# Local Events Without the Noise

URL: https://www.milesroxas.com/works/local-events-without-the-noise
Published: 2026-10-12T18:16:27.383Z
Updated: 2026-10-17T22:05:07.502Z

A product design and engineering case study for Buzlee, a local events app with map-based discovery, business flyers, and human content moderation.

Buzlee is a digital bulletin board that helps people discover what's happening nearby. It brings local events into one feed and one map, without ads, reviews, or algorithms deciding what deserves attention.

Client: Buzlee

Consumer App

Product, Design, Engineering

Capabilities: Mobile App, Product Design

Buzlee is a digital bulletin board for small towns: one feed and one map for what is on this week, posted by local businesses and approved by a person. No ads, no ratings, no ranking algorithm.

I worked with the founder to shape the MVP, then designed and built the mobile apps and supporting systems needed to bring the idea to life.

## The Challenge

The founder wanted a simpler alternative to finding local events through social media, where useful information often gets buried under promotions, recommendations, and unrelated content.

The challenge had two sides: make local discovery effortless for residents while giving businesses an easy way to share what's happening.

We needed to serve both without introducing the noise and complexity we were trying to remove.

## A Different Approach to Discovery

Rather than ranking content by popularity or engagement, I structured Buzlee around what matters most to residents: **what's happening, when, and where.**

## One map, ordered by date

I designed a feed and interactive map centered on the resident's hometown. Events are organized by date, with filters for category and town. Map pins cluster dynamically as users explore different areas.

Residents can quickly find an event, save it, add it to their calendar, or share it with someone else.

## One Flyer, Multiple Events

For local businesses, publishing an event shouldn't create more work than necessary.

I designed the flyer system to support multiple event dates within a single post. Businesses can manage related events together instead of creating separate listings for each date.

This small decision simplified content management for businesses while making event schedules easier for residents to navigate.

## Getting Location Right

Accurate location data was essential to making the map useful.

One of the more involved technical decisions was choosing providers for mapping, address search, and geolocation. I evaluated options based on address coverage, portability, and infrastructure costs as usage grows.

I selected **MapTiler and Geoapify** to support the mapping experience while keeping costs manageable.

## Moderation Tools

I built a Next.js admin app for reviewing businesses, moderating submissions, and managing content. 

## Launch and Early Traction

Buzlee moved from an early idea to a working product available on iOS and Android, with a supporting web administration system.

Early results from the pilot included:

50
local businesses onboarded within three weeks

80
flyers published since launch

100
daily active users at the reported measurement point

## What I Took Away

Some of the most important design decisions happened outside the main app experience.

The way events were structured, how locations were handled, and the tools used to review content all contributed to making the experience simple for residents.

Building Buzlee meant thinking through those systems together, from the interface people see to the tools and infrastructure that make it work.