4art
4art is an app that I designed to work with Instagram to help find original artwork for sale. The goal of this project was to improve the discoverability of artists online and to make art collecting more accessible for new/emerging art lovers.
My Role
UX Researcher
Desk research competitive analysis
Define interview questions and script
Survey and interview users
Synthesize research
Persona creation
Journey mapping
Usability testing
UX Designer
Define key product features
Site map
Visual design
UI design
Wireflows
Annotated wireframes
Prototype
Timeline
3 months
January – April 2021
The Problem
In the art world, art is typically purchased through galleries or online art selling sites that represent mid-career or established artists. The gallery will promote the artist’s work and exhibit it in exchange for 50% of the final sale price. Galleries also do not list prices publicly. The assumption is that buyers will inquire via email and finalize the sale privately. The problem is that this art buying process is not something that’s widely known to inexperienced art collectors. It brings up a multitude of questions– What about the artist who don’t have gallery representation? How do artists facilitate sales on their own? Where should artists share their work to ensure that it’s discovered by potential collectors? What about the collectors that aren’t aware of this exclusionary buying process?
Research
My initial desk research started with searching for other art selling websites and conducting an analysis of four potential competitors. Coincidentally, I found a well-known online curator who made a public post on social media asking if anyone used art selling websites. I read through hundreds of comments, all reiterating similar experiences. Lastly, I surveyed 42 users and interviewed 7.
“There’s a big contradiction in most of these platforms. They brand themselves as part of the art world and try to mimic its more elite pretenses. That drives away normal buyers who don’t care about the art world and also serves no positive purpose since the platforms are looked down on by the art world.”
“My personal sales have all been through my website and on Instagram (for online). I always felt that external engines were competitive against my own site/brand. Artsy has been trying to get our gallery to sign up, but I don’t see the win on my side yet (while they’d clearly gain a valuable monthly subscription).”
“It’s kind of like some of these art marketplaces are trying to edge in where Etsy ends at straight-up craft and vintage. I’m not sure they’re accomplishing anything that Instagram or self-directed networking isn’t already.”
Survey Findings
Artist Survey (21 participants)
76% had sold their art online
Out of the 76% of artists who sold work online, 100% use Instagram
Additionally, artists mentioned using Storenvy, Bigcartel, Facebook, Etsy, and their personal websites (Squarespace)
Art Buyer Survey (21 participants)
100% have purchased art online
Buyers used Instagram, Etsy, and artists’ personal websites to purchase art
Interview Findings
Artist Interviews (3 participants)
Instagram is used as a way to promote their work and facilitate sales
Artists emphasized the importance of online networking (something that is lacking in art selling websites)
Not interested in listing their work on art selling websites
Artists feel overwhelmed at the variety of platforms that can be used to sell their work online
They care about how their work is shown and how they are perceived online but don’t want to spend excessive amounts of time marketing themselves
Art Buyer Interviews (4 participants)
Buyers make purchases from recommendations (from family, friends, and artists they follow on social media)
Buyers want to know who they are buying from and feel a connection to the art they are buying
Buyers want to know where their money is going (ex: supporting a charity or supporting a struggling artist)
Buyers feel intimidated by art selling websites and galleries
They like the networking aspect of Instagram and use it as a way of buying art
Buyers want a more straightforward way to shop for art that makes them feel comfortable and confident in their purchase
Synthesizing the Data
After gathering all of my research findings, I created personas and journey maps to define who my user is and the current pain-points they are currently facing.
The Solution
Design a way for artists to share their work online that feels accessible for all new/emerging art collectors to browse and buy from.
Create a sense of ease, clarity, and confidence in the art collecting experience that is lacking in other art selling websites.
My Approach
Artists and art lovers are already using Instagram as their primary way of networking, selling their art, searching for art, and buying art. It’s a tool that’s outperforming all of its competitors and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. Rather than creating a new art selling site that will lack a preexisting network, my approach is to create a tool that works with Instagram. The app will function as an advanced search tool (similarly to how Grammarly and Honey work as a browser extension) to help users search for and find the art they are looking for. Additionally, it will help artists make more sales by increasing their discoverability on Instagram.
Enhancing Instagram
Areas for innovation:
Artists want to make more sales and be discovered by more art collectors
Buyers want a clearer way of searching for art and filtering their search results
Design
Brand identity
Hand-drawn wireframes
Digitally rendered wireframes
High fidelity prototype
Wireframing Solutions
Starting with hand-drawn wireframes, I began sketching a variety of solutions. I wanted to simplify the look and feel both visually and mechanically- to really edit things down to the basics of what the user really needs to eliminate the frustration of trying to learn a new tool. I then moved into Figma to begin wireframing and continued to edit and refine the original sketch as I defined the user flow.
Onboarding New Users
New users will see a welcome screen that further defines the purpose of the app. Then they have the option to set their preferences or move on to the home screen. Defining their preferences is outlined in a quick four-step process. A progress tracker in the bottom left corner of each screen informs the user of where they’re at in the process.
Existing Users
Existing users will have access to their personalized welcome screen. The welcome screen displays art that fits within the preferences they set. In this screen, users can bookmark favorites, search for specific keywords, access account settings, or make adjustments to their preferences (screen 2). The bookmarks screen organizes the users favorited artworks in one place and allows users to follow through with a purchase by simply clicking on the art and following the link to the artist’s Instagram page.
The bottom navigation directs users to their bookmarks screen and home screen.
Prototyping
Next Steps
Facilitate more usability testing and iterate further.
Takeaways
A bigger problem that deserves more time:
Art is bought and sold in a variety of ways (galleries, online, social media, art fairs, art consultants, interior designers). To investigate this thoroughly, I’d like to research all the ways art is bought and sold and interview at least 3-5 people from each category. However, since my focus was more narrow, I believe that the solution I came up with is an accurate reflection of what emerging collectors and artists want and need.