had peers and friends test the system to get feedback on usability. Their input was valuable for improving the mobile experience and simplifying the checkout flow. It highlighted how user expectations can differ from developer assumptions when designing booking interfaces.

# Deployment

The project was successfully completed and demonstrated the full booking system functionality. It showcased skills in PHP development, database design, and creating responsive user interfaces. The system simulated a real-world theatre booking platform while meeting all the academic requirements for the assignment.

# Challenges

  • Integrating AJAX with PHP required careful handling of server responses to prevent data inconsistencies.
  • Optimizing MySQL queries improved data retrieval speed, particularly for large event databases.
  • User feedback emphasized the need for a mobile-responsive design, leading to layout adjustments for smaller screens.
  • Ensuring cross-browser compatibility required extensive testing and adjustments to CSS styles.

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