Inkedup: A Mobile App Concept
Get inked with confidence. Real reviews, real artists, real results.
The problem
There is no easy way to see all of your options when searching for a tattoo artist, so people tend to visit many different resources to find the right artist for them.
The objective
Complete each step of the design thinking process from conception to testing in order to help people easily find and connect with artists that they can trust.
My role
UI/UX Designer | UX Researcher
Phase 1: Empathize
Secondary Research
I began my research aiming to learn more about the people who struggle to find a tattoo artist. I started by learning more about people who get tattoos, with specific interest in current ways that people find artists. I then determined limitations in the artist finding process and identified solutions that are available to improve the process.
A preliminary search through academic databases suggests that studies involving who gets tattooed and why have only popped up within the last 15 years or so, with the vast majority of studies focusing on college students. Despite being an easy population to study, college students aren’t the only ones getting tattooed. After scouring the internet, here’s what I found:
30% of Americans report having at least one tattoo, and of those, Americans without a college degree are only slightly more likely to have a tattoo than those with a degree. (Source)
Of tattooed Americans, 69% have two or more. (Source)
Word-of-mouth recommendations are seen as the gold standard when it comes to finding tattoo artists, with social media rising in popularity.
Some artists are known to edit their photos prior to posting, which gives potential clients unfair and unrealistic expectations.
Primary Research
The findings from my secondary research helped me develop five research questions:
Why do people decide to search for tattoo artists?
Are certain factors more important than others when finding a tattoo artist, or do people just like to browse?
How do people like to build trust in tattoo artists?
What is the current end-to-end process people use to find a tattoo artist?
What problems do people encounter when trying to find a tattoo artist, and how would they improve the process?
In order to learn more about my potential users, I conducted a survey on Google Forms to recruit participants for user interviews. My ideal users were aged 18-54, interested in tattoos, and used the internet to conduct research before making decisions, such as choosing a restaurant or making a purchase. I received 30 responses to my survey, 19 people agreed to talk more, and I interviewed five.
Survey results to the question “If you have one or more tattoos, how did you find your tattoo artist(s)?” In my secondary research I wasn’t able to find any data about how people have found their artists in the past, and so this was especially interesting to me.
Synthesizing Interview Data
After interviewing my five users in order to learn more about their needs, goals, and pain points, I had a lot of data to wade through. I created an affinity diagram to categorize my insights. I ended up with four main categories: research and technology, trust and important factors, pain points and red flags, and current thoughts and processes.
At this point in the research process I narrowed down the most important insights:
Priorities can change depending on tattoo, artist, budget, etc
People are tired of having to navigate between multiple resources
People want to hear recommendations from others, but can be skeptical
Not only do people want good tattoos, they want the whole process to be a positive experience
Defining Users
Jonathan and Shannon represent my primary and secondary personas, respectively. Jonathan represents the tattoo newbie who is unsure how to go about the process and is anxious about the unknown. Shannon represents the user who already has tattoos and is comfortable with the experience, but wants to have an easier way to find and connect with new artists. I decided to go with two personas because, through my research, I found there were two main types of users and I wanted to ensure that I designed a solution that kept both groups in mind.
Phase 2: Define
In order to more clearly define my problem space, I used my research and personas to develop four “how might we” questions:
How might we streamline the process of finding a tattoo artist?
How might we help users establish trust in tattoo artists?
How might we simplify the process of reaching out to an artist for the first time?
How might we help the user make sense of all of the information available about each artist?
Phase 3: Ideate
With my research completed and my “how might we” questions defined, I was ready to start brainstorming solutions. I knew that establishing trust was of the utmost importance, so I wanted my solution to focus on user-generated content because all of the users I interviewed discussed how they wanted to see reviews from a tattoo artist’s previous clients. By having users leave reviews and creating a solution that verifies if photos are unedited, users can have more confidence that what they see is what they’ll get. I also wanted users to be able to search for and browse artists with ease. Finally, since I learned that messaging an artist can be intimidating, I wanted to create a way to make reaching out to an artist easier, especially for users who are looking to get their first tattoo.
It was at this point that I created a list of user stories and narrowed it down to the user stories I wanted to prioritize for my Minimum Viable Product (MVP). For my MVP, I wanted my users to be able to:
Create an account
Search for/browse artists
Message an artist
Leave a review
Verify photos are unedited
User flow representing the user story: “As a user I want to message an artist so that I can ask questions and request a tattoo.”
From Sketches to Low Fidelity Wireframes
Based on talking to my users, I knew an ideal solution would have a mobile and desktop interface. Following the mobile-first design principle, I decided to focus on a mobile app because I wanted to design the smallest screens first- designing for desktop would be a future endeavor.
I began sketching my two red routes: (1) signing up as a new user, searching for an artist, and sending an artist a tattoo request, and (2) logging in as a returning user and leaving a review. This quick phase of the design process also included guerilla usability testing. I learned that the messaging flow had too many screens and unclear options, which I took into account when moving on to the low fidelity screens.
