When the Ministry of Culture of Costa Rica needed a sophisticated yet user-friendly event calendar to showcase and manage events for their prestigious Festival Internacional de Las Artes (FIA), they faced a unique challenge: How do you create a dynamic, searchable events system that works flawlessly across all devices while being easy to maintain and accessible to all festival attendees?
The Challenge
The Ministry required a mobile-optimized events agenda viewer that would allow festival-goers to:
- Browse the comprehensive schedule of upcoming FIA events across various venues and categories
- Search and filter events based on specific artistic disciplines, dates, and locations
- Access event information quickly, even with limited connectivity at festival venues
- View and download event details to plan their festival experience
For the Ministry's administrators, the system needed to be exceptionally easy to update without technical expertise as event details changed. Additionally, the agenda had to perform flawlessly on mobile devices, which represented the majority of how attendees would access festival information.
Our Approach
Rather than implementing an off-the-shelf solution that would limit customization, we developed a comprehensive strategy to build a custom event schedule app from the ground up:
- Design an intuitive user interface focused on mobile-first experiences for festival attendees
- Create a powerful search and filtering system to help users navigate the rich variety of FIA events
- Develop the platform as a Progressive Web App (PWA) for improved mobile performance at festival venues
- Implement a flexible database solution that Ministry staff could easily manage without technical support
- Build a modular system that would accommodate future festivals and evolving needs
The Solution
We delivered a sophisticated yet user-friendly events application at FIA.cr that transformed how the Ministry showcases its festival events and engages with attendees:
Key Features
Intuitive Search Experience
The solution features a powerful custom search engine that allows users to filter events by day, artistic category, and venue location, making it easy for festival-goers to plan their FIA experience regardless of the device being used.
Mobile-Optimized Design
Developed as a Progressive Web App (PWA), the platform provides an app-like experience on mobile devices while still functioning as a website. This approach ensures fast loading times, and smooth interactions, and even allows users to access event information when connectivity is limited at crowded festival venues.
Flexible Content Management
By implementing OpenSheet technology (based on Google Sheets), we created a system that allows Ministry administrators to easily update event information without specialized knowledge or direct access to the codebase—essential for the dynamic nature of festival scheduling.
Single-Page Application
The platform functions as a single-page application (SPA), providing smooth navigation between festival events without page reloads, resulting in a more engaging and responsive user experience for attendees planning their festival itinerary.
Results and Impact
The new FIA event schedule app has delivered significant benefits:
- Improved attendee engagement through intuitive navigation and search capabilities
- Increased mobile usage thanks to the PWA implementation, critical for on-the-go festival visitors
- Reduced administrative burden through simplified content management for Ministry staff
- Enhanced user experience with faster loading times and offline capabilities at venue locations
- Streamlined process for real-time event updates and schedule changes
- Greater flexibility for future festivals and artistic programming
Expanding the Success
The solution has been so well received by the Ministry of Culture that they have requested the same approach be implemented for other cultural initiatives. Following the success of the FIA solution, we adapted the system for Ride Cultural, extending the benefits of this innovative approach to other cultural programs within the Ministry.
“Festival de las Artes did not have a place where the agenda could be connected. ParallelDevs created a solution that allowed us to upload the information very easily. Within less than two weeks, the solution was ready.”
Catalina Cabezas Bolaños, Ministry of Culture of Costa Rica
Looking Forward
This project demonstrates how thoughtful design and strategic technology choices can transform a standard events listing into an engaging, user-friendly event schedule app for a major cultural festival. The new system not only solved the Ministry's immediate challenges but positioned the Festival Internacional de Las Artes for continued success in promoting Costa Rica's rich cultural offerings.
The lessons learned from this project continue to inform our approach to similar challenges:
- Mobile-first design is essential: Festival and event solutions must prioritize mobile usability, as the majority of users access schedules and updates on the go.
- Progressive Web Apps (PWA) provide strategic advantages: PWAs are ideal for venues with inconsistent internet access, as they enable offline functionality, fast load times, and seamless user experiences. They also allow for faster deployment and updates without the delays or constraints of App Store approval processes.
- User-friendly content management is critical: For dynamic and frequently updated festival schedules, an intuitive CMS ensures timely updates and reduces dependency on technical teams.
- Smart caching strategies improve performance: Optimizing what is cached—and when—enhances speed and ensures users always see up-to-date information without excessive server loads.
- Cross-device testing ensures accessibility: Rigorous testing across various devices and screen sizes is essential to deliver a consistent and accessible experience to all users, regardless of how they access the app.
Today, the Ministry of Culture enjoys a modern, efficient events platform at FIA.cr that delights festival attendees while being remarkably easy to maintain and update—proving that technological sophistication and cultural accessibility can go hand in hand. The replication of this successful model for Ride Cultural demonstrates both the versatility of the solution and the client's satisfaction with the results.