Post 2: User & Market Research
I researched similar art gallery apps focusing on their layout, navigation and visuals. Some strengths i identified was that they were easy to navigate which makes the users experience more enjoyable, they had a good use of white space which again increases the user experience as its easier to read and understand. They had good hierarchy between the images and text which increases the readability and what to focus on. The colours had a good contrast and didn’t make the app look messy hard to read. Some weaknesses i had highlighted in these apps were that the buttons could be clearer in a bold font that easier to see. Some of the information was in dull colours which could be easily missed by the user. From this research i would want to have an effective use of white space, strong hierarchy and a clear navigation system when thinking about my own design elements.
When looking into some reddit forums about other art gallery apps to see what made for a good experience and what made it bad. There was a lot of mention about how the designs was clean which makes increases the user experience. Aves gallery was an app i had seen multiple people talk about when i researched this as it is feature rich. This suggests that the app has really thought about the users’ needs making that app easy to use and has extensive functionality making it very user friendly.
During this research stage i had to think about the product stakeholders, I identified four key stakeholders, Artists, visitors, buyers and designers. Each of these stakeholders have different needs, priorities and screens i need to include. For Artists i need to prioritise showing their work, selling their art which allows them to reach a wider audience. They need an app that allows them to upload their artwork, see their sales and showcase their portfolio. A specific feature that could be needed by an artist could be a direct message feature for enquiries. For example, an artist might be freelance looking for a new platform to sell their work whereas a visitor might be a student looking for a gallery to learn from. Visitors will want to be able to learn about different artworks, be able to access information easily which then creates an easy enjoyable experience. Therefore, they need an app that has access to a homepage, exhibitions, searchand gallery information. Designers will be wanting a good user experience that’s got an aesthetic quality by its high-quality images. Designers would want features such as showcasing their work effectively. This includes high resolution images that you could zoom into, direct messages to manage sales and enquiries. The buyers require clear information that is easy to navigate with a smooth checkout process. Different features buyers would want to see would be search and filter options and detailed descriptions of artwork. All these stakeholders are important to think about when creating my app so that it caters to everyone.
User Persona
