Research + Discovery
I explored how users currently discover tattoo inspiration, artists, and studios while identifying pain points across existing platforms and workflows.
CASE FILE / MOBILE
INK'D Tattoo App
A mobile UX case study focused on connecting tattoo inspiration, artist discovery, and appointment booking into a single community-driven experience.
ink'd_case_study.exe
01 / OVERVIEW
Quick mission summary
The goal
Create a platform that brings tattoo discovery, artist exploration, and appointment booking into one connected experience.
The problem
Finding tattoo inspiration, discovering artists, and booking appointments often requires jumping between multiple platforms, creating a fragmented and inconvenient experience.
The result
A community-driven app concept that combines tattoo inspiration, interactive maps, artist portfolios, and booking tools into a more seamless and accessible experience.
02 / CHALLENGE
What needed fixing
Users looking for tattoo inspiration often have to switch between social platforms, map services, artist portfolios, and booking systems. This fragmented journey creates unnecessary friction and makes discovering the right artist or studio more difficult.
The challenge was creating a platform that could combine multiple user needs into a single experience without overwhelming users. The app needed to support inspiration browsing, artist discovery, location-based searching, and appointment booking while still feeling simple and intuitive.
CORE UX ISSUE
Too many disconnected touchpoints between inspiration and action. Users can discover styles and artists easily, but moving from finding inspiration to booking an appointment often feels fragmented and inefficient.
03 / PROCESS
How I approached it
User flow thinking
I mapped the journey from finding inspiration to booking an appointment to understand how different features and touchpoints connect.
Wireframing
I designed low-fidelity layouts to organise content, simplify navigation, and test how users would move between discovery, profiles, and booking flows.
Visual refinement
I developed a cleaner interface focused on stronger hierarchy, community-driven content, and a more engaging browsing experience.
04 / SOLUTION
What the final design does better
Connected experience
Inspiration, artist discovery, maps, and booking are brought into one platform, reducing the need to switch between multiple services.
Simplified discovery
Users can explore tattoo styles, portfolios, and nearby studios through a clearer and more intuitive browsing experience.
Faster decision making
Location tools, filters, and artist information help users compare options more easily and move from inspiration to action faster.
05 / GALLERY
Project visuals
06 / PLAYTEST
Explore the project
Experience the final design through an interactive prototype, or dive deeper into the thinking behind it. The report outlines the full process, decisions, and iterations that shaped the outcome.
07 / OUTCOME
Takeaways
This project strengthened my understanding of designing connected user journeys and balancing multiple features within a single ecosystem. It reinforced the value of using familiar interaction patterns to reduce learning curves while creating a more seamless and engaging experience.
RESULT
A more unified tattoo discovery experience that combines inspiration, artist exploration, navigation, and booking into one platform. The final concept created a smoother flow between discovery and action while maintaining a simple, community-focused experience.