The context.

I am a part of a large group of photographers that picked up cameras around the same time. Together, we were able to support one another through the challenges of turning one’s passion into something lucrative. I watched 30 individuals who were very talented and even had experience under their belt struggle to book clients on a consistent basis. The marketing piece was simply missing from the equation. I wanted to use this case study as an opportunity to create a digital solution that will bridge the gap between creative and client.

A familiar problem.

The problem of creatives being able to book clients consistently is near and dear to my heart because I went through the same trouble as I sought to grow my own freelance photography and design company. I tried certain apps such as thumbtack, but there was so much involved in the middle before I could get to the end goal of booking clients that need services specific to what I offered, and do that consistently. Competitors do not offer a solution that filters clients through to freelancers that meet their specific needs.

Problem Statement: Freelance creatives need a way to display their work to a specified clientele base because marketing one’s work can be challenging when they are new to their field.

My hypothesis.

Conducting user research and interviews helped to validate the need for this solution, and as a fellow freelancer, I knew certain features would be appreciated as well.

Competitive analysis and feature comparison.

Identifying target audience.

Conducting interviews allowed me to gain a deeper understand of who I was designing for. I found that there was more than just one persona that could see significant benefit from this solution.

Primary user persona.

Card sorting results.

Through a card sorting exercise, I was able to get insight from potential users on how to categorize particular features for my solution. Research was conducted via optimalworkshop.com.

Mid-Fidelity Wireframes

Next steps…

My next steps in this study would be to expound on the particular digital solutions within Creative Connect that could benefit the “Client” and “Industry Expert” personas. I realize that there is a lot to unpack in this solution so I will be taking the time to polish up various features and visual design elements that will help make the app even more well-rounded.