Introduction
Enhancing productivity, sparking creativity, and fostering connections among creatives, the Creative Project Catalyst app seeks to inspire and support users in various creative fields. This research aims to gauge the demand for this app by understanding the creative habits and motivations of potential users.
Background
74% of data and analytics decision makers said that collaborative work management tools have become very important to the success of innovation and team agility.
Research
Participation in creative activities – What creative activities do you participate in, and how often?
Awareness of similar apps – Have you heard of an app which gives prompts for creative activities?
Individual/Collaborative participation – Do you work on creative projects individually or collaboratively?
Source of Inspiration
- How do you find inspiration for your projects, and are you open to guidance for overcoming creative blocks?
Interest in the app idea
– Are you interested in using Creative Project Catalyst for prompts, collaboration,
and showcasing/selling your artistic work?
Functionality Preferences – What features or functionalities would you expect from an app like Creative Project Catalyst?
The research participants included creative students from the Academy of Art University, professionals, and freelancers in the industry. These individuals balance part-time jobs, studies, and creative projects, all driven by a strong need for tools to boost productivity and streamline their work.
Next, I developed an Empathy Map based on insights gathered from all the user interviews.
Findings
After conducting both the research methods, here are my finding:
- Users prefer automated time management support.
- Collaboration desired with like-minded creatives.
- Strong interest in documenting creative process, mood, and project journey through visuals.
Drawing from the pains, gains, and the two personas, I created three simple task flows to showcase the primary use cases for CreativCatalyst to capture the key interactions that drive the app’s functionality for users.:
- Generate & Save a New Project in the Timeline Estimator – Task flow for an existing user.
- Document Your Creative Process – Task flow for an existing user.
- Connect & Message Like-Minded Creative People – Task flow for an existing user.
Wireframes
I created wireframes for each of the task flows to define the visual flow and user interactions within the CreativCatalyst app. The wireframe for the Generate & Save a New Project task flow details the project setup within the Timeline Estimator, allowing users to input and track key details easily. For the Document the Creative Process task flow, the wireframes focus on an intuitive layout for users to record their creative progress step by step. Lastly, the Connect & Message Like-Minded Creatives wireframes showcase a streamlined messaging interface, enabling users to communicate and collaborate effortlessly. These wireframes provided a foundational structure for the app’s functionality.
I conducted usability testing, measured task completion times, and gathered user feedback for the CreativCatalyst app. These tests provided valuable insights into the app’s efficiency, ease of use, and areas that needed refinement to improve the user experience.
Testing Results
Usability testing showed that users found the navigation intuitive, especially when generating and saving new projects. Task completion times varied slightly, with all the task flows. Some users suggested improvements for better functionality, below are the detailed results:
Styleguide
Using the style guide as a foundation and applying feedback from usability testing of the wireframes and mock prototypes, I refined the user interface and enhanced interaction design elements to deliver the final high-fidelity app designs, optimizing both usability and user engagement.
