ink Tank: An App that Links Tattoo Artists and Clients
Building an App: From Business Goals to Prototype
TL;DR Here's the prototype.
Problem Statement: People who want a tattoo have issues finding the right artist for the right price. This can lead to a regretful experience for both the artist and customer. How can we ensure both parties are happy?
Based off of the problem statement, I began my focus on the following user objectives:
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Finding the right style
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Finding the right artist
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Finding the right price
User Personas
After setting up a "base" for my app, I conducted multiple rounds of interviews with my ideal demographic to begin the development of user personas.
This initial research was the most crucial piece in developing an app that would differentiate it from other competitor apps on the market. I discovered that one of the biggest issues in tattooing is the scheduling process, to which I began developing a feature for.
User Journey Maps and User Flows
Now that I had a better idea of the audience, I began developing some ideal user journeys that my personas could follow.
These journey maps can help us formulate real user flows that will eventually lead to our preliminary wireframes. These flows will be the basis of the entire app.
Low Fidelity Wireframes
The user flows helped immensely in predetermining the the initial wireframes. These wireframes are for the four the main flows: onboarding, scheduling an appointment, search, and sending messages.
User Testing Process and Results
I followed up the wireframe process with some user testing. It was time to make sure what I was building actually works for users. I started by building ink Tank's usability plan and usability script.
Testing the app was the hardest part of this process, due to the various scheduling conflicts with users. It would have helped if I could given them some more incentive like, an amazon gift card.
Issue 1
Users can’t distinguish between “My Profile” and “Artist’s Profile”
Some users are having trouble getting in contact with an artist because they believe that the “My Profile” tab is actually another artist. The best fix for this is rebuilding the “My Profile” tab without stock/default photos.
Issue 2
Users have trouble understanding and entering text in search
Some users feel limited by search and become frustrated by not being able to enter a search string. Fixing the language on the search bar and realigning the hotspots helped alleviate this problem.
Issue 3
A user bypassed the initial screens in the “Schedule Appointment” flow
A user skipped the “Request Appointment” button and stumbled into notifications, which allowed them to successfully schedule an appointment. I created another notifications screen, so the user cannot access the schedule appointment until after they have “Requested Appointment.”
Issue 4
Users struggle with limited calendar functionality
Users had accidentally skipped choosing a time by swiping right to try and see more dates. I added a screen with more dates when a user scrolls right, this allowed them to see more options and not break the “schedule appointment” flow.
Issue 5
Users complain of vague and misleading onboarding screens
Users complained of the “Make Friends” and “Find Inspiration” onboarding screens. The “Find Inspiration” confused one user because he thought the app was focused around exercise, not tattoos, due to the image. The image was replaced with an artist tattooing to make sure first time users understand what the app is focused on.
Refining the Design
Since my users gave such specific feedback I was able better focus and refine my design. I implemented a small style guide and readjusted each screen to adhere to an 8-column grid. These implementations brought about a more structured design.
Building the style guide was a challenge due to the limited amount of elements I used. It ended up looking rather "lean." Since then I have developed a few more style guides and have a better idea on how to make elements more consistent and built for growth.
High Fidelity Mockups
With my style guide in hand I was able to create more in-depth designs for the ink Tank. Take a look at some of the final screens below.
For a final look at the app mock up. Take a look at the ink Tank Prototype.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my overall takeaways from this project were:
The importance of good research. Access to both tattoo artists and customers gave me a well rounded picture of what issues really face the community today. Without those interviews, ink Tank would have no basis to actually exist in the marketplace
Constant testing is imperative to a product's growth and success. Testing should be repeated throughout the product's life cycle, even as it matures to ensure it is still useful
TL;DR Here is a demo of the ink Tank app.