Designing a pre-production theatrical platform for a growing New York startup.
Role: Design Manager
As the design team manager and strategy lead, I guided my team of UX designers and researchers to create a user-centered solution that addressed the unique needs of Gen Z theatrical artists.
Background
Spectra Media, a platform offering digital tools for theatrical collaboration, sought to enhance their existing web application. The goal was to create an intuitive, collaborative tool that specifically addressed the needs of Gen Z digital creators in the early inspiration and pre-production phases of theatrical projects.
Problem
Our research indicated that Gen Z creatives encounter unique challenges when bringing theatrical projects to life due to a lack of intuitive, collaborative tools.
These challenges included:
Difficulty organizing and managing inspiration across various platforms.
Inefficient communication and collaboration with team members.
Struggles in visualizing ideas within the context of a production.
Approach
To tackle these challenges, we conducted three stages of user research, including 17 project interviews, 9 discovery interviews, and 8 concept testing interviews. This research helped us identify our target user:
Trevor, the Creative: A 22-year-old nonbinary production stage manager passionate about innovative theater. Trevor faces challenges in organizing inspiration, managing multiple tools, and effectively communicating ideas with collaborators.
Key Insights
Theater is inherently collaborative, requiring seamless communication.
The platform should facilitate understanding between diverse theatrical disciplines.
Flexibility is crucial to accommodate creative exploration.
The tool should adapt to individual preferences and workflows.
Intuitive and accessible design is essential.
Visualizing ideas within the production context is vital.
Design Principles
Easy team sharing and collaboration in a single shared location.
Multimedia inspiration directly tied to source material.
Resources to help teams find and fill in the gaps presented by the script.
Flexible infrastructure to support the evolution from big ideas to specific logistics.
Easy to access and navigate for all users.
Ability to see and filter the entire inspiration for the production.
Solution
Project Builder 2.0 empowers theatrical artists to curate and share inspiration seamlessly.
Key features include:
Playmap: Intelligent, production-specific data that structures inspiration.
Inspiration Management: Easy uploading, organization, and tagging of multimedia.
Organization + Structure: Flexible boards and timelines for arranging ideas.
Team Collaboration: Seamless sharing and inviting collaborators.
Impact
User testing validated the effectiveness of Project Builder 2.0. Participants praised its intuitive interface, collaborative features, and the ability to visualize inspiration within the context of a production. Project Builder 2.0 demonstrates the power of thoughtful UX design in fostering creativity and collaboration in the performing arts.