Apostrophe Art is a business management SaaS app that empowers artists to streamline their inventory and sales management.

Apostrophe Art

TEAM

4 Designers

1 Product Lead

MY IMPACT

Increased efficiency of inventory upload flow, reducing time on task 1m46s → 1m3s (-43s)
Optimized speed of creating sale, increasing task success 60% → 80% (+20%)
Increased perceived ease of use 3.6/5 → 4/5 for sales generation

MY ROLE

User & Market Research

Wireframing & Prototyping
Usability Testing

Context

APOSTROPHE ART

Our client, Apostrophe Art, had a mission: to end the starving artist stereotype. As part of this team, we sought to give artists the tools to make art business management easier by making the process of tracking inventory and selling art more efficient and tailored to artists. The goal of this project was to deliver an MVP prototype that will support the client's fundraising efforts.

USER NEEDS

SOLUTION

❌ Art industry-specific inventory tracking system

❌ Ability to generate sales on-the-go

❌ Ability to accept multiple payment methods

✅ Inventory upload system with industry-specific input fields and descriptors

✅ Quick-select sales generation for on-the-go transactions

✅ Stripe integration that accepts multiple payment methods

ART UPLOAD

Core Experiences

In earlier iterations I had descriptors separated into sequential screens but after conducting usability testing I learned that having all descriptors on one scrollable screen was a smoother experience

In this flow, users upload their artwork using industry-specific input fields and descriptors.

User testing and feedback

1. User starts by tapping the "+" button

2. User can upload from camera roll or from a PDF

3. User selects the artwork from their camera roll

4. User crops the image to their liking

5. After inputting artwork details, user completes the flow by tapping "Upload artwork"

With my changes, I lowered the time spent on this task by 43s. My goal for increasing the efficiency of this flow is to reduce friction for users, which will lower dropoff rates in usage, enhancing user retention.

QUICK SELECT SALES GENERATION

Previously, the sales generation flow started with a blank search screen where the artist would enter the artwork name into the search bar. However, testing revealed that this step required recall, which slowed users down.

To reduce cognitive load and optimize for the speed of on-the-spot sales, I added a Quick Select option with artwork that was recently included in catalogs sent to potential buyers

This resulted in a 20% increase in task success. Increasing the efficiency of this flow translates into greater potential conversion for the artist, ultimately encouraging user engagement by demonstrating the value of this feature.

Quicker sales = More sales

In this flow, users select an artwork from a recently sent catalog to quickly start a transaction. Then, they can either accept payment on the spot, or generate an invoice link to send to the client.

1. User taps on the artwork they would like to sell

2. User can select multiple artworks, then continue by tapping "Next"

3. User inputs the transaction details and can either accept payment on the spot or generate an invoice

4. User collects payment in person

4. User sends the generated invoice link

SHIPMENT TRACKING & AUTOMATIC PAYMENT

To fulfill the user requirement of providing multiple payment methods, and the business requirement of supporting payment processing in-app, I designed a flow that included a Stripe integration that would allow both in-person sales or invoice generation.

Not only is Stripe a trusted provider, it solves one of our artists' core problems of not being paid. Once the collector confirms receipt of the artwork, the funds are automatically released to the artist, which is convenient for the buyer and worry-free for the seller.

The decision to include Stripe integration

In this flow, users check the progress of their sale from the Ship tab.

1. User taps on the "History" tab to see recently shipped artwork

2. User taps on the sale to view its progress

3. User can see the progress of the shipment

Design Inspiration

CONTEXTUAL INQUIRY: A VISIT TO AN ART GALLERY

Simple clean lines that add structure without drawing attention

Using shadows and opacity to add texture without color

Real objects for scale

Minimalist aesthetic that emulates a familiar setting for artists

Organizing art into themed clusters

Conclusion

MISSIONS ACCOMPLISHED

Our team solved artists' core problems and completed a V1 prototype that is ready for development.

Additionally, this prototype was used by our client, Apostrophe Art to support their fundraising efforts.

LEARNING PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS

In the weeks and months following the launch of the Apostrophe App, we recommend our clients to keep track of the following metrics and analytics to evaluate whether the platform is resonating with our audience as intended.

Engagement