END-TO-END APP
DrawMotiv
ROLE
DURATION
TOOLKIT
Background
Becoming proficient in drawing requires considerable time, practice, and consistency, which can be daunting and overwhelming for novice artists. The lack of clear starting points, uncertainty about what tools to use, and confusion regarding which tutorials to follow often lead to a loss of motivation or interest in learning. We need to find ways to keep beginner artists motivated and engaged to help them accomplish their drawing goals.
Problem
People show interest in drawing, but feel intimidated when it comes to learning due to uncertainty about where to begin and the level of commitment required to achieve their desired results.
Solution
Increase user engagement by making the learning experience more enjoyable and interactive by using gamification.
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
I reviewed four learning platforms that offer drawing lessons or resources, focusing on their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. I identified gaps and effective strategies such as step-by-step art tutorials or an online community, guiding design decisions that aim to create a more engaging and supportive learning experience for all artists.
USER INTERVIEWS
I interviewed 7 participants who all share an interest in drawing. I received insight about artists' challenges from three beginner artists that have limited knowledge in drawing, but are interested in learning and improving their skill as well as four more experienced artists who actively draw and consider their skillset as intermediate or advanced.
Key Findings
Beginner artists define success in drawing as a mindset where they feel happy with what they create: Adopting a growth mindset where rather than fixate on their mistakes, they figure out how they can be better.
Intimidated by time commitment: The amount of time and effort needed to learn how to draw or to even complete a drawing is intimidating for new artists especially when they have other responsibilities or hobbies they want to prioritize.
Lack of confidence lead beginner artists to lose motivation to draw: Struggle with confidence when what they create does not match what they envisioned or when they compare their artwork to more experienced artists.
Intermediate artists share their common methods to learn a new technique: Gather photo references, watch videos of artists doing speed paintings/drawings that showed their process, and learn anatomy from books.
Organizing pain points into an affinity map:
Time commitment, Lack of confidence, Lack of Accountability, Developing a Style, Difficulty finding resources, Learning in a classroom, and Lack of community.
USER PERSONAS
I focused on two user personas that represent the recurring challenges and common goals expressed by aspiring artists, such as a lack of confidence in their skill and dedicating time to learn or practice. Centering my design decisions around their needs helped ensure the solution directly addresses real user pain points.
IMPACTFUL IDEAS
Brainstorming solutions to motivate artists to keep drawing.
Through a timed ideation exercise, I brainstormed creative ways to keep artists motivated, generating ideas without worrying about feasibility. I also referenced existing platforms to extract further insights, allowing me to explore the best possible solutions before refining them into practical strategies.
SITE MAP
Streamlining DrawMotiv's information architecture.
I organized the content to highlight the main features needed to improving their drawing skills and ensure that users can easily navigate the app, access learning materials, and track their progress without friction.
FLOWCHARTS
I mapped out user flows for two key features: completing the onboarding process and completing a drawing lesson. These flows represent the user's first impression and their core interaction with the app. Following these flows can create a smooth, intuitive experience from the start and throughout their learning journey.
KEY
Lessons: Find and complete a drawing lesson.
Onboarding: Create a new account.
WIREFRAMES
I sketched and then digitized low-fidelity wireframes to explore and communicate layout ideas without getting distracted by visual details. I experimented with different layout options, such as comparing a bottom navigation bar to a hamburger menu for mobile, to determine which approach would best support usability.
MOODBOARD
Through Pinterest, I collected references and artworks to help shape the visual direction of DrawMotiv. I also drew inspiration from learning apps like Duolingo and Headspace, which use animated and engaging illustrations in their branding.
WIREFRAMES
I translated the low-fidelity designs into high-fidelity wireframes by adding colors, fonts, and visual elements that help bring to life DrawMotiv’s playful and supportive brand identity.
Creating a Brand Identity: The following style guide’s intentions is to reflect DrawMotiv’s core values: Engaging, Playful, Supportive, Inviting, and Confidence. With the warm-toned & bold color palette, rounded corners, and friendly graphics, I wanted to make the interface to appear approachable especially to beginner artists.
USABILITY TESTS
I conducted usability tests with 7 participants who are interested in drawing. The study aimed to identify potential areas of improvements.
Performed 4 Tasks
#1
Create an account & complete onboarding quiz
#2
Explore the homepage.
#3
Key Findings
All participants rated the Onboarding process either 1 or 2 (with one being the easiest) in terms of difficulty because it felt straightforward and that the current set of questions were relevant to figuring out their drawing goals and learning preferences.
Many described the visual design as friendly, clean, and simple because the rounded corners, color palette, graphics, and fonts felt inviting.
All participants wished the main navigation menu was more accessible and suggested anchoring the menu to the bottom or top of the screen or switching out to a hamburger menu which felt most intuitive and familiar to them.
More experienced artists brought up the idea of incorporating a social aspect to help foster community and connect with users.
ITERATIONS
These insights guided design iterations that prioritized the user experience, resulting in an app that is intuitive, functional, visually interesting, and fun for those learning how to draw.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
The final prototype integrates key improvements, polishing up the overall experience and interface.
REFLECTION
Lessons Learned
Learning Industry Tools
As my first project, I was introduced to UX Research and UI Design methods to streamline my design process such as assessing the current market through a competitor analysis, best practices when conducting user interviews, and creating compelling wireframes. It helped build a strong foundation when approaching future design challenges.
Communicating Design Decisions
I had the opportunity to attend Group Critiques where I presented my deliverables to peers and practiced clearly articulating my design decisions. These sessions helped me build confidence, embrace constructive feedback, and grow as both a communicator and a collaborative designer.
Next Steps
Completing Lessons
Create designs for completing a drawing lesson, gamifying the experience to keep users engaged.
Drawing Challenges
A lot of the users were the most interested in the Challenges feature and believed it would be the most game-like and unique element.
Social Aspect
Many experienced artists stressed the significance of community. Find a way to allow users to view, share, and engage with other user's artwork.
Check out the next Case Study!
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