Project Role | Research, Project Managment, design
The Platform
Members create outings, or “itineraries”, that pair art and culture exhibits with nearby eateries on the current responsive website. Curated itineraries are shared for others to perfectly plan their excursions.
Our Challenge
Our UX team was tasked with redesigning the user-curated catalog of itineraries. In addition to retooling the itineraries, we were to address problems with low user engagement and retention. Our real world client stressed the importance of updating outdated research during the process.
An easy to find itinerary that becomes your ultimate guide. Added features that increase engagement and ultimately promote sharing on the site.
UX Toolbox
Heuristics
Evaluating the Artivore site to begin...
How do I find events?
How do I save
events?
Accessibility
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Search Method is inconsistent
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Filter tags are only on event page
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Can't narrow down saved itineraries
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Members cannot unlike blog posts
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Unclear "liked" posts means "save"
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"Save" heart icon is quite small
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Simple and clear text and UI
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Site is mobile-responsive
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Contrast passes with AA rating
Competitive Matrix
Evaluating Artivore's place in the market...
This grid illustrates how businesses relate on a scale of content access (from paid to free access) as well as to what degree they offer food and event related content.
Ring 3 | Broad Competitors
Ring 2 | Service Curated
Premium memberships: users can only access content after payment
A range of content: specializing exclusively in food or a broad range of events not limited to art or culture
Ring 1 | User Curated
Free member sharing platforms: users can piece together outings of with art and food.
User Interviews
Our team interviewed 7 prospective users, New Yorkers between the ages of 25-44. We set out to find how might we guide arts enthusiasts with a curated means of connecting their varied cultural interests?
Affinity Mapping
We began the traditional process of affinity mapping. The emotions, moments, details and other contextual information taken from stories that are told during user interviews are captured as single data points. They are then organically clustered into groups.
With our massive data set of 300+ points we looked to the "arc of engagement" to help gather these clusters even further. The arc of engagement outlines the path in which an audience interacts with art or performance. Periods before and after connecting with the medium, during the artistic exchange, are included in this trajectory.
Build-up
Intense
Preparation
Artistic
Exchange
Post
Processing
Impact
Echo
arc of engagement
Build-up
Intense
Preparation
Artistic
Exchange
Post
Processing
Impact
Echo
Art Enthusiasts tend to...
SEARCH
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For Some Options: creating a loose plan
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For a Buddy: getting your friends on board
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The Source: credibility helps find the perfect plan
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The Cost: matching outings to enhance meaning
PREPARE
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Their Energy: to get the most out of the night
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Their Thoughts: to understand the artist or venue
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The Mood: to get into the mindset
SHARE
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A Space: they feel connection, even if alone
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A Meal: to digest their thoughts
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A Memory: whether for themselves, or others
"I want to explore the world, then explore each other."
Jocelyn
Campus Recruiter
27 years old
New York City
Persona
Meet Jocelyn, a busy arts and cultural enthusiast. Having flexible plans with moments of exploration is her ideal way to structure outings.
Goals
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Keep the momentum of her day going
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Balance cost and quality during her outings
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Make meaningful connections in different settings
Build-up
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Frustration going to several sources
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Asks friends in the arts scene
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Picks an adjacent restaurant she is familiar with
Needs
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Share significant parts of her experience
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Feel confident her plan aligns with taste and budget
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Plan outings that let her live in the moment
Frustrations
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Unsure she will like an event, or fit in
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Wants back-up options easy to access
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Find trusted art and cultural events beyond her immediate circle
User Journey
Join Jocelyn on her journey. As she gets out of work she receives a text from her friend wanting to hang out. Jocelyn gets to work planning a night of art and eating for the both of them.
Revised Problem Statement
How might we provide arts and culture enthusiasts means to flexibly find events (with delicious incentives)?
Moscow Map
Feature Prioritization during design
This combination Moscow Map and Feature Prioritization grid enabled our team to take on and organize our plan of action for Artivore's redesign. Click on the circles below to explore the features.
