Mobile app
2018-2019
New Skin is a mobile app that helps users find the best tattoo design for them and the best tattoo artist
for the job.
Individual project | UX, UI, Interaction design
The problem
Tattooing is already an established art form. The tattoo world is rich and varied, overflowing with different styles, themes and artists. More and more people are getting tattooed and an increasing amount of artists is flooding the market. The decision of which tattoo to get and which artist to book for the job is becoming an increasingly challenging one to make. Since tattoos are still difficult and pricy to remove, tools are needed in order to help people interested in getting a tattoo make the best decision for themselves.
Word-of-mouth is currently the best way to find a good
tattoo artist
The internet is overflowing with tattoo imagery, most of which is outdated or irrelevant
Search and filtering options are not necessarily user friendly
People experience a difficult time making a decision, which in the ends means that they either do not get the tattoo done or regret the design and/or artist they did choose.
Competitive research
I have researched the market for similar products to try to understand how they, if it all, solve the problem I have identified. In my research, I was not limited to tattoo-specific applications but also examined other apps, which catalogue images in this way or the other, such as: Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
I found very few apps that are relevant to the problem I was trying to solve. What I have concluded from my research is that it is important to preserve image cataloguing based on relevant criteria such as: style, theme and artist. At the same time, cross-referencing was absent from the apps I reviewed and the need to provide the user with the full experience, from beginning to end, is apparent.
User research
I interviewed the two main user personas – people interested in getting a tattoo and the tattoo artists themselves. The first group related to me the difficulties they encounter when searching for an idea for a tattoo and relevant artist, and how they are trying to address such challenges. The second group, the tattoo artists, related to me their frustration from their clients' indecisiveness. I wanted to understand what in the process of searching for a tattoo could be improved, as they experience it on their end.
Conclusions from the interviews
People's lack of understanding when it comes to tattoos often causes misplaced frustration and fear on their side, and is frustrating for tattoo artists as well. Bridging this gap is hardly being addressed at the moment and people do not have the tools to make the best decision for them.
want their tattoo to be custom-made and unique
can't tell the difference between different styles
of tattooing
want their tattoo to have a special meaning
usually think of and plan several tattoos ahead
The solution
A product that will categorize tattoos according to theme and style and each tattoo will be referenced to a tattoo artist and will be rated based on meaning to the person. The product will know how to match between a tattoo idea and the most relevant artist for the job. This will act as an initial platform for communication between the artist and the user and provide an inspiration board for them to explore together.
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Target audience
ages 20-30 who are up-to-date with what's in vogue;
a more mainstream audience
The value
a sense of control and involvement
for the users
The goal
to guide the users during the entire experience – from choosing the tattoo to getting it done
The product
Sitemap
I began the design process by creating a list of all the features I wished to include in the product and organizing them into feature pages.
Wireframes - User flow
After ideating the concept, I focused on the main user flow.
I laid out all of the pages so that I could visualize how each piece related to one another, and to determine the steps a user will take from searching for a tattoo to booking an appointment with the relevant tattoo artist.
The design
When I designed the product, it was important for me to give room to the tattoos themselves and to create a clean interface that will not interfere with the images.
At the same time, I wanted to provide unimposing references to this unique world and pass on to the user the "spirit" of tattooing. For this reason, the interface is mostly white and black/gray with a touch of standout red, which relates to tattooing through its reference to blood.
Onboarding
The user's first interaction with the product will be an onboarding wizard. The wizard is composed of four different screens explaining in short the main features of the product, those with the most added value. From the beginning, the user will understand that value and goal of the product, which is to help users find the best tattoo design and artist for them.
Tattoo gallery
The main catalogue of tattoos is organized by style or subject. When users choose to browse by subject they can further direct their search by sorting the tattoos in either alphabetical order or popularity, according to their preferences.
To make it easier for the user to focus and be less distracted, I darkened the images and modified them to appear in black and white.
Image view
When the user finds a style or subject that interests them, they can scroll down through the now fully saturated images, or move from one picture to the other with the tattoo appearing in full size, with a short description.
The user can also "peek" at the meaning of the tattoo and if they like it they can save the image to their personal zone/wish list.
Matching artists
Tattoo artists are catalogued as well and can be filtered according to different categories such as style, location, availability and more. Likewise, artists can be matched with the user based on the product's learning algorithm and according to the latter's aesthetic and conceptual preferences.
Customized mood board
The tattoo designs and artists that the user liked are curated in their personal zone.
Additionally, users can create inspirational "mood boards" to help with the decision making process.
Many such boards can be created and the user can share them with their chosen artist directly through the interface and proceed to schedule their first, introductory appointment.
