Where

San Diego, CA

Role

UX Designer

What

Responsive website

E-commerce, C2C

Why

Portfolio project

When

02/23 - 03/23

Why I made this project?

I created this project to address the challenge of finding unique indoor locations for content creation, which I struggled with as a freelancer. With social media's growing influence, I aim to democratize access to interesting indoor spaces, making content creation more accessible to everyone.

Market research

the claim

In the US, there are 50 million content creators and a market worth $100 billion, yet many still struggle to make a living from their passion.

the problem

Content creators often struggle to find affordable and unique indoor locations for their projects. Meanwhile, property owners with desirable spaces struggle to market them effectively.

Creators

50 million creators

market size

100 billion US dollars

influence

29% of US children want to become content creators

Income

only top 10% of creators make more than $80k per year

This is where our modern and user-friendly short-term rental platform comes in - bridging the gap and providing an additional income stream for those with desirable spaces.

Competitive analysis

I analyzed 2 most popular platforms in the space who offer a short term rentals - looking both at the booking experience, hosting experience and negative comments on social media to find patterns.

PEERSPACE (A)

Gigster (B)

pros

Has a large user base and established reputation in the market (B)
Offers a wide range of indoor location options (A, B)
Allows users to easily filter and search for specific amenities or features (A)

Has a large user base and established reputation in the market (B)
Offers a wide range of indoor location options (A, B)
Allows users to easily filter and search for specific amenities or features (A)

Cons

May be more expensive than other options ( A , B)

Have limited availability during peak rental seasons (A)
Less intuitive user interface (B)
Difficult to switch account types (A, B)

May be more expensive than other options ( A , B)

Have limited availability during peak rental seasons (A)
Less intuitive user interface (B)
Difficult to switch account types (A, B)

What people say about the competitors

"I've found the booking process to be a bit confusing at times"

Kristy s.

"I had a really bad experience with customer service"

Michael m.

"I had a lot of trouble navigating the website and finding the information"

Hannah r.

I did a competitive analysis to develop a better understanding of products that are available on the market and learn about opportunities to build a successful MVP.

User survey

I conducted a quick survey among content creators on Facebook.

26 participants

When searching for a short-term studio rental, what is the most crucial factor that you consider?

Cost

50%

Availability and scheduling flexibility

43%

security and safety measures in place

26%

visually unique features of the space

74%

Highlighted user opinion

"Some rentals i've come across are way expensive for short-term use."

Brian a.

"I want a space that has something visually unique and interesting."

Jessica f.

"I prefer spaces that are easily accessible and have nearby parking options."

Kim T.

The user survey confirmed my initial assumptions on what users think is important in short-term studio rentals.

Personas

I created two personas based on two types of users of the SnapSpace: Content Creator and Property owner.

Maya smith

Instagram influencer

Maya smith

Instagram influencer

Maya smith

Instagram influencer

“I'm passionate about creating beautiful content and growing my following, but I don't have the budget to rent a professional studio just yet.”

Goals

To create high-quality content that resonates with her audience and helps her grow her following
To find affordable and unique indoor locations for her photoshoots
To build relationships with other content creators and collaborate on projects together

Frustrations

Limited budget makes it difficult to invest in high-end equipment or studio rentals
Difficulty finding affordable and visually interesting indoor locations for photoshoots
Lack of support or guidance from more experienced content creators in the industry

ABOUT MAYA

👧🏼 22

🏠 San Diego, CA

🎓 University of California

Maya is a recent college graduate who's been working hard to build her Instagram following over the past year. She's passionate about photography and loves creating beautiful content for her feed. However, she's just starting out and doesn't have a lot of money to invest in expensive equipment or studio rentals.

John Peters

Real estate developer

John Peters

Real estate developer

John Peters

Real estate developer

"I have some unique spaces that I know could be perfect for content creators, but I don't know how to market them effectively."

Goals

To find an easy and effective way to market his unique spaces to potential renters.
To make additional income from his properties without having to invest significant time or resources in the process.

Frustrations

Difficulty in effectively marketing his spaces to potential renters.
Struggle to find renters who are looking for spaces that match the unique features of his properties.
Concerns about potential damage to his properties during rental periods.

ABOUT John

👨 51

🏠 San Diego, CA

🎓 Pepperdine University

John is an experienced real estate developer who has a passion for creating unique and visually stunning properties. He wants to find a way to make additional income from his properties without having to invest significant time or resources.

To foster a stronger sense of empathy towards users and ensure that the product effectively addresses their needs, I crafted user personas for different types of users .

Then I started designing

After analyzing all of the research data, I began to sketch out the initial flows and create low-fidelity prototypes.

Flow Diagram

To map out the required functionality, I developed a basic flow diagram to illustrate the key tasks that the user can perform. An example of one of the flows is presented below (fail state flows were also designed but not displayed).

User flows were created to develop an understanding of how users are going to complete their main tasks in the most efficient way.

Low-fidelity wireframes

Once the flow diagram was established, I started creating the low-fi wireframes of the main user flow.

Paper wireframes

Digital wireframes

I started with paper wireframes to quickly ideate on different versions of the website, and I used digital low-fi wireframes to be able to get a feedback during the early stage of the design process.

High-fidelity UI Design

After I completed low-fidelity design of the initial flow, I started working on high-fidelity screens. I started by defining the colors and fonts.