1. Do it Now
High Value
Low Effort
High Effort
2. Do it Next
4. Not Right Now
3. Do it if/when there is Time
Multiple Ways to Search
Itinerary Info
Endorsements and Sharing
Conversation Prompts
Multiple ways to Save and Plan
Low Value
Insights
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By implementing the Do it Now quadrant changes we were able to make the greatest and most needed impact right away.
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After client meetings, our team realized we would have to move into the Do it if/when there is Time section to address Post-Processing after the Do it Next section. This is ultimately the phase in the user jourey from where Artivore gets it name. The period where art and food come together and users unpack the art and culture they have just engaged with at an eatery.
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By enhancing Post-Processing members will be more likely to share and endorse during Impact Echo. It will also incentivize users to come back to Artivore in a subsequent Build-up phase if they have a meaningful in-person experience during Post-Processing.
1. Do it Now
User Journey Phase
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Build-up
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Intense Preparation
Update and enhance browsing and prep with a redesigned itinerary and multiple ways to search.
_________________________
2. Do it Next
User Journey Phase
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Impact Echo
Update how members share and endorse with comments and pictures.
_________________________
3. Do it if/when there is Time
User Journey Phase
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Post-Processing
Provide those delicious incentives. Increase member retention and engagement by enhancing the unique Artivore experience of unpacking the art over food.
_________________________
Usability Testing
Recommendations for development
Our team ran a series of user tests on the existing Artivore website. We continued these same tests on subsequent mid and high fidelity prototypes. By testing the site at each stage of development our team was able to determine how to enhance and refine the user experience going into each stage of the prototype.
Existing Artivore Site
Search: Find by Location
Search: Find by Tag
Prepare: Save and View
Share: Add an Endorsement
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Specified way to search by location
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Relocate and establish a search by tag
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Update the glyph for saving
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Add a CTA for comments and relocate feature
High Fidelity v1 Prototype
Search: Find by Location
Search: Find by Tag
Prepare: Save and View
Share: Add an Endorsement
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Combine location and tag search bar
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Remove submit button in search
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Provide secondary navigation for Itineraries section
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Provide CTA to scroll down to comments section
Development Site Map
Stages of redesigning Artivore's information architecture
Hi Fidelity Annotations
Updated desktop v2 after the latest round of user testing
1
Browse: navigation with itinerary drop-down
2
Browse: search by tag or location
3
Itinerary: CTA to add endorsements or pics
4
Itinerary: information segmented on right, with icons on left
5
Food for Thought: alternate food options by theme/proximity; flipped for conversation prompts
6
Food for Thought: save food option
Hi Fidelity Annotations
Mobile adaptation from desktop v2
1
Landing page: navigation leads to A
A
Navigation Menu: collapsible
B
Navigation Menu:
expanded
2
Landing page: member profile: picture
3
Landing page: CTA to browse itineraries
4
Browse: search by location
5
Browse: search by tags or key words
6
Browse: most recent posted itineraries
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Browse: keyboard to search
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Browse: tags entered
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Itinerary: images from writer and members
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Itinerary: title; share or save icons
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Itinerary: author, accessibility icons
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Itinerary: What's on your Plate summary
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Itinerary: Full Helping details
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Itinerary: links to buy tickets
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Itinerary: member endorsement scroll
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Itinerary: view addresses for directions
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Food for Thought: alternate food options by theme/proximity
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Food for Thought: eatery cards flip for art conversation prompts
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Food for Thought: save food option
20
21
22
23
24
Profile: saved itineraries
25
Profile: saved itineraries continued
Food for Thought: add endorsement or photo
Profile: account settings
Profile: profile info
Profile: about
Moving Forward
An Itinerary for the future
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Before Launch: Continue conducting usability tests. This would include desktop v2, the mobile version and Food for Thought section. Include questions to test for post-processing.
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Implementation: Implement features and changes right away through CMS platform. Implement redesign without CMS limitations going into further high fidelity versions.
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After Launch: Continue surveying active user base habits. Provide more incentives by partnering with art and eatery brands to increase engagement and bring in new users. Consider cross-platform integration for previewing itineraries and post-processing.