ARTIST BIO APP
SerenityConnect is an Artist Bio app specifically designed for an art gallery. People often find breathtaking artworks in various art galleries but spend hours getting enough info on the artist of the artwork, especially if they are new artists. This app has all the verified info on the artist including a biography, details on other works, social media accounts, personal websites, and info on events and exhibitions.
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Gallery visitors having hard time in finding artist info, saving it and keeping up with events.
People often find breathtaking artworks in various art galleries but spend hours getting enough info on the artist of the artwork, especially if they are new artists. This app has all the verified info on the artist including a biography, details on other works, social media accounts, personal websites, and info on events and exhibitions.
Design an app for the gallery where the visitors can quickly scan artwork to know about the artwork and the artists and add them to favorites.
Figure: iPad Mockup 1.png
A primary user group identified through research was art enthusiasts who visited the gallery. I interviewed five art enthusiasts who had visited various art galleries, including individuals from diverse backgrounds.
I created empathy maps to understand the users I'm designing for and their needs. Often gallery visitors feel frustrated when they are not able to know more about the artworks and artists displayed in the gallery. As a gallery that supports emerging artists, the info available on this is inadequate.
Dana Walter
English literature student who needs to contact an artist because she needs to organize an event at her university.
Figure: Research Insights
Figure: User Journey
How do other galleries approach this challenge? I conducted a comprehensive competitive audit to find this out.
Galleries such as Tate Modern and Whitechapel Gallery, both based in London, have websites featuring blogs, artist information, and various other features to promote their artists and events. Based on the audit, I created a competitive audit report to identify gaps and opportunities.
Notably, there are no prominent art galleries with a dedicated artist bio app. Smartify is an application that enables users to scan artwork worldwide for information and is widely popular among art enthusiasts, but many reviews claim it's not accurate. A modern gallery could make use of a scanning feature for the artworks presented within the gallery, which may allow for more accurate scan results.
Figure: Storyboards
Figure: User Journey
Big-picture and close-up storyboardsI created basic paper wireframes, with a focus on layout and structure. I made five variations for each page and marked the features I wanted to include with a star.
Figure: User Flow Diagram
User-flow diagramFigure: Paper Wireframes
Paper wireframesAfter deciding on the layout and structure, I used Figma to create lo-fi designs. After finishing the wireframes, I created a Lo-Fi prototype to test it out.
Figure: Low Fidelity Prototype
A usability testing was conducted with 5 participants to validate the designs. I asked participants to follow the prompts while I recorded the observations.
System Usability scale was incorporated into a Google form and provided at the end of the session. I analyzed various responses from the participants to identify various patterns and derive insights from them.
Figure: Redesigned Homepage
Redesigned homepage after usability study - more personalized with focus on promoting artists
After iterating on the low-fidelity prototype, I moved to high-fidelity designs. I chose a calming color palette and the simple, clean font Lato for styling.
Figure: High Fidelity Designs
Figure: Design System
Figure: High Fidelity Prototype
Added ALT texts for artworks and images
Followed WCAG guidelines on color contrast
Added text to bottom navigation options for screen reading feature
I participated in a design critique session that included heuristic evaluation and predictive evaluation from a design community group that I am a part of. The session illuminated both the successes and areas that required more work.
I made minor changes to font sizes and opacity based on the feedback received. I had included a "work in progress" page connected to features that were still under development. The critique session made me reconsider, as it could be quite distracting to test participants. I scaled it down to a small popup with an easily clickable close button.
User feedback is invaluable: "I love the scan functionality! It's going to make gallery visits so much more interesting."
Design choices matter: "The colors are so pleasing in your app!"
Research is foundational: This was my first project where I engaged with a diverse group of people to genuinely understand their needs and pain points. It was an enlightening experience to bridge the gap between what I assumed the users might need and what they actually wanted.
Early research prevents costly changes: It's essential to do solid research during the beginning stages - foundational research to understand user needs better. Making major changes to the designs later especially during the later phases can be expensive and time consuming.
Thushara — product designer, B2B SaaS and AI products. Portfolio · LinkedIn