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Kooness

kooness provides virtual access to galleries around the world by connecting curators, artists and art lovers

 
 
CLIENT

Kooness

July 2020 - November 2020

MY ROLE

analyze and redesign the site and develop the app version

RESPONSABILITIES

research, prototyping, interaction, usability tests, visual design

TOOLS

Figma
Illustrator

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The project

Kooness is among the top marketplaces for the art world that provides virtual access to galleries around the world. It provides a new way to discover and collect art, buying directly from galleries. 

Problem statement

Trust in the operator and in the platform are key tools for securing the purchase of works online. This requires creating a strong and recognised brand, guaranteeing the reliability of the seller and overcoming the natural distrust of collectors towards online purchases.

Responsabilities

My role in the project was conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.

How might we overcome the mistrust of online art collectors by ensuring a safe, reliable and transparent buying experience?

Design constraints

In this project, I was given the design constraint that the web design has to be consistent with the other brand assets of the company.

Process overview

The research process started with an analysis of the current state of the platform followed by a benchmarking to identify the characteristics of the main competitors in terms of brand design, usability, functionality, etc. 

1. Contextual research

structural analysis
Kooness positioning


2. Qualitative research

10 participants

user persona

user flow

3. Synthesizing data

8 themes

2 problematizations

4 insights

4. Opportunities map

4 HMW’s

5 ideas

5. Concept ideation

userflows
storyboards
crazy 8’s

6. Design building

information architecture
Lo-Fi wireframes

Hi-Fi wireframes

7. Design iterations

usability testing

user feedback

8. Product designing

Wireframing & Prototyping

Interaction design

Design system

Solution

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Competitive audit

By understanding these facets of competitors’ products, my goal was to strategically design my solution with the goal of making a superior product and/or experience.

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Research study

I conducted qualitative interviews with the aim of gaining an in-depth understanding of users' needs, behaviors and expectations.

Research goal

Obtain exploratory data to inform the next design activity.

Primary target

10 participants including art lovers, gallerists, and collectors.

Methods & techniques

Unmoderated interviews and user generated contents.

Main Platforms

Google Meet, Zoom, Google sheets, Google Drive, Notion.

Research partecipants

The 10 participants selected for the interview were all professionals belonging to the art community in Milan, home of Kooness.

 
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Rossella R.

Cultural promoter

Agnese B.

Gallery owner

Lorenzo M.

Contemporary artist

Giancarlo F.

Exhibitions organizer

Nicole A.

Art collector

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Fabrizio F.

Art fairs organizer

Davide B.

Art curator

Zarina A.

Art teacher & educator

Aron B.

Art enthusiast

Andrew T.

Art critic & expert

Archtypes

Based on the information gathered, I organized three types of archetypes as a summary tool to better understand target users profiles.

 
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User journey

I analyzed the logical sequence of interaction between user and service, using a synthetic representation of all the phases of the experience.

 
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Research insights

“As an art lover, I am always looking for in-depth content to expand my knowledge about the art world and give vent to my curiosity. Also, I look for a service that suit my tastes and needs.”

- User 1

“As a collector, I find it difficult to find authentic, quality artwork at an affordable price. I am also looking for a reliable website that offer me an easy, safe, and reliable buying experience.”

- User 2

“As a gallery owner, I expect a reliable and secure payment and shipping management system. Furthermore, I am looking for a platform that helps me increasing the visibility of my gallery.”

- User 3

Project opportunities

In-depth contents

Implement the section on in-depth articles and art fairs, improve its clarity and filters.

Increased transparency

Product descriptions should be accurate and detailed, providing different type of info.

Secure Payment

Each transaction can be made securely by credit or debit card with verified circuits.

Galleries visibility

Provide more info about the galleries and give tools for sharing their artworks.

Information architecture

My goal here was to make strategic information architecture decisions that would improve overall website navigation.

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Paper wireframe

Before jumping into Figma, I spent a couple of hours drafting iterations for each screen of the app on paper to ensure that each elements would be well-suited to address user pain points.

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Digital wireframe

Moving from paper to digital wireframes made it easy to understand how the redesign could help address user pain points and improve the UX.

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Usability study

To start testing the designs, I created a low-fidelity prototype to use in an unmoderated usability study with 10 participants. Here are the main findings uncovered by the usability study.

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Design iterations

Price explicited

Users reported a preference for indicating the price of the artwork when
it is not subject to auction.

Currency exchange

It was found that providing immediate feedback on multiple-choice answers could decrease the ambiguity perceived.

Advisor contact

The possibility of contacting an advisor has emerged above all from collectors, who often use experts before buying.

Immediate purchase

Some users stated that they would prefer to be able to buy the work immediately if it is not subject to auction

Share the work

Collectors, as well as gallery owners, say they benefit from the possibility of sharing the work within their network.

View in a room

I added the possibility of seeing the artwork placed within a real space, together with a greater amount of info.

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To this
From this

Refining the design

After integrating some elements, based on user feedback, I also developed the rest of the platform.

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Mobile app

I made some specific designs when adapting to the App version, because of the limited screen size.

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Brand identity

Primary colors
Brand typography
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Brand icons

Final feedback

“Kooness offers an easy and safe buying experience, with authentic artwork and the possibility to discover new artists, Also, I found a reliable and secure payment and shipping management system”.

— Camilla, Art collector

Takeaways

Sales leads generation

Offering advanced search tools and personalized recommendations can increase user interest in the platform and its ability to generate new sales leads.

Information transparency

It is crucial to provide detailed info about the artwork and the artists, along with high-quality images that showcase the artwork accurately and realistically.

Ensure a safe and reliable system

It is important to ensure an easy and secure shopping experience and payment management system, to increase user confidence in the platform.

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