You and the artist
The Challenge
"You and the Artist" is a platform that connects artists with potential clients and promoting artistic endeavors.
Goal
Create a website that has detailed artist profiles showcasing their work, skills and experiences. Ensuring dynamic platform that bridges the gap between artists and customers, fostering a vibrant community where creativity meets opportunity.
Role
User researcher, UX designer
Tools
Figma, Miro, Maze
Team
Product owner, Developer, Artist, UX/UI designer
Timeline
4 weeks
Discover
Understanding our users.
Interviewed nine individuals. The client referred artists for interviews. Four artists and five customers from diverse age groups—we gained valuable insights into the art creation and sales process, as well as the communication methods between artists and their clients.
Key Insights
Continue Creating & Selling Art – Maintain current workflow and client network.
Sustain a Strong Referral-Based Business – Focus on repeat buyers and student referrals.
Ensure Client Satisfaction – Deliver customized artwork while keeping creative freedom.
Showcase Your Best Work – Display select artworks that received good feedback and repeat orders
Refining Your Artist Profile – Making it easier to communicate your work to potential buyers.
Improving Order Management – Exploring ways to track and organize orders more efficiently.
Enhancing Client Communication – Optimizing how you present progress updates to clients.
Competitive analysis
Conducted a competitive analysis of artist-centric and customer-centric approaches, evaluating key aspects of both models. This analysis provided critical insights into the strengths and challenges of our referral-based system, helping us identify areas where a website can add value.
Takeaways
These insights will shape the development of our website that complements our existing network, ensuring a seamless blend of exclusivity, trust, and broader reach.
By comparing direct client interactions with online marketplaces, recognized the importance of maintaining a personalized approach while leveraging digital tools to enhance visibility, showcase past work, and attract new buyers.
Define
Affinity mapping
Based on user interviews, identified key trends.
key “I” statements
I continue to create and sell artwork
I ensure client satisfaction
I showcase my best work
I optimize client communication
I would like to connect with the artist and communicate my requirements clearly
I feel reassured by receiving progress updates
I like seeing past works and feedback,
Persona
Using research findings, crafted a persona to help us understand our Artist better and prioritize goals based on their needs.
Persona
Using research findings, crafted a persona to help us sympathize with our user groups and prioritize goals based on their needs.
User Flows
User flow illustrates how a new customer connects with the artist, communicates their requirements, requests customizations, and receives progress updates before finalizing the artwork. It also outlines how repeat buyers re-engage and how orders are managed efficiently.
Problem statement
“Sarah, an artist, needs a streamlined approach to enhance the customer experience while preserving her creative freedom and personal touch. Laura, a new customer, requires clear guidance and progress updates to build trust, while repeat buyers expect a seamless re-engagement process”.
Design
Sketches
Started sketching "You and the Artist" landing page, including the monthly theme, featured artist, and how it works. It took multiple iterations to refine the landing page before moving on to Artist Profile, Art Collections, Customer Orders, and Order List screens. During our design studio session, we discussed user-friendly design elements for both artists and customers, identifying key features to incorporate into the final design.
Wireframes
I started with low-fidelity wireframes to outline the basic structure of each screen.
For the landing page, I focused on layout hierarchy, positioning key elements like the monthly theme, featured artist, and "how it works" section for clarity and engagement.
I explored multiple iterations to refine content placement and user flow. I created low-fidelity wireframes and iterated on them through design studio sessions to assess usability from both the artist's and the customer's perspectives.
During design studio session, these key points were considered while creating the wireframe:
The home screen should be visually captivating, presenting a dynamic blend of featured artworks, artist highlights, and upcoming events.
Engaging sections such as "Artist of the Month," "Trending Collections," and "Most Sold Paintings" should be included to build trust and encourage purchases.
A clear and simple visual representation of the order process should help users understand customization options easily.
The page should feature FAQs and customer reviews to enhance credibility and address common queries.
Seamless navigation should allow users to explore classical and traditional paintings effortlessly, ensuring a smooth browsing experience.
Usability Test
I attempted to conduct a usability test through Maze to analyze navigation by tracking clicks. However, users faced challenges due to varying age groups, and some struggled to access Maze. Instead, I guided them step by step, prompting actions(scenarios) to observe the navigation flow.
Conducted a usability test with end users recommended by the client.
First test: 4 artist participants completed the test.
Second test: 4 customer participants completed the test.
Tasks assigned
Navigate through Home Screen
Assess if the user can easily find relevant information on the landing page.
Select Featured Art
Identify and click on the featured artwork section.
View User Reviews on Recent Works
Navigate to the review section and analyze user feedback on recent artworks.
Select "Artist" Menu and Navigate to View Artists
Locate the "Artist" menu and access the artist listings.
View Artist Profile
Click on an artist’s profile to explore their details, portfolio, and work.
Navigate to Home Screen
Return to the home screen from the artist profile.
Message Artist
Use the platform’s messaging system to send a query or initiate a conversation with the artist.
Submit Order
Complete the order submission process.
Navigation Tasks
Most users navigated the landing page smoothly, but two struggled with certain design elements as they didn’t realize they were clickable.
Some users were unaware that they needed to click on the side arrow to explore more options.
Feedback received from usability testing are:
Users are unsure why the FAQ section is placed in the header menu.
Some users noted that there is no option to cancel an order.
Users expressed difficulty in identifying links that represent the current page.
A preference by a artist was shared to avoid adding videos.
Users appreciate the "Start Exploring" button leading to the gallery collections.
When selecting a painting, users want to see complete details, including the artist's name.
Artists prefer not to show unfinished paintings, as they may cause confusion and lead to frequent inquiries.
Deliver
Prototype
Our usability testing gave us insightful findings that would guide us to design and implement iterations to our lo-fi prototype and convert that into hi-fi prototype.
Conclusion
The final design reflected the features and insights that we got through user interviews. Overall, while most users navigated the platform smoothly, a few encountered difficulties with certain design elements that were not immediately recognizable as clickable. Enhancements such as improved navigation indicators, and a more intuitive user experience can address these challenges. Additionally, refining order management options, ensuring comprehensive painting details, and optimizing the messaging system will contribute to a more seamless and satisfying user journey.