ArtWalk Prototype Proposal

During the second week in the Capstone course, I worked on putting together a proposal for what will be the heart of my project. In week 3, I will deliver a prototype that will demonstrate some of the most important still-in-progress pieces of ArtWalk. The information below walks through my current motivation behind and plans for ArtWalk, and it will help inform what ends up in my week 3 prototype.

My problem statement is a driving force and inspiration behind ArtWalk.

After further reflection, I'd also like to include that I believe the artists providing artwork and experiences for the app are experiencing a unique type of loneliness as well. In recent years, they have been tasked with the constant learning of social media algorithms. There is an implication that if they don't stay up to date on these things, posting often, across multiple platforms, and in ways that work with the current algorithms, no one will see their work. Meanwhile, they are also dealing with the reality of sharing art on social media platforms being risky in terms of AI scraping and training on their original work. This combination can compound into something that makes it difficult to build new audiences or connections as an artist. It can feel isolating. My hope is that ArtWalk can help not only the original user audience I imagined when hatching the idea, but also the artists whose work will play a massive role in the app itself. I'm now considering the ways the app can help artists feel more connected and held by their communities.

These are lists of my external connections thus far.

I am currently in the process of conducting user research, reaching out to people from many of the arts organizations listed as well as artists of varied types. I have set up a Google Meet with one of my subject matter experts (a UI expert) for June 22nd. I'm in correspondence with my other two subject matter experts, currently choosing Google Meet dates that work with our schedules.

Here's what I plan to use throughout my work on ArtWalk.

The list of tools and technology I'll be using in my work on this project is quite long! It makes me feel grateful for all of the learning I've done while in the MAGWD program. I'm absolutely coming out knowing how to use much more than I did going in.

These are the deliverables I'm aiming to have prepared for our third week of class, alongside my final deliverable goals for the full course.

These first three weeks of the Capstone Course feel pretty heavy in terms of what I'm asking myself to complete, but I hope they'll provide a solid foundation for review, feedback, and revision as we continue.

These are my challenges and strengths.

It's helpful to see these lists together, as a reminder that they're both important to keep in mind. Keeping the challenges in mind helps me when I need to make choices about prioritizing various tasks. The strengths are a good reminder for any moments of frustration I may find myself in.

These are some of the "whys" behind my decision to make ArtWalk into my capstone project.

This is the simplest schedule I have created for myself.

A screenshot of the Capstone To Do List page in Asana

Defining goals week by week has been an important step in my process. I actually have taken it several steps further, creating an Asana account where I can track my course deadlines and self-imposed deadlines in calendar, kanban board, and to-do list views. There is a fun detail included in the Asana interface where mythical creatures fly across the screen after I mark a task as complete. Proof that fun visual rewards do in fact motivate users!

In addition to Asana, I have a separate Google calendar where I've broken down the days of my week into color-coded chunks of time. This helps me to identify patterns and remember which parts of which days of the week I plan to dedicate to Capstone work in general, as well as hopefully reinforcing the idea that at certain times I need to do things like taking a break to go for a walk, going to bed on time, and eating dinner outside of the room I work and do my schoolwork in.

My research can be found by following the link below: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g1iqcsZwNBcHaZCP0gabcqBdGqIR3K-TioDhTHOyrmU/edit?tab=t.0

This moodboard serves as the lead in to my proof of concept, which I'll have by the end of Week 2.

My moodboard will guide me as I continue working towards my proof of concept at the end of Week 2, followed closely by my Week 3 prototype. I have my ArtWalk color palette and an existing Figma prototype from UX Design. There are some aspects of what I have that will stay the same, but this week I'm looking at what will be changing and what I will be adding. I'm aiming for creating some icons that are hand-drawn and feel as such. I've also been playing with different logo ideas (haven't landed on one that I love...yet).