INKD
A tattoo is not just a tattoo.
Overview
Inkd is an all-in-one communication, lifestyle and collaboration application bridging the gap between the tattoo artist or close ones with individuals who would like to get inked. I was involved from the inception of the idea to the finished product.
Inkd was created for a web and mobile application for Careerfoundry, a UX bootcamp.
Tools
Sketch
UsabilityHub
GoogleForms
Adobe Photoshop
Role
UX/UI Designer
Product Strategy, Research, Visual Design, Prototyping & Testing, Pitching
Duration
April - July 2019
(3 months total)
Problem
There is a lack of existing tattoo applications that focus on collaborating and gaining feedback from people that matter the most.
The objective was to design a mobile and website application that seeks to answer an unmet need in the market:
"What is the decisive factor or prompt that transforms a tattoo curious user into committing to a lifelong tattoo?"
Hypothesis
By providing a tool that focuses on users collaborating directly with friends & family or the tattoo artist on ideas, the social approval of reiterating ideas in an all in one app will guide curious tattoo users to become more confident in getting permanently inked.
Research
Based on the research conducted, my original intent was to focus my application on:
"Finding Safe Parlors When Travelling Abroad."
This conclusion was made using 3 research methods presented in the information below:
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SWOT
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Competitive Analysis
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Surveys & Interviews
Swot Analysis
Inkhunter
Key Takeaways
Tattoodo
Key Takeaways
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Focus of app is use of Augmented Reality.
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Links to users portfolio on Instagram.
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Strong ratings.
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Mainly used by individuals uncertain about getting a tattoos.
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Community of over 500,000 artists & >6 million members.
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Plenty of inspiration for one’s next tattoo.
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Backed by big names in the tattoo industry.
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Lifestyle and community focused application.
Surveys & Interviews
After discussion with my users, I found certain commonalities:
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"The cleanliness and health of a tattoo parlor is essential"
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"I need feedback from my family and friends."
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"I need a decision to be spontaneous or short or I will second guess on getting one."
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"My motivation is to get a tattoo for the look as I see my friends have it."
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"Direct contact with a tattoo artist is important."
Define
Using the research I conducted, I put myself into a user's perspective and defined my audience using 3 methods:
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User Personas
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User Stories
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User Journey Maps
I discovered frustrations of Sarah (tattoo curious people), and Justin (tattoo enthusiast people) by mapping out different needs of each group.
User Personas
User Journey Maps
Ideate
I created the layout for a user friendly flow within the application and website from one screen to the next. I used 2 methods to map out how I would construct the app:
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User Flows
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Informational Architecture
User Flows
Informational Architecture
Wireframes
& Prototypes
I decided to focus on responsive design for both mobile and website. From my user research, I mapped out 3 features that would be most important for my tattoo application. This includes:
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Saving a Featured Design
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Collaborating on a Design with Friends
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Filtering a highly reviewed Tattoo Parlor
Low Fidelity Prototype
Mobile
Website
Mid Fidelity Prototype
Mobile
Website
Usability
Testing
I performed 6 moderated remote usability tests with tattoo curious users and users with many tattoos. Some key information I found includes:
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Users wanted to save option quicker.
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User’s first instinct was to search for location on home page instead of using the location tab --> not effective
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Users did not understand how to collaborate with friends.
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Rename words like Board to Tattoo Folder to make process more intuitive.
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The color scheme is not appealing.
Realizations & Repositioning
Instead of focusing on tattoo curious & enthusiast users who needed a platform to find quick and safe parlors in unfamiliar places (travellers), I decided to seek to answer the following question:
What key factor prompts the user to get a lifelong tattoo?
Next Steps
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Remove the whole location tab and redesign where filtering a location sits within the app.
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Integrate a separate collaboration tab to create a unique value proposition that solves the question above.
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Change the entire color scheme to make it more simple and appealing.
Visual
Identity
The determined visual elements emphasize the high quality, curated tattoos. The aesthetic is minimal, spacious, and easy on the eyes.
Colors
Fonts
High Fidelity
Prototypes
I created a high fidelity mockup including a mobile and responsive web application.
Conclusion
It was both a learning experience and a great challenge to design responsive web and mobile applications. I received feedback often and early from users and my mentor, who reminded me not to fall in love with my early attempt. Testing designs and involving people for review was key to redefine issues and questions to create successful iterations.
If I were to continue to build upon Inkd, I would consider taking the collaboration feature further, allowing users to connect a pen board to be more specific in feedback on designs.
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