Sublime — E-Ticketing Platform
Event ticketing platform with secure payment processing and user account management — built with Django and Docker.
Overview
Sublime is a comprehensive event ticketing platform designed for usability, security, and scalability. It features event discovery, secure payment processing, and user account management. Built as part of a UBC Associate with The University of British Columbia, using a hybrid Waterfall–Agile methodology that combined structured planning with iterative sprints.
The Problem
Existing ticketing platforms charge high fees and offer poor customization for student-run events. Campus event organizers needed a self-hosted, full-stack solution with real payment processing, event management, and a proper admin interface — without paying Eventbrite commissions.
Questions Addressed
- 01
How do we implement secure payment processing that meets PCI compliance standards without a dedicated security team?
- 02
How do we design the event discovery flow so casual browsers convert to ticket buyers in fewer than 3 clicks?
- 03
What is the minimum viable admin interface that lets non-technical event organizers manage their events independently?
Methodology
System Architecture — Django + Docker
Designed and implemented the system with Django framework and managed Docker containerization for consistent environment across development and deployment. Followed Ian Sommerville's Software Engineering hybrid methodology: Waterfall for architecture decisions, Agile for feature development cycles.
Feature Development & Payment Integration
Led feature development, bug fixes, and enhancements, ensuring code quality and adherence to project standards. Integrated Stripe for payment processing with webhook handling for purchase confirmation. Built secure user authentication with role-based access (attendee, organizer, admin).
Testing & CI/CD
Implemented unit and integration testing to ensure reliability and minimal downtime during peak event periods. Configured CI/CD pipeline for automated testing on every commit. Achieved 90%+ test coverage on critical payment and authentication flows.
Key Results
Key Findings
Docker containerization eliminated the classic "works on my machine" problem — onboarding new team members took 20 minutes instead of a full day.
Stripe webhooks were more reliable than redirect-based confirmation for handling users who close the browser after payment.
The hybrid Waterfall–Agile methodology worked well: architecture decisions benefited from upfront planning, while feature development benefited from weekly iteration cycles.
Conclusion
Sublime demonstrated that a student team can build and deploy a production-grade e-commerce application with real payment processing within a single semester. The project emphasized the importance of testing — every payment flow bug was caught before demo day by the CI/CD pipeline, not by manual testing.
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