Capital Artist helps emerging fine artists in the D.C. metropolitan area find opportunities to fund and showcase their work. As a fine artist myself, I understand the unique and distinct challenges emerging artists face. As a result, I sought to create an application that helps artists identify and access resources that aid them in their career journey.
Fine artists face a host of challenges throughout their professional careers. These obstacles can effectively “make or break” their careers, and can be especially troublesome for those just entering the market, commonly referred to as emerging artists. I sought to identify and address such obstacles facing emerging artists, particularly in the D.C. metropolitan area where I reside.
First, I developed a research plan to define the project’s goals and list the methods I intended to use to achieve those goals. The objective included identifying what channels and resources artists use to find opportunities for funding and discovering the challenges involve in finding such resources. Semistructured interviews were conducted and interview notes were reviewed, coded, and grouped by theme.
“It was hard determining what fit for me, so I scaled back to the local level and went back to my personal network”
“I find local artists in D.C. and ‘follow’ them on Instagram to see what they’re posting, where they’re applying, and what shows they’re hosting”
“I attend shows hosted by local nonprofits and follow up with them to see what calls for entry or shows they have down the pipeline”
“I attend local shows and meet the artists. I then follow what they do on social media and find out what they’re working on and with who”
“It’s really people I’ve met in University or worked with in the past who let me know what shows or applications are open at the moment”
“It’s hard for me to know who to talk to or where to go to get my foot in the door. A lot of times I just don’t know where to start”
I started the design process by designing possible end-to-end user experiences, which helped me understand the ways in which users could navigate the application. I wanted the application to combine opportunities posted by art organizations; incorporate postings from professional development organizations; and connect with local galleries and organizations to post events they’ll be hosting in the future.
Following guerilla testing, wireframes and wireflows were developed to help me identify key screens and understand the actions users take,. Wireframes were then converted from low to high fidelity.
To validate and continue ideating my design, usability testing was in order. Users were assigned specific tasks to complete in order to understand and identify any flaws in the design.
Following usability testing, I refined my prototype to reflect a more user-friendly and intuitive experience. Through empathizing with users, conducting research, developing wireframes and wireflows, and producing prototypes, Capital Artist is now a one-stop-shop for emerging artists in the D.C. area.