Color palette

Primary, accent, secondary, tertiary, background

Font

Gothic A1- Bold, Semi-Bold, Medium

Inter - Medium, Regular

Gothic A1- Bold, Semi-Bold, Medium

Inter - Medium, Regular

During the design of high-fi prototype I made sure that WCAG standards are met and main navigation is accessible

High-fidelity prototype

I connected my high-fidelity designs into a clickable prototype. That allowed me to test the website on a group of users.

Prototype validation

Once I had completed the initial design of my UX project, I wanted to ensure that it would meet the needs of the users. So, I decided to conduct a usability test with 4 participants to validate my prototype. Each participant was given a clickable prototype with the initial user flow and the task was to complete the main tasks while navigating the platform. I conducted the mini-usability study over Zoom calls, where I introduced the platform, explained the initial tasks, and asked the users open-ended questions during their experience to get valuable feedback.

The button text was modified from "Book" to "View Details" to ensure that it accurately reflects the user's expectations when clicked.

Study results

50% of users (2 out of 4) were unsure if they are confirming the reservation by pressing the button while browsing different creative spaces. But 100% of users (4 out of 4) were able to complete the initial task to find a creative studio space, check the details, log in and confirm the reservation.

Project summary

Throughout the UX design process, I worked on a case study called SnapSpace, an e-commerce platform that provides short-term creative space rentals for content creators.

I started by conducting market research, competitive analysis, and user surveys to understand the needs and demands of the content creator market. Using this information, I created two personas and developed wireframes to map out the required functionality and design of the platform. I then moved on to high-fidelity UI design, defining a color palette and font style.

Through this process, I learned the importance of understanding the user's needs and wants to create a platform that is both visually appealing and functional. I also learned the value of thorough research and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure a successful outcome.

rustem.seidametov.ux@gmail.com

SnapSpace

San Diego, CA

San Diego, CA

UX Designer

UX Designer

Responsive website

Responsive website

E-commerce, C2C

E-commerce, C2C

Portfolio project

Portfolio project

02/23 - 03/23

02/23 - 03/23

Why I made this project?

Why I made this project?

Market research

Market research

In the US, there are 50 million content creators and a market worth $100 billion, yet many still struggle to make a living from their passion.

In the US, there are 50 million content creators and a market worth $100 billion, yet many still struggle to make a living from their passion.

Content creators often struggle to find affordable and unique indoor locations for their projects. Meanwhile, property owners with desirable spaces struggle to market them effectively.

Content creators often struggle to find affordable and unique indoor locations for their projects. Meanwhile, property owners with desirable spaces struggle to market them effectively.

50 million creators

50 million creators

100 billion US dollars

100 billion US dollars

29% of US children want to become content creators

29% of US children want to become content creators

only top 10% of creators make more than $80k per year

only top 10% of creators make more than $80k per year

This is where our modern and user-friendly short-term rental platform comes in - bridging the gap and providing an additional income stream for those with desirable spaces.

This is where our modern and user-friendly short-term rental platform comes in - bridging the gap and providing an additional income stream for those with desirable spaces.

Competitive analysis

Competitive analysis

I analyzed 2 most popular platforms in the space who offer a short term rentals - looking both at the booking experience, hosting experience and negative comments on social media to find patterns.

I analyzed 2 most popular platforms in the space who offer a short term rentals - looking both at the booking experience, hosting experience and negative comments on social media to find patterns.

Has a large user base and established reputation in the market (B)

Offers a wide range of indoor location options (A, B)

Allows users to easily filter and search for specific amenities or features (A)

Has a large user base and established reputation in the market (B)

Offers a wide range of indoor location options (A, B)

Allows users to easily filter and search for specific amenities or features (A)

What people say about the competitors

What people say about the competitors

"I've found the booking process to be a bit confusing at times"

"I had a really bad experience with customer service"

"I had a lot of trouble navigating the website and finding the information"

I did a competitive analysis to develop a better understanding of products that are available on the market and learn about opportunities to build a successful MVP.

I did a competitive analysis to develop a better understanding of products that are available on the market and learn about opportunities to build a successful MVP.

User survey

User survey

I conducted a quick survey among content creators on Facebook.

I conducted a quick survey among content creators on Facebook.

When searching for a short-term studio rental, what is the most crucial factor that you consider?

When searching for a short-term studio rental, what is the most crucial factor that you consider?

Cost

Cost

Availability and scheduling flexibility

Availability and scheduling flexibility

security and safety measures in place

security and safety measures in place

visually unique features of the space

visually unique features of the space

Highlighted user opinion

Highlighted user opinion

"Some rentals i've come across are way expensive for short-term use."

"I want a space that has something visually unique and interesting."

"I prefer spaces that are easily accessible and have nearby parking options."

The user survey confirmed my initial assumptions on what users think is important in short-term studio rentals.

The user survey confirmed my initial assumptions on what users think is important in short-term studio rentals.

Personas

Personas

I created two personas based on two types of users of the SnapSpace: Content Creator and Property owner.

I created two personas based on two types of users of the SnapSpace: Content Creator and Property owner.

Maya smith

Maya smith

Maya smith

John Peters

John Peters

John Peters

To foster a stronger sense of empathy towards users and ensure that the product effectively addresses their needs, I crafted user personas for different types of users .