SnapSpace

Short-term creative space rentals for content creators

Where

San Diego, CA

Role

UX Designer

What

Responsive website

Why

Portfolio project

When

02/23 - 03/23

Why I made this project?

I created this project because, as a freelance content creator, I faced difficulties finding unique indoor locations for my projects. Also I believe that with the growing influence of social media, everyone should have access to interesting indoor locations for their content. The goal is to democratize content creation and make it accessible to all.

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 and 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)

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)

What people say about the competitors

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.

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

26 participants

Highlighted user opinion

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

Initial research summary

Through market research, competitive analysis, and user surveys, it became clear that the content creator market is rapidly growing and there is a high demand for affordable short-term rental options. The majority of creators are looking for visually unique spaces that are easy to book and conveniently located.

Personas

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

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 .

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

Then I started designing

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

AaBbCcDdEeFfGgHh

Primary color for CTA's

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.

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.

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

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.