Art Auction App Design Case Study
My role
UX Designer designing the app from start to finish (personal project)
Responsabilities
Conducting user research, paper and digital wireframes, low and high fidelity prototypes, usability studies, information architecture...
Project duration
April to June 2021
The Problem:
Art enthusiasts with a busy schedule lack the time and presence necessary to go and participate in art auctions.
The Goal:
Design an app that provides art enthusiasts a quick and easy way to participate in art auctions.
The product:
Galerie Bleue is an art gallery located in Paris. They organize new exhibitions every month and present both emerging and established artists. Also, after each exhibitions, the artworks are auctioned.
Understanding the user
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified by the research were adult art enthusiasts who are interested in art auctions and willing to try one, but have never had the opportunity to participate in one before.
Research revealed that there is multiple type of art enthusiasts and art buyers, and therefore that not every art enthusiasts are interested in art auctions. Some people prefer to buy art from a more traditional way, or to buy art from artist friends.
Pain points
Time & Effort
Working art enthusiasts with a busy schedule must set aside time for the auction session and make the effort to travel to the place of the auction, which may not be possible for all.
Difficulty
Art lovers who are not familiar with the auctions may find it difficult to participate, or even be intimidated.
Availability
With the traditional sales method, it’s usually first come, first served. As a result, a customer who has a crush on a specific work of art may discover that someone acquire it before him, even if he was ready to offer more than the original offer.
Persona
Colline is a working art enthusiast who needs a quick and easy way to participate in art auctions because of her busy schedule.
User journey map
Mapping Colline’s user journey gave how pain points could be addressed, and what the app’s main user flow might look like.
Starting the design
Paper wireframes
I iterated multiple times for each screen to find out the easiest and fastest way for the user to complete a task, and the best possible way to lay out the design elements.
Digital wireframes
As the initial design phase continued, I made sure to base screen designs on the feedback and findings from the user research.
The artwork page needs to contain all of the information users need to know before participating to its auction.
Usability study findings
I conducted two rounds of moderated usability studies. Findings from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Round 1 findings
1. Login/Register options are confusing
2. Payment verification reason is unclear
3. Lack of information concerning delivery costs and delay
Round 2 findings
1. Some parts of the process can be simplified or merged together
Refining the design
Mockups
During the first usability study, I noticed that the login and register choice was not clear for everyone. So I revised the design to better separate the two options.
During the first usability study, some participants complained about the lack of options and information with the delivery process.
After the second usability study, I noticed that the congratulation screen and the delivery screen could be merged into one.
High-fidelity prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype present a cleaner user flows for registering and participating to an auction, and a more complete delivery process.
Going forward
Takeaways
Impact
The app succeed in fulfilling its mission of making it easy and quick for any art lover to participate in art auctions.
One quote from a study participant: “ I don’t see how you could make the process any easier. The app is very intuitive, and is working well.”
What I learned
While designing the Galerie Bleue app, I learned how important it is to take into account the users we’re designing for, and to design according to their needs and wants. Also, as my first UX design project, I learned the design thinking process, that is to say how to create a product from the idea to the deliverable.
Next steps
1. Conduct another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed.
2. Hand off the designs to the engineering team to start building the app.