Research
A request from the client
The Modern History and Art Museum has just opened a new exhibition featuring five miniature artists. To streamline artwork purchases, the museum plans to introduce an app that makes buying art easier, especially for Gen Z.
Who's the Gen Z? Meet Anna
Following the brief, I created a very simple user persona
“Art, friends, and family are what matter most in my life.”
Anna
21
Interior designer
About
Anna has just started her career as an interior designer in Melbourne. Since she was a child, her parents often took her to countless art exhibitions. From then on, she fell in love with art, and no matter how busy she is, she always makes time to visit both local and international exhibitions. She values her friendships deeply and has two best friends who have been with her since elementary school.
Comparative analysis
I compared three different mobile apps that offer artwork purchasing experiences to understand their user flow based on the concept. From this comparative analysis, I wanted the app to provide users with a direct, fast, and easy purchasing flow.
What steps does a user take to purchase an artwork?
I created a user story map to understand how users interact with the app, specifically when buying an artwork. This user story map will also help me communicate with the developer team later.
Visual design concept
Simple, Fun, Brave!
A simple and fun way to buy your favourite artwork. Wrapping art is a bold move, and Gen Z is here to own it.
Development
Sketches and low-fidelity wireframes
I started the development by creating sketches and low-fidelity wireframes, followed by peer feedback that helped me refine the user flow. Below, you can see the first and second versions after incorporating the feedback:
First version
Second version
UI design
Style guide
Crimson red was chosen as the primary colour to represent the bravery of Gen Z in starting to purchase artworks.
Illustration
I created simple animations to show that the user will receive the actual artwork wrapped, not just an image of it.
Components
Final product: seamless check out
After choosing an artist, users can swipe to select an artwork to purchase. The checkout process is divided into four stages to avoid confusing users. After a successful purchase, users can view their receipt and track their order.
Things I have learned
Through this project, I learned how to embed brand identity into a clean UI and an easy-to-follow checkout process. While functionality is essential, making the app visually appealing and consistent with the brand identity also plays an important role in keeping users engaged and guiding them through the intended flow.