Problem

Photographers have difficulty finding clients around their area due to limited platforms to share their work and service.

As someone surrounded by professional photographers and photography as a hobby, I see them struggling to find a free and easy-to-use platform. This sparked my question- why are photographers not satisfied with existing options?

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The Solution

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Competitive Analysis

The competition is mainly Web-based. Very few offer a mobile version.

Based on the 5 scheduling apps that I analyzed, only 3 have mobile options which are very outdated. Most focus on Web versions that allow users to accomplish various tasks through the service. This became an opportunity for the solution to build a Mobile app with a lower learning curve.

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User Interviews

The interviewees expressed that they would be more likely to use a mobile app to keep track of their photography appointments.

Although I have heard Photographers around me struggle to manage their appointments and find clients, I had never interviewed them before. For this study, I interviewed 5 different photographers, from entry-level to full-time. The data collected was organized through affinity mapping on Miro.

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Insights

The learning curve for existing apps is too high for entry-level photographers.

Based on the trend in my affinity map. I realized that appointment management was the main feature photographers are looking for when choosing an app. The second most attractive feature was the customizable service summary on the user’s profile.

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Personas

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Paper & Digital Wireframes

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Improvements In My Design

Based on various usability studies and feedback from peers, I iterated my design over the span of 2 months.

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Final Design

Style Guide

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Hi-Fi Prototype

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Conclusion & Lessons Learned

Applications for future projects.

This was my first UX Certification! Although I have worked on projects with friends in college, I have never done a project on my own. I am grateful to have the opportunity to take online courses, work on projects like these, and receive/provide constructive feedback from people worldwide. Here are some things I learned:

1. Get outside of your comfort zone. I had never thought about building an app for photographers, especially because I do not know how to find clients and book appointments. But I had a lot of fun talking to my photographer friends and learning more about the industry.
2. Fall in love with the problem, not the solution. I was too focused on finding a solution even before narrowing down the problem. I realized I was stuck with the design when I wasn’t sure about the problem.
3. Don’t make assumptions; use data. It is easy to be biased, but for an inclusive design, interview various types of users and use data to support your design choices.
4. Do not invest too much effort in the early stages of design. I tend to be detail-oriented and spend a lot of time making my lo-fi prototype look as perfect as it can be, but I soon learned that the design would need further changes, and there is no need to invest too much in the beginning stages of the design (especially aesthetics-wise).

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