Easely
“Art commerce made easy”– Easely is an e-commerce platform that aims to make buying and selling art straightforward and efficient. It prioritizes empowering artists and making art investment inclusive for all. This app has two user groups: artists and buyers.
UX Researcher
Visual Design
Prototyping
Exclusive community and difficult entry
Traditional art commerce caters mainly to high-net-worth individuals in physical gallery spaces, excluding emerging artists and enthusiastic buyers that do not have the notoriety or financial capacity to engage with typical prices.
Make selling and buying art easier
The goal is to bridge the gap between creators and enthusiasts, so that art discovery, appreciation, and acquisition can be more inclusive of different tastes, price preferences, and levels of expertise.
Feature Highlights
Find up and coming artists
- Easely users can expect to see artworks of all mediums on their explore page
- Currently, artists use Instagram to showcase their work but they reported it to be frustrating due to saturation of other non-art content
List works for sale
- A simple artwork listing form empowers artist to grow their business independently so that they do not have to rely on intermediaries like art galleries to advertise or facilitate sales for them
Be a buyer & seller
- “Artists” can still buy, and “buyers” can still sell
This flexibility was implemented because through research, I knew that some artists want to buy art, and some buyers engage in the secondary market (re-selling)
Artists are self-employed
I read multiple reports on the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) spanning 2016-2019 and discovered:
34%
of fine artists and photographers are self-employed, in contrast to 9% of other professions
58%
of self-employed artists cite flexible schedules and independence as the main reasons
79%
of self-employed artists do not want to work for someone else
Online Sales Market
I read academic papers, market analyses, and trade reports to learn about the online art sales market. This would inform features I incorporate into my digital product. Here are some key findings:
Shift towards price transparency
In 2023, 91% of online art buyers say this was the key attribute to whether they decided to buy from an online platform.
Buyers, lovers,
and supporters of art
95% cite emotional benefits and passion for art is the primary motivation for spending in 2023. 68% consider supporting struggling artists as another crucial factor.
Detailed
information
In 2023, 85% (a 16% jump from 2022) of buyers cared about background information about the artist and work when shopping.
Instagram is the social media of choice
Most collectors (87%) use it to discover new artists and new artworks (86%). Additionally, 78% of online buyers perceive artists as influencers.
Evaluating affordability, community, transparency
Key Differences
- Instagram is often used by the art community but artworks are rarely sold using that platform
- Platforms selling more expensive artworks (Peggy) have less price transparency, must “inquire” before buying
- Etsy is saturated with products other than art, and artists have a more casual “DIY” feel
Opportunities
- Create the “Instagram” for artists so artists can grow a community and sell art within it
- Enforce price transparency and make the process simple (no inquire only options)
- Have an affordable price range (between Etsy and Peggy)
User Interview Key Findings
I interviewed 2 artists and 2 buyers to learn about their challenges in the process of selling and purchasing art. Here are some key findings:
"You have to play a certain game, but I don't know how to play it"
Pain Points to Features
From all my research, I identified four major challenges with the current art buying AND selling experience that my product should address.
Convoluted Exploration
Confusing Checkout
Social Media Limitations
Difficult to Price Work
Sketches
I started with paper sketches to rapidly visualize design elements without the constraints of digital tools.
Site Map
To plan the architecture of the app, I made a site map.
Design System
Since this was a new app, I built a design system as I went to maintain consistency throughout.
Early Iterations
Below are some issues with earlier iterations that I changed to arrive at the high-fiedlity prototypes in the next section.
Simple Explore and Discover
The home page should resemble social media page because artists and buyers cited Instagram as their primary source of art media consumption. The UI is grayscale to minimize visual distractions from the artworks. Multiple search methods are incorporated to promote recognition over recall and make discovery easy.
Clear Pricing and Purchase Process
Prices are listed upfront so buyers can make informed purchases. This is important because my interviewees expressed concern over price ambiguity, and research indicated 91% of online art buyers reporting price transparency mattered to them. Additionally, based on ethical price display guidelines , I listed shipping costs early and clearly.
Learn about artists and their work
Users can click on artists’ profiles to learn more about their creative practice. This decision was made based on the Hiscox 2023 Online Trade Report, which reported 85% of buyers wanting background information about the artist and their work.
Streamlined form-filling
Sellers can easily create listings by completing this form and uploading photos. To improve flexibility and efficiency of use, I created options to switch between metric and imperial systems. As additional help and documentation, there is a guide for measuring works. Measurements matter because they help generate shipping estimates.
Reflection
- Smart-animate: There is a home page animation with a bouncing logo, and a hamburger icon that turns into an x on-click
- UX : selecting the right component (breadcrumb bar, tab, dropdown) for each process
- Auctions and sending offers to increase pricing flexibility and buyer/seller empowerment
- Commissions section for artists to make personalized work (like freelancing)
- AR viewing room so users can better understand how the work would fit into their personal spaces
- Conduct a survey and follow-up interviews within my target demographic of younger, less-experienced artists and collectors