Original sketches of the messaging flow. I initially was going to have the user send an availability inquiry instead of a tattoo request, but I changed it once I realized a tattoo request better fit the needs of my primary persona.
As you can see in my sketches above, users had to navigate between three screens in order to select their message type, and so that was rectified in my low fidelity mockups. All message types are now available on the same screen so that the users can clearly see what their options are. I also designed the tattoo request form and made sure to include a progress bar, so that users know how far along they are, and an “other” option so that users can type in a response that isn’t listed. The low fidelity wireframes I designed were critical in helping me plan the layout for the app and allowed me to focus on aspects like information architecture without getting distracted by color and images.
Branding and Style Guide
Before I could move on to the high fidelity screens, I needed to develop the brand. I decided on the name Inkedup, as someone who has a lot of tattoos can be described as being “inked up.” I drew inspiration from American Traditional tattooing for the color palette, but knew that I wanted the use of color to be minimal and purposeful. I didn’t want the UI to clash with the photos that users post, since I have no control over those images. Similar to how museums often have white walls to allow the art to be the main focus, I wanted my design choices to allow the tattoos to pop.
High Fidelity Wireframes
When creating my high fidelity screens I appreciated how much detail I put in the low fidelity screens, since it made the process so much faster. The app really started to come together once I added images. This is the first project that I’ve completed using Figma, and while there was definitely a learning curve, I had so much fun playing around with different layouts, components, and variants. I also wanted to make sure my app was accessible according to WCAG 2.1 standards. My initial version of the bottom navigation bar simply turned an icon red when clicked, but based on some feedback I added a line underneath so that users who have trouble differentiating between colors can more clearly see which tab they’re on.
Phase 4: Prototype and Test
Once I designed all of the high fidelity screens I created a clickable prototype on Figma. I then conducted two rounds of moderated usability testing, each with five participants. My objectives going into the usability testing were as follows:
Identify any usability issues in the primary and secondary red routes
Learn participants’ initial impressions of the interface
Assess the ease with which participants complete specific tasks
I had each participant first sign up as a new user, search for American Traditional tattoo artists and choose the first search result, find a way to message the artist, and request a specific tattoo. I then had them log in as a returning user and find a way to leave a five star review for the artist they just got their tattoo from.
Round One Testing
Going into the tests, I hypothesized that users may have trouble figuring out how to leave a review. I was also concerned that the form screens from the tattoo request form flow may be unclear to the user. Overall I received really positive feedback from my users, and was told that if this app existed they would definitely use it to help them find tattoo artists. However, there were some usability issues, which are outlined in the table below.
I took all of the feedback that I received in round one and updated my prototype. I added a tool tip that pops up on the homepage that tells users to tap the plus sign on the bottom navigation bar in order to review an artist or studio. I also added a “review artist” button to the artist profile page, since most users went to the artist profile when asked to find a way to leave a review.
Round Two Testing
Even with the updates, 4 out of 5 participants in this round of testing initially tried something other than clicking on the plus icon in order to leave a review. The tool tip was noted to not be prominent enough, and only one user saw it, read it, and knew what to do. I learned in this round that users also want to be able to see the artists that they’ve interacted with before, because that would be an easy way to find the artist that they want to review. Other than that I continued to receive positive feedback, and participants who had tattoos noted that a tool like this would have really helped them find a good, reputable artist.
Search results screen. I ended up adding labels to the bottom navigation bar to further clarify what each icon represents. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best.
Artist profile page- about section.
Question from the tattoo request form.
The verification process to validate that images are unedited and therefore increase trust in both the reviews and the artists.
Reflections and Next Steps
The biggest challenge I faced when designing this project was finding an intuitive way to leave a review. I realized what was clear to me may not be clear to my users, which drove home the importance of user testing. This was my first time designing an app, and I learned so much through this entire process. If this were a real project, these would be my next steps:
I would conduct A/B testing to really hone in on the most intuitive way to leave a review.
I would finish designing the rest of the app, focusing a lot of attention on the user profile page since the majority of my users tried to click on it at some point during the usability test.
Inclusivity and acceptance is important to me and my users. As a trans person I know firsthand that it can be scary trusting new people when you don’t know where they stand on certain issues. I would add room for more information on the artist profile pages to include features such as “LGBTQ+ friendly” and “comfortable tattooing all skin tones.”
I designed this app for people looking for tattoos, but there would likely need to be a companion app for tattoo artists. I would interview tattoo artists and identify their unique needs, and find a way to help them manage the reviews they’ve received and update their profiles.
Special Thanks
I’d like to take a moment to thank the people who helped me with this project. First, my mentor, Michel Loro, was an invaluable resource during every step of this process and I couldn’t have done it without him. I’d also like to thank Beatriz Terreu for her advice when designing my high fidelity screens. Thank you to everyone who volunteered for interviews or testing, as your feedback helped me grow as a researcher and designer. Last, but not least, I’d like to thank my twin sister and best friend, Julia, for being my cheerleader over the last few months.