Art Pocketbook
A Sales Analytics Platform Designed for Artists
The Problem
"_____ is an artist that needs to understand their sales in relation to the market better because _____ wants to sell more art."
- • Not knowing who the sales audience is
- • Not knowing what to create and when
- • Not knowing what worked and what didn't
The Goal
Understand what an artist needs in order to monitor sales in a productive manner as well as who and why the buyer purchases an artist's work so the artist can focus more on their art and less on their money.
Design Process
Following a structured UX design process to ensure every decision is grounded in research and validated through testing is key to making a product that best fits its users, therefore will best suit its stake holders
Research - Define - Ideate via Prototypes and Testing
Research
Research Questions & Insights
Time Spent on Sales Review
Question: How much time do you use on reviewing sales?
Findings: Ranging from 0-2 hours, usually around 30 minutes a week
Insights: Even those who feel like they're not good enough to be a great entrepreneur want to know how they're doing with sales. Art Pocketbook would fill this need without their concerted efforts.
Target Audience Understanding
Question: Do you have a target audience and do you think you reach them?
Findings: Split yes and no
Insights: Not having a target audience is akin to not having a plan of action. As an artist it is hard to conceptualize the need to earn money capitalistically, but only by doing so can we know how to direct one's creative output.
Previous App Experience
Question: Have you used an app like this before and did it help?
Findings: Some use sites like Etsy, but mostly No
Insights: The sites that artists already use are those that also can facilitate the sales themselves. This shows that 'sales reviews' are often simply a happy byproduct of a necessary sales site.
Desired Insights
Question: What would you want to learn from monitoring your sales?
Findings: What are my running totals? What is selling well right now? What did I sell this month?
Insights: The same artists that claim they do not care who their target audience is also declare they want to know very specific things about their sales. This shows there is a large audience for a sales application designed for the disenfranchised artists.
Emotional Response
Question: How do you feel when confronted with the issue of reviewing your sales?
Findings: Stress. Stress. Stress.
Insights: It doesn't matter where an artist is in their journey, this is the factor that all can agree on. The goal of Art Pocketbook is to take away the stress and anxiety in order to help them focus on their own creative works.
Key Survey Findings
Time Management
Artists spend 0-2 hours weekly reviewing sales, typically around 30 minutes
Audience Targeting
Split response on understanding and reaching target audience
Sales Analysis Needs
Artists want to track running totals, current trends, and monthly performance
Current Solutions
Most artists rely on basic platform analytics from sales sites like Etsy
Critical Pain Points
Stress
Initial overwhelm prevents engagement with analytics tools
Confusion
Difficulty interpreting and applying data insights
Narrow Scope
Lack of cross-platform integration complicates analysis
Competitive Analysis
Laid out in an easy-to-read, easy-to-explain format, comparing key features across major platforms in the market.
| Platform | Preview Access | Platform Integration | Sales Analysis | Educational Tools | Sales Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArtLook | No | No | Partial | No | No |
| ArtMois Studio | No | Shopify | Partial | No | No |
| Artwork Archive | Yes | AA to Site | Partial | No | Yes |
| Art Cloud | Partial | No | No | No | Yes |
| Art Logic | Partial | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Key Findings
- • Most platforms lack comprehensive preview access
- • Limited platform integration capabilities across the board
- • Sales analysis tools are generally basic or nonexistent
- • Educational resources are rare among competitors
- • Sales platform functionality is mixed across solutions
User Personas
Sammy Sosa
Age 30 • Kansas City
Occupation: Aspiring Artist
"If you don't try you can't succeed"
Goals
- • Be able to know what target audience to create marketing which appeals to them
- • Know how to reach them
Frustrations
- • Doesn't know where to start
- • Doesn't know how they would find their target audience
Elma Belle
Age 19 • Kansas City South
Education: Art School
Occupation: Artist
"Change your place, change your luck"
Goals
- • Work less
- • Stress less
Frustrations
- • Sales aren't good
- • Sometimes she can't work and can't travel as much
- • Doesn't know technology
Michael Monster
Age 35 • Lawrence, Kansas
Education: BA
Occupation: Artist
"Is it a passion? Then do it"
Goals
- • Be able to focus his work for a greater return
- • Find time to rest during the day
Frustrations
- • Spends too much time creating to have time for proper analysis, too complicated!
Maggy Medwin
Age 44 • Overland Park
Education: Highschool
Occupation: Manager
"It's about time"
Goals
- • Share her art
- • Feel secure about it
Frustrations
- • Not familiar with technology in general
- • Wants to be able to get her art out and into the world
Ideate
Testing
Testing Approach
Testing with 5 users revealed 80% of usability issues - efficient as a well-oiled machine. Each iteration brought improvements in:
- • Visual presentation of data
- • Platform integration workflows
- • Goal setting and tracking
Key Improvements
- • More images, less text for better artist engagement
- • Simplified platform connection process
- • Enhanced visual goal tracking
- • Streamlined sales review process
Project Impact
Business Value
Our iterative design process and user testing demonstrated clear ROI, with each improvement directly addressing user needs and market gaps. The final product provides tangible value for artists managing their business across multiple platforms, reducing stress and improving efficiency across all aspects of their sales analysis process.