Art.Be

This is a study project worth sharing. I'm going take you through all the usual steps that you would expect a UX designer to know, so you won't mistake me for a rogue AI trying to take over the design world.

Project Duration

ART.BE is an app designed for artists and art lovers living in Berlin. It serves as a platform to connect these two groups through exhibitions, workshops, and open studio events.

Project Duration

September - November 2023

My Role

UX and UI, designing the app from conception to delivery.

Responsibilities

Interviewing users for research, crafting paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting two usability studies, initiating testing on accessibility, and iterating on designs.

Project showcase laptop mockup
Project showcase laptop mockup
Project showcase laptop mockup

01

First Analysis

It all started with this randomly generated prompt:

My initial thoughts:

That makes little sense.

But who am I to judge AI? Maybe I’m biased.  Everyone is. So I put aside my +9 years of experience in the design field and my +5 years of Art studies and took the prompt very seriously. Like, conducting a competitive audit and defining two user personas. Like spending three weeks interviewing strangers

The outcome of the research study:

No one needs that.


My initial thoughts:

That doesn’t make any sense.

But who am I to judge AI? Maybe I’m biased. Everyone is.
So I put aside my +9 years of experience in the design field and my +5 years of studies in Art and took the prompt very seriously.
Like, conducting a competitive audit and defining 2 users' personas.
Like spending 3 weeks interviewing strangers. 


The outcome of the research study?

No one needs that.

My initial thoughts:

That makes little sense.

But who am I to judge AI? Maybe I’m biased. Everyone is.
So I put aside my +9 years of experience in the design field and my +5 years of studies in Art and took the prompt very seriously. Like, conducting a competitive audit and defining 2 users' personas. Like spending 3 weeks interviewing strangers. 



The outcome of the research study?

No one needs that.

What does that show us?

What does that show us?

My research was biased

I could have a career as fortune teller

Nevertheless, I started all over again. A new time-draining yet enlightening user research, a new user persona, a new problem statement, to then focus on a new journey map of course. Here's the new prompt which I worked on:

The Problem


People living in Berlin often don’t know which art-related event to attend due to the abundance of exhibitions taking place, and at the same time, artists do not have enough visibility outside the art scene or social media.

User research: pain points

1.   Abundance of exhibitions occurring at the same time and insecurity on which one to choose
2.   Distribution of offers scattered over multiple platforms
3.   Lack of info on how to support local artist (as many users express their interest in doing so)

The Goal


Design an app to connect artists and art lovers living in Berlin, offering a selection of art-related events and new occasions of interaction between them.

02

Wireframing

I might not be the best at drawing straight rectangles, but I’m not saying rulers are a waste of time when doing paper wireframes. And with these digital wireframes, I’m not trying to prove the point above here…

Im confused but I agree

I wholehearedly agree

Project showcase laptop mockup
Project showcase laptop mockup
Project showcase laptop mockup
Project showcase laptop mockup
Project showcase laptop mockup

Beginning of hardcore
iteration phase on Figma

Beginning of hardcore
iteration phase on Figma

03

Prototyping

After extended wireframing, I created a low-fidelity prototype and developed the main user flow that considered the following 3 features:

  • one for booking an exhibition

  • one for attending a workshop

  • one to meet an artist

In this phase, I also started drafting a first version of the design system, which will certainly become handy in the future, in times of new implementations.
In this phase, I also started drafting a first version of the design system, which will certainly become handy in the future, in times of new implementations.
In this phase, I also started drafting a first version of the design system, which will certainly become handy in the future, in times of new implementations.

04

Testing

Once the low-fi prototype was ready, I conducted a usability study and collected 6 findings. Here’s one: "Users needed a better distribution of the main content on the home page: the list of exhibitions."

Following the second usability study, it also became evident that certain users encountered difficulties with the booking flow. Consequently, additional steps were introduced to streamline the process and improve the user experience, i.e. adding extra confirmation steps,

05

Re-design

Especially when working on the UI, accessibility has been one of my main priorities. This includes ensuring the following:

  • Contrast between text and background was high enough to pass the WCAG test

  • There were both icons and text to help make navigation more understandable


Ultimately, once all mockups were updated, I finally designed high-fidelity prototypes, also known as the rediscovering-yourself-as-a-traffic-engineer phase. Keeping a consistent flow for each feature selected (between "Booking an exhibition", "Workshop", or "Meeting an artist"), the result is a clear and easy-to-use app.

06

Testhing phase N.2

The app was updated accordingly with the last findings, and here you can have a peek at the final look:

Will it pass the mother’s test?


If you don't ask your mother/grandmother to test your product, you haven't finished your job. 

Will it pass the mother’s test?


If you don't ask your mother/grandmother to test your product, you haven't finished your job. 

The app was updated accordingly with the last findings, and here you can have a peek at the final look:

07

Conclusion

The Impact

The Impact

The final survey, based on a System Usability Scale, indicated that despite its novelty, users comprehended the app's concept, recognized its benefits, and expressed a likelihood of recommending the app to others.

The final survey, based on a System Usability Scale, indicated that despite its novelty, users comprehended the app's concept, recognized its benefits, and expressed a likelihood of recommending the app to others.

What I learned

Personally, the most important takeaways are the cruciality of usability research - which completely shifted the concept of the app - and the usability studies, which brought major improvements to the user flow.

What I learned

Personally, the most important takeaways are the cruciality of usability research - which completely shifted the concept of the app - and the usability studies, which brought major improvements to the user flow.

07

Conclusion

The Impact

The final survey, based on a System Usability Scale, indicated that despite its novelty, users comprehended the app's concept, recognized its benefits, and expressed a likelihood of recommending the app to others.

What I learned

Personally, the most important takeaways are the cruciality of usability research - which completely shifted the concept of the app - and the usability studies, which brought major improvements to the user flow.

Let’s
Connect

©

Elena Leone

2024

Let’s
Connect

©

Elena Leone

2024

Let’s
Connect

©

Elena Leone

2024