Artemy
UX DESIGN | MOBILE APP
An art-sharing app that helps artists get more attention and support on their posts.
I completed a UX Design course at BrainStation and amongst the many apps and websites I designed in that time, this project meant the most to me, especially as an artist who could really gain a lot from this app if it were ever realized.​
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I designed my digital solution as a mobile iOS app.
​Tools used: Figma, InVision​
Skills applied: Double-diamond process, user-centered approach, usability testing, wireframing, prototyping
Problem
Visual artists can become discouraged if they don’t receive enough attention.
According to a 2021 study done in UMass Boston, artists’ main motivational factors are affected by how people perceive them, so if they feel like they aren’t getting enough attention, they could lose motivation. 79% of art enthusiasts use social media like Instagram for art-related purposes, and those artists use the app to find inspiration and promote their art.
Goal
How Might We create a space online where artists can feel seen for their work so that they don’t become discouraged?
Outcome
Designed a social media app with a point system that incentivizes users to interact with others' posts in a quid-pro-quo manner.
Key Features
Users receive Engagement Points based on their interactions with other users’ posts, which they can allocate into their own posts to increase their posts’ Engagement Scores.​
Inspired by quality scores/engagement scores in digital biddable advertising, when a post’s Engagement Score increases, the post becomes more visible in the algorithm. In the case of Artemy, posts with higher scores appear on more For You Feeds (the app's explore page).
User can like or comment on other users’ posts to earn Engagement Points
They can put Points into one of their own posts
Their post’s Engagement Score increases
Their post has a high Engagement Score now, so it's seen on more For Your Feeds
Research
How do artists who post on social media feel about their experiences online?
I talked to 8 artists aged 18-29 (age group that used Instagram the most at 71%) to learn about their experiences with posting their art on social media.
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Using affinity mapping, I organized the data from my interviews into a key theme and extracted the following key insight:
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Artists use social media to amass an audience so that they can get exposure for their art, but can become discouraged when they don’t receive enough attention.
Solution Development
My affinity map revealed that many users posted on social media to increase their art's exposure and hoped to gain a larger audience. However, a common pain point was that they felt unseen and ignored. I created a persona who embodies these traits and feelings.
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By thinking like Kayla, I created an experience map and realized that an important touchpoint was "engaging with other artists' posts and hoping they return the favor." This moment both excites users and directly relates to the How Might We question - at this point, the user is hoping that others will engage with their post and then they would ultimately "feel seen."
Design Iterations
During usability testing, I found that users were having trouble allocating points into posts due to the excess information displayed, so I changed the UI to make it cleaner and simpler.
Before
After
After another round of usability testing, I continued to refine the point allocation screens.
After
Before
Brand Development
With a touch of modern technology, Artemy inspires and motivates artists, transforming them into better versions of themselves.
To reflect that idea of tech and art working together and the concept of transformation, I chose to incorporate "alchemy" into my app's name. The wordmark and icon designs also demonstrate that magic and modernity dichotomy with the vivid colors and whimsical curves and the sleek, sans-serif font.
Design Impact
After testing the hi-fi prototype with 10 artists, results show that Artemy can motivate artists to create more, post more, and interact with other artists more. 90% of participants expressed interest in using the app to post their art and engage in the art community.
Artemy is an important app because it solves the problem space of visual artists becoming discouraged when they don’t receive enough exposure. Artists, especially the ones who post online, want their hard work to be seen. Artemy's quid-pro-quo Engagement Score system creates a community where artists can support each other and get what they give. They can gain a bigger audience and feel motivated to create more art.
What I Learned
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To keep the solution user-centered and usable, it's important to do multiple rounds of user testing on the prototype.
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Remain openminded and prepare to change things based on new findings from research, tests, and even new sources of inspiration.
Next Steps
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Develop all other task functions and task flows in Artemy (profile, settings, photo selection screens, etc.).
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Translate prototype over from mobile to tablet, creating content flow diagram and making templates for and designing screens for tablet.