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FIGURA

Connecting Models and Artists

OVERVIEW

I worked with art models and art instructors to design a concept for Figura, a mobile app that helps artists and art models discover and connect with each other, schedule bookings, and track their commitments with minimal clutter. It would become the first platform tailored to the demands of the art modeling career.  

THE VISUAL ARTS INDUSTRY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IS MASSIVE

Drawing and sculpting with live art models is a fundamental practice shared by artists in animation, games, films, and the fine arts. At the core of this practice are the hundreds of freelance art models who serve schools and drawing groups from San Diego to Los Angeles; yet the process of booking art models is still distinctly informal and often convoluted. 

I. RESEARCH – WHAT CHALLENGES DO ART MODELS FACE IN FINDING WORK?

I interviewed three art models, 41/Male, 24/Male and 33/Female, who modeled as their primary source of income, working anywhere from 15 to 40 hours per week, not including driving. I also consulted with an art instructor on his experience with finding models and requesting models from various model bookers. Art model bookers are the closest role the industry has to agents, as they coordinate bookings from small to large scales. 

I found that broadly, models face two main categories of challenges: (1) becoming recognized as an art model relies heavily on prior experience, connections, and networking. (2) Models drive long distances across LA and San Diego between workplaces, and must plan and schedule accordingly. Meanwhile, instructors and bookers for schools and studios often find it difficult to find the right model available for their art class. 

II. PLANNING OUT THE ARCHITECTURE AND DEFINING ITS SCOPE

From the start I envisioned a classified ads platform, but it was unclear what level of interaction each party would have, and what interactions are better left for in-person dealings. Is it still solely the model’s burden to reach out to bookers – or should the prevailing dynamic be flipped on its head? What about handling messaging and payment?

I decided that the ideal UX for both models and bookers was to give both parties equal ability to advertise and discover each other.  This addresses the art model’s challenge of finding work in a heavily connections-reliant, buyer’s market, while also giving the buyer (the booker) a wider range of choices than the models already in their network.

III. WIREFRAMES – STICKING TO THE BASICS

I sketched out the core architecture of the UX. Users would sign up as either a model or a booker, fill out their info, and begin looking for work or models. 

  1. The model looking for work listings
  2. The booker looking for models
  3. The schedule manager – calendar and map 

IV. THE  MODEL’S USER FLOW: GETTING HIRED

The model’s goal is to find work listings that fit their location, schedule, and preferences. Stickied to the bottom of the screen on each listing is a button to contact the listing creator – the booker. In messages, the two will reach an agreement on pay, arrival time, and work conditions. The model then reviews and accepts the booker’s Contract Proposal. Upon taking the job, they can review its details on their dashboard, map, and calendar.  

V. THE  BOOKER’S USER FLOW: FINDING THE RIGHT HIRE

The booker wants to find the right model for their event. From their home screen, a booker sorting through models can immediately glance at each one’s work range, history, and physical traits.  They review the model’s profile and public schedule, and message them an in-app link to  their listing. The booker drafts a Contract Proposal (generated by their selected listing) for the model to review. If the model accepts, the booker will see the new Booked Listing on their dashboard.

USERS CAN IDENTIFY KEY ASPECTS OF A MODEL OR CLASS AT A GLANCE

I made a list of standard preferences, practices, and descriptions of art modeling sessions and created icons for them that are shared across Model Profiles and Listings. These icons are meant to drastically cut down the amount of text on any page, and will need to be briefly explained during  onboarding.

THE MESSENGER: EDGE CASES & OTHER USES

The booker may not have a listing in mind when looking at a model, but gets in touch anyways to set up a working relationship, or because they know each other. Similarly, a model may contact a booker to ask questions, or connect before visiting their studio in-person. 

As my interviewees described, communication is achieved through whatever works – phone, e-mail, text, group text, Instagram DM, private Facebook groups. Without inflating Figura into a full-bown social network, the messenger feature  can give the community a singular platform for modeling business communication.

VI. SCHEDULING MAPPING FOR THE TRAVELING MODEL

After getting jobs, transportation is the art model’s greatest concern. Generally, classes and workshops last 3 hours, and begin anywhere from 9AM to 7PM. A single day can take a model to four bookings across LA if they’re up for it. 

This house call-style travel was my main consideration while designing for schedule management. From the model’s dashboard, their schedule map will show the when and where of their bookings. White and colored markers differentiate between one-time and weekly recurring bookings.   

Models may also display their map on their public profile. I hope that this will (1) lead to unexpected booking opportunities based on gaps and proximity in a model’s schedule and (2) reduce unnecessary inquiries about the model’s availability at specific times.  

VII. VISUAL DESIGN

My inspiration for the visual feel of the app comes from the traditional ateliers where models work. The warm and off-white tones of the logo and components come from the colors of newsprint and bristol drawing papers, and the aged, cozy look of many studio interiors accentuated by warm lighting.  

The Figura logo is a figure drawing model in an exaggerated contrapposto stance paired with Harmonia Sans Italic. I wanted to convey the rhythm and elegance in the linework of a figure drawing.

NOW WHAT?

With the scope defined, and initial user journeys and mockups drafted, the next step would be to craft a low-fi prototype and see how it well it communicates its purpose in the hands of models and instructors. From there an HTML prototype can be created with a test group to see how users behave when the employer and freelancer are fully visible to each other.

 In terms of success criteria, I’m mainly interested in finding out: will Figura be able to facilitate balanced two-way discovery and interactions in a trade where it has almost always been the model’s job to reach out? If users are regularly having productive conversations, or scheduling bookings, then perhaps Figura has legs to stand on.