Sushmita Pereira
Innovative Designer
Mobile App, UX Case Study
ArtFinder
ArtFinder isn’t just about discovering art events or booking tickets — it’s a platform to follow artists, build communities, and commission Custom Art directly within a creative network.
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Project Overview & Timeline
May 2024 - August 2024
Connecting Communities Through Custom Art
This was a college capstone project, my team and I set out to tackle a unique challenge—an issue that is rarely addressed and often overlooked. We wanted to step outside the conventional boundaries and focus on an area that doesn’t typically receive much attention, aiming to create a meaningful impact by exploring uncharted territory.
Problem Selection
🔍 1. User Interviews & Observations
We engage directly with users to uncover their pain points, needs, and workarounds.
🎯 Goal: Discover authentic, user-centered problems rooted in lived experiences.
💡 2. Team Brainstorming Sessions
Through creative sessions like How Might We prompts or brainwriting, we generate a wide range of problem ideas.
🎯 Goal: Spark fresh ideas and align the team on potential directions.
🗳️ 3. Team Voting / Dot Voting
Once we’ve gathered potential problem areas, we use dot voting or similar methods to prioritize ideas that resonate most with the team—balancing passion, impact, and feasibility.
🎯 Goal: Build consensus and focus on the most promising problem.
The Problem
Despite the growing enthusiasm for art collections, there’s a surprising gap in platforms that allow customers to commission personalized paintings directly from artists. This realization inspired us to create a solution that bridges this disconnect, making custom art more accessible to everyone.
My Role
🧩 UX Researcher
Interviewing people
Gathering Results & Analyzing
Drawing Assumptions and Hypothesis
Strategic Approach
Understanding how we can make Art Accessible for all
We brainstormed using “How Might We…” prompts, prioritizing ideas through card sorting and user flow diagrams. Our top goals included:
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Streamlining the commission process
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Highlighting artist credibility
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Ensuring communication and transparency
We came up with a UX story board depicted in a rough sketch visualizing our goal with the ArtFinder platform and how our application is going to solve the existing problem refer img 1.1 & img 1.2
img 1.1
Wireframes
Making low fidelity and high fidelity screens
🛠️ UI Tester
Interviewing people Testing the finalized frames
Recording the test results and fixing the loopholes
img 1.2
How is it going to Solve the Problem?
Delivering a Seamless Experience for Art Lovers
Centralized Discovery & Commissioning: The app gives a single, centralized environment where users are able to discover artists, search portfolios, and commission custom artwork without needing to utilize multiple external sources.
User-Friendly Interface: Its easy-to-use, mobile-friendly interface guides users through the process of commissioning effortlessly, with clear steps, artist discovery, and price transparency.
Trust & Transparency: By showcasing verified artist profiles, feedback, and safe payments, the app encourages trust and accountability between artists and users.
Community & Engagement: Interactive elements like shared tales and user-generated content create a rich community that ties art lovers and artists together on a more intimate level.
Design Process and Strategy
Following the Traditional Method - Going by the Book
Our mid-fidelity design process included:
✅ Information Architecture (IA) to define user flow, Click here to view IA, to view User Flow Click here
✅ Card sorting to organize content and navigation
✅ Building screens such as the Home Page, Artist Profiles, Commission Request Flow, Explore Art Section, and Event Listings
I was primarily involved in:
✅ Creating the mid-fidelity prototypes in Figma
✅ Conducting usability testing to identify UX issues
✅ Refining user interaction flows for both mobile and tablet views
We also ran heuristic evaluations, assessing criteria like:
✅ Visibility of system status
✅ Consistency and standards
✅ Error prevention
Take a closer look at our Mid Fidelity & High Fidelity designs by clicking on this link here! Click Here
Design Process and Strategy
Taking a Closer Look
Easy to Get onboarding Screens to Quickly Get Started
Find Art Events Get Updates on Trending Arts and Purchase or Customize Art all in one App!
Conclusion
From Practical Problem to Coming with a Solution
✅ Easy Commissioning Process: Created user connection with artists and commission of personal art through a easy, guided process.
✅ Built Trust and Credibility: Integrated verified artist profiles, customer feedback, and secure payments to offer a secure and trusted environment.
✅ Art Centered Discovery: Offered a single clear, easy-to-use destination for art discovery, portfolio access, and tracking exhibitions and activities.