saroufim

drop

Introduction

Drop is a drawing app designed to help artists warm-up, get inspired, and loosen up a little; encouraging them to benefit from the joy and therapy of drawing regularly, even if quickly or roughly. Drop offers daily curated art prompts that users can respond to by making a drop (drawing alone) or by diving into the pool (drawing with everyone). I wanted to make something that could help artists reconnect with the part of them that fell in love with drawing, before the personal, financial and social pressures.

Scope

Speculative project – UX research, User testing, Interaction design, Illustration, Brand identity, Presentation

Timeline

Jan 2024 - May 2024

Agenda

1. Research
2. Prototypes & user tests
3. Branding
4. Final product
5. Presentation

Research

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Interviews

I interviewed six artists about their habits and philosophies around drawing and the experience of being an artist today. My role was to stay impartial, help the interviewee feel at ease and ask open-ended questions in order to gather reliable evidence for my research.

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Insights

My conversations with these thoughtful artists unveiled numerous pain points and interesting discoveries, from which I extracted six meta insights.

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Opportunities

I chose to focus on three of the meta insights and reframed them as actionable statements, identifying opportunities for intervention and problems that my product could help solve. I began sketching ideas based on those statements.

Prototypes & user tests

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Low-fidelity prototypes

I prepared five simple prototypes of various products with the aim of testing vastly different features to see what ideas will resonate with users and respond to their needs the most.

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User tests

I tested the prototypes with four people with varying degrees of interest and proficiency in drawing.

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Selected prototypes & key takeaways

These two prototypes were the most popular among my users. I gathered three key takeaways from their feedback to keep in mind for the next phase of development.

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Mid-fidelity prototypes

I created more advanced and detailed versions of the previously selected prototypes.

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User tests

I conducted another round of testing, once again with drawing enthusiasts of different levels.

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Selected prototype & key takeaways

Users agreed that the Daily Prompts product provided the most complete experience with both its single and communal drawing modes, which they considered MVP features. I derived two key takeaways from their notes to guide the final phases of development.

Branding

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  Name

  The Drop app is like water: quick and refreshing like a splash, ever-flowing and constantly renewing like a stream, calming and reflective like a pond. A drop is a small dose – I want people to draw a little every day. Finally, Drop sounds like Draw-p :)

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  Logo

  The logo visually combines the two main features of the app: the solo experience as represented by the Drop, and the collective experience as represented by the Pool. Together they resemble the tip of a pencil.

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  Colors

  The brand colors are the same colors you draw with. This palette is restrictive and unnatural – it reminds users that this is a loose, creative and non-serious space and encourages them to draw with a casual mindset.

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  Color themes

  Every color has its own corresponding pattern. These five themes serve as backdrops within the app's interface and can be cycled according to each user's preference, allowing for a degree of visual customization of their creative space.

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  App icon

  Your icon color changes depending on your chosen in-app color theme.

• Pool widget

  Rather than threats of losing a streak, the Drop widget is a live window into the Pool activity. It hints at the prompt of the day and piques your curiosity, inviting you into the app organically.

Final product

System map

This is a simplified map of Drop's main and supporting features where all roads stem from home.

Drop to Pool switch

Users can respond to the daily drawing prompt by making a Drop or by joining the Pool.

Theme changer

The star button in the top right allows users to instantly change the color theme of their interface.


Make a Drop
Users can enter a private drawing space to create their artwork of the day.


Post a Drop

Users can interact with advanced post settings such as uploading referenced materials, disabling comments and choosing who can see their Drop.



Drop post celebration

Users are congratulated for posting their daily Drop with a star-studded success screen.

Browse Drops

Users can browse everyone's Drops of the day on the home screen. They can also sort them chronologically, by friends, by new artists...

Browse Drops enlarged

Users can view enlarged Drops in a horizontal feed. They can also leave/read comments by scrolling vertically inside a frame.


Dive in the Pool
Users can enter the communal drawing space to create a massive 24h collaborative artwork. The tools here are even more limited, embracing imperfection. Users can follow or hide each other.


Pool live canvas

Outside view of the live drawing in the Pool canvas.



Pool dive celebration

Users are congratulated for diving into the Pool with a water drop success screen. Get it? It's like you're wet from the Pool :)



Medals default

There are five medals – completing them is a marathon not a race.



Medals in progress

Users are rewarded for drawing quickly, frequently, with others...



Dropper medal

Each medal has four milestones to unlock.

Draw anywhere

Users can make a mark anywhere in the app that is impermanent unless its on a canvas. This can be an interesting tool for recording feedback or just thinking/doodling.



Seasonal prompts

Real-world events and celebrations can inspire new prompts. Users can enjoy limited edition themes and colors to use in their practice.

Presentation

AIGA NY Fresh Grad

I had the honor of being selected to represent my program and showcase Drop at AIGA NY's Fresh Grad event in June of 2024. Here's a recording of that presentation for a 5min rundown of this project!

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   Event promo

   Graphics created by AIGA NY to promote their annual Fresh Grad event across their social media platforms.

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   💁🏻‍♀️💅✨