Creath Art Marketplace : Designing Global Distribution for Artists, Galleries and Art Collectors
The Creath marketplace is built on the Ethereum Blockchain and designed to be a digital gallery for artists, curators, collectors, and art lovers. We connect creatives such as traditional artists, digital artists, photographers and sculptors with collectors.
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Lead Product Designer, Encompassing UX Research, Interaction Design, and Prototyping.
4 Months
Figma, Notion, Google Docs,
Lagos, NG
2024
Blockchain
Challenge
The current art market presents significant challenges for both artists and collectors:
High Barriers to Entry:
For Artists:
Limited Access to Market: Traditional galleries often prioritize established artists, making it difficult for emerging talent to gain exposure and sell their work.
High Commission Fees: Galleries and auction houses typically charge high commissions, significantly reducing artists' earnings.
Lack of Transparency: The traditional art market can be opaque, with unclear pricing and convoluted sales processes.
For Collectors:
High Entry Costs: Purchasing art can be prohibitively expensive for many collectors.
Lack of Authenticity Verification: Counterfeit art is a significant problem, making it difficult for collectors to trust the authenticity of their purchases.
Limited Access to Emerging Artists: Discovering and connecting with new and talented artists can be challenging.
Inefficiencies in the Current System:
Slow and Complex Sales Processes: Traditional sales can take months or even years to complete, involving multiple intermediaries.
Lack of Data and Analytics: Tracking sales, provenance, and artist royalties can be difficult and time-consuming.
Environmental Impact: The art world generates significant carbon emissions through transportation, storage, and physical exhibition.
Objectives
Provide a platform for creators to showcase and sell their unique digital art
Create a user-friendly and secure platform that allows buyers to browse, bid on, and purchase digital art
Build a community around the marketplace that encourages engagement, collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge and resources related to NFTs and digital art.
Build a platform that provides the option of ordering for authenticated physical copies directly from the artist
Process
Phase 1: Discovery & Research
Research Goals:
Understand the current challenges faced by artists and art collectors
Identify existing platforms (both local and international) and their strengths and weaknesses.
Gauge user understanding and acceptance of cryptocurrency for art transactions.
Determine the key features and functionalities required for a successful art trading marketplace in this context.
Explore current art authentication methods and identify opportunities for digital integration.
Methodology:
User Interviews: Conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 local artists (various mediums) and 8 art collectors in Abuja & Lagos to understand their pain points, needs, and expectations regarding an online art marketplace.
Surveys: Distributed an online survey (using Google Forms) to a wider audience of art enthusiasts in Lagos to gather quantitative data on their purchasing habits, concerns, and interest in cryptocurrency for art.
Competitive Analysis: Analyzed 5 existing online art marketplaces (both local and international) and 3 cryptocurrency-based marketplaces to identify best practices and potential pitfalls.
Heuristic Evaluation: Conducted a heuristic evaluation of a popular e-commerce platform and a cryptocurrency exchange to identify common usability patterns and potential areas of friction for our target users.
User Personas synthesized from data gotten during User Interviews and Surveys
User Flow Journey
Competitive Analysis & Heuristic Evaluation:
