This project was initiated with a clear objective: to enhance an art mentorship website that provides resources, guidance, and support for artists pursuing careers in creative industries. At the core of this challenge lies a website intended to offer mentorship, resources, and pricing information but ultimately falls short. Instead of guiding artists toward success, it creates obstacles through confusing communication and poor user experience.
The core problem was the following: the existing website failed to effectively communicate the mentorship services, prices and educational resources to its target audience. Users reported significant difficulties in understanding the offerings, leading to confusion and frustration. Additionally, the website’s slow performance frequently resulted in frustration, causing potential users to disengage. Our challenge was to develop a more intuitive, and informative platform that would not only clarify the services provided but also increase user engagement and satisfaction.
Alex Chen, 25
Partime 3D Designer
Alex Chen, a 25-year-old Fine Arts graduate in San Francisco, is an aspiring concept artist focused on breaking into the gaming and film industries. Balancing a part-time job with his art practice, he faces challenges with limited resources. Dedicated to honing his skills in digital illustration and 3D modeling, Alex actively engages with art communities and seeks to build a standout portfolio. His goal is to achieve the level of artistry he admires in professionals like Ian McQue.
Frustrations
- Limited budget for expensive art supplies and software subscriptions
- Difficulty balancing part-time work, classes, and personal projects
Behaviors
- Spends several hours daily practicing digital art techniques
- Actively participates in online art communities and forums
"I can draw, but not good enough for my portfolio review.
One day I'll draw like Ian McQue!"
We created a User Journey Map to visualize Alex Chen’s experience on the mentorship website. This map helped us identify key pain points, such as difficulty finding transparent pricing and lack of clear program differentiation, which guided our redesign decisions. It showed us the critical moments when users might feel frustrated or disengaged, allowing us to focus on improving navigation, clarity, and the booking flow.
Based on the insights gathered, we focused on ideas that would directly address user frustrations and enhance the overall experience. We prioritized simplifying the website’s navigation to improve usability, enhancing content clarity to better engage users, and incorporating testimonials and reviews to build credibility and trust. These changes were driven by the need to make the platform more transparent, engaging, and credible.
Highlight the current page with visual cues (e.g., bold text or an underline). Add a sticky navigation bar to ensure users can access it anytime as they scroll. Include a search bar for quick access to specific information.
We redesigned the visual elements to create a more inviting and engaging experience, reflecting the mentor’s personality. These enhancements guided our design and development phases, ensuring that each decision was aligned with the goal of creating a more effective and user-centered platform.
We embraced a modern design aesthetic by using Neue Machina for display typography, adding a bold and futuristic touch, and Helvetica Neue LT for body text to ensure readability and balance. The bright color palette, featuring vibrant greens and purples, infuses the design with a sense of modernity and energy, perfectly complementing the overall visual language.
We redesigned the visual elements to create a more inviting and engaging experience, reflecting the mentor’s personality. These enhancements guided our design and development phases, ensuring that each decision was aligned with the goal of creating a more effective and user-centered platform.
Action: Streamline the onboarding process to emphasize transparency while maintaining engagement.
Next Steps: Introduce a guided onboarding flow that gradually introduces users to key features, pricing, and the mentorship process.
Incorporate success story teasers or snippets throughout the platform, with calls-to-action leading users to explore more.
Deliver a Handoff to the developer for the creation