projectr
projectr is a social media platform that allows creatives to meet and browse for opportunities, as well as to showcase their work.
creating solutions for the current inaccessible and unapproachable indie market and creating a platform where users feel comfortable collaborating
timeline: 24 hours! @QWER Hacks 2021
(3rd place in Entertainment)
collaborators: Kendall Ka, Shirley Jiang, Erica Santos
role: UI/UX Designer, prototyping journey
applications used: adobe illustrator, adobe indesign, figma
see it on devpost!
What is really "indie" today?
The independent art community faces oversaturation by big corporate production companies and industry regulars. Many "indie" production companies today claim to be small companies such as A24 however are backed by bigger and established Hollywood companies.
This restricts actual smaller independent (indie) media creators from creating a standing and starting out in an industry that is backed by strong corporations.
As a group of 4 we researched, conceptualized, and prototyped solutions for these problems.
What do real indie creators do today?
In order to help current indie creators we set out to understand current user's process and platforms for collaborating and connecting with other creators. We wanted to understand what those platforms are missing and have in common. And lastly, if those platforms restrict and block an open, safe-space, collaborative community - understand the how and why.
We spoke to 3 key individuals in the 24 hour time frame to understand their perspectives as well as their current process of starting a project, finding individuals to collaborate and work with, and finally how they shared their work and increased traction of their projects.
the common process
What steps are taken to create a project?
abandon project
idea
contact peers
produce?
low engagement
direct social
media posts
execute
interview questions
If you were starting a film project, how would you plan it out? What would your first 3 steps be?
How would you complete these steps? Are there any obstacles to completing these tasks?
If you could, how would you improve your project planning process?
takeaways + problems
What issues can be targeted?
Media artists are constantly searching for a way to meet new creatives to collaborate with, who are outside of their personal network. Most reported using Facebook and Linkedin.
Artists used their own social networks to build their production teams and very few found that they worked with new creatives.
It is difficult to gain traction for an indie project while it is being produced and once it is released. The project either falls flat on platforms like Youtube and Vimeo, or somehow gains traction in a viral way by word of mouth.
There is no reliability or predictability; moreover, there is a lack or support and interconnectedness within the industry.
solutions
a collaborative and accessible platform meant for creatives of all levels of experience and from diverse backgrounds
trending, curated list of projects to browse for inspiration or for pleasure
personalized experience of browsing projects to collaborate on based on location, job, project type
discussing ideas and questions while connecting with other projectr users through the forum regarding any creative topics
these solutions solve issues regarding limited access for creatives and provide a one-stop platform to find work and new experiences with fellow artists
initial wireframes/prototypes
Implemented trending & for you page as personalized project experience and prototyped what a user profile would look like and how projects would be showcased.
The browse section could be searched by location, career type, as well as project type.
Struggles: we thought about multiple ways to approach our forum interface. We pulled from reddit style threads to blog style posts.
Together, we created some drawn wireframes and discussed which would be most accessible and approachable to all
visual design
prototype finalizations
home page
The For You and Trending page allows a showcase of popular projects as well as curated projects for the user to view.
We used clean and simple design to focus on the projects and media showcased.
browse progression
Search bar allows the ability to search by genre, people, projects, or the forum.
Search feature allows filtering of location, project status, and project genre.
This will allow users to connect with users that align with their intentions.
profile/project showcase
Profile contains a home section with summary of projects, user groups (i.e. Music Video producers), as well the connections each user has made.
The about page has a clear indication of career type, location, and intention for projects.
When clicking the projects, this will lead to a summary of the project whether underway or concluded. It contains its collaborators as well as other announcements for the project.
forum
Forum consists of two layouts:
a gallery view with summary of various topics available
a thread or reddit style to view the posts in a more detailed and expanded view.
Topics from searching for work to an upcoming film festival will be posted. It will serve not only as a job board but also as a collaborative network as well as a place to learn and ask personal and career questions.
Each post will show profiles of the authors and commentators so users feel encouraged to connect and view their current projects.
This will allow for a more intimate and open environment for indie media creators to safely and comfortably communicate.
final prototype mockup
