VSCO is a photo sharing and editing app that has been around since 2011. In the past year, they began to make changes to meet the evolving needs of their users. Myself and two other classmates, Renita and Owen, were tasked with designing a "communities" space for the app, taking into account different ways people can collaborate and interact with each other while building an accurately representative and customizable space people are seeking. Our goal was to keep the same branding guide while elevating the app experience, creating something that can evolve with the app.
RESEARCH
We began by narrowing down what purpose we wanted communities to serve: a place to chat with other creatives? Share photos without worry of criticism from users? Or maybe collaborative moodboard based with forums users can create? Along with out own brainstorming, we reached out to the public (28 participants, ages 19-24) through SurveyMonkey to see what they currently use VSCO for and what they thought VSCO could benefit from.
According to our data, 53% use the app for photo editing opposed to other editing apps, 50% do not feel a sense of community in the app, and 64% thought it could benefit from collaborative moodboards.
SO, WHAT IS VSCO COMMUNITIES?
Sticking to VSCO's branding guide and their use of minimal social media reactions (likes. follows, comments) but still wanting creatives to collaborate with eachother, we landed on an informative forum mixed with collaborative moodboarding. This gives people the option to create and share their stories with one another in either private communities, where only them and other collaborators can view, or public, where anyone can follow and post in that community. This organizes photos on VSCO, helping creatives get inspired, find others with the same interests, or an easy way for friends to share photos from an event. Communities help users feel more connected to other photographers and artists all around the world.
SKILLS USED:
Wireframing
Icon creation
Usability testing
Prototyping
Copy writing
In collaboration with Renita Kolica & Owen Paznokas
Research & brainstorming: Taylor, Renita, Owen
Figma prototype: Taylor & Owen
Case study & data analysis: Renita
