LiveArt
LOCATION
New York, USA
DURATION
- 9 Months
FEATURED
- WSJ
- Barron’s
- Financial Times
- The Art Newspaper
- ARTFIX Daily
- Art News
PLATFORM
- IOS
- Android
TEAM
- 12 × Engineers
- 5 × Stakeholders
- 2 × Product Designers
- 1 × Director of Product
- 1 × Researcher & Marketer
CONTRIBUTION
- Product Strategy
- User Research
- Product Design
- Motion Design
A Global Trading Platform for Art & Culture — Powered by AI & WEB3
ABOUT THE COMPANY
LiveArt is a luxury global fine art platform, renowned for its seamless integration of cutting-edge technology & extensive art market knowledge. Established by a team of art market insiders & tech innovators. LiveArt’s integrated products empower individuals with tools & real-time data that equip them to navigate the art world with confidence & discover new dimensions of creativity & appreciation.
ABOUT THE PRODUCT
LiveArt disrupts the art industry with its comprehensive end to end web3 solution. This seamless service platform enables individuals to buy, sell, & explore fine art, luxury collectibles & digital NFT art. Leveraging AI technology, LiveArt offers market data & analysis, live auction streaming, real-time & historic pricing information, in-depth artist analysis, market trends, financial insights & cultural context.
The Future of Fine Art. Curated & Exclusive.
CONTEXT
After LiveArt acquired & began operating the Korean-based app "LiveAuctionArt", they faced a number of challenges following the release of version 1.0 of their mobile app. Dissatisfied users expressed concerns stemming from issues inherited from the previous version of the app. The division between the app & web platforms resulted in conflicting user experiences & numerous pain points. With an upcoming funding round, LiveArt needed to swiftly address these issues & establish a satisfied user base.
CONTEXT
After LiveArt acquired & began operating the Korean-based app "LiveAuctionArt", they faced a number of challenges following the release of version 1.0 of their mobile app. Dissatisfied users expressed concerns stemming from issues inherited from the previous version of the app. The division between the app & web platforms resulted in conflicting user experiences & numerous pain points. With an upcoming funding round, LiveArt needed to swiftly address these issues & establish a satisfied user base.
A collective of art market insiders acquire Korean based app “LiveAuctionArt”, assuming full control in New York, USA & rebranding as LiveArt
LiveArt secures its Series B funding round & launches with $15M worth of Art after the success of its first hybrid show blending physical & digital art curated by Amani Lewis, Kennedy Yanko & Masego
LiveArt launches beta mobile app following release of LiveArt AI
LiveArt recruits Lead Designer Ainam Mania to elevate the user experience across its product suite
IMPACT
Ainam Mania joined LiveArt at this very critical juncture & spearheaded the redesign of the app, introducing new features, functionalities & tools to facilitate seamless buying, selling & exploration. Key performance indicators such as conversion rate, customer engagement & retention were utilised to measure success. Collaborating closely with the team, Ainam Mania revamped the app, resulting in an enhanced user experience which contributed to increased revenue & customer satisfaction.
IMPACT
Ainam Mania joined LiveArt at this very critical juncture & spearheaded the redesign of the app, introducing new features, functionalities & tools to facilitate seamless buying, selling & exploration. Key performance indicators such as conversion rate, customer engagement & retention were utilised to measure success. Collaborating closely with the team, Ainam Mania revamped the app, resulting in an enhanced user experience which contributed to increased revenue & customer satisfaction.
1,000
contemporary works of art worth $120m
100
worth of art added to "My Collection"
500
average sale price for art on LiveArt
200
revenue growth in a fiscal year quarter
30
deals agreed monthly using "Deal Room'
8
in sales in first 2 weeks post-launch
150
increase in product detail page views
130
increase in active user session duration
56
increase in ios & play store app downloads
50
increase in retention & key users rejoining
40
increase in active monthly users
0
complaints or support tickets
Design Tool Stack
DESIGN THINKING PROCESS
At the project's onset, Ainam Mania introduced a design thinking approach & process to learn about users, determine key features, brainstorm solutions, simulate user experiences via prototypes & validate these with users. This approach was implemented to deeply resonate with users, drive exponential growth for the startup & foster a collaborative working model within the team.
EMPHATHISE
- Stakeholder Interview
- Data Analysis
- Metrics
- Surveys
- User Interview
- Competitor Analysis
- Observation
DEFINE
- User Personas
- User Stories
- Problem Statement
IDEATE
- Brainstorm Sessions
- User Flow
- Navigation
PROTOTYPE
- Medium Fidelity Wireframes
- High Fidelity Prototype
- Interaction Design
- Motion Design
- Design Hand-offs
TEST
- Usability Testing
- Quality Assurance (QA) Testing
- Analytics
- Metrics
DESIGN THINKING PROCESS
At the project's onset, Ainam Mania introduced a design thinking approach & process to learn about users, determine key features, brainstorm solutions, simulate user experiences via prototypes & validate these with users. This approach was implemented to deeply resonate with users, drive exponential growth for the startup & foster a collaborative working model within the team.
EMPHATHISE
- Stakeholder Interview
- Data Analysis
- Metrics
- Surveys
- User Interview
- Competitor Analysis
- Observation
DEFINE
- User Personas
- User Stories
- Problem Statement
IDEATE
- Brainstorm Sessions
- User Flow
- Navigation
PROTOTYPE
- Medium Fidelity Wireframes
- High Fidelity Prototype
- Interaction Design
- Motion Design
- Design Hand-offs
TEST
- Usability Testing
- Quality Assurance (QA) Testing
- Analytics
- Metrics
01
DISCOVERY: EMPHATHISE + DEFINE
Building the Foundation
Upon joining LiveArt, Ainam Mania conducted a comprehensive audit by exploring the app as a first-time user with fresh perspectives. The objective was to identify user challenges, pain points, potential improvements & quick wins for all user types. Subsequently, Ainam Mania organised interviews with stakeholders, product & engineering teams to gain deeper insights into challenges, business goals & product requirements. Utilising design thinking activities, collaborative workshops & brainstorming sessions, Ainam Mania guided stakeholders & users throughout the research, design & build phases of the mobile app redesign. Iterating & collecting feedback, Ainam Mania played a pivotal role in shaping the redesigned experience. This discovery & interview phase laid the foundation for the project roadmap as it determined findings, challenges, product requirements & success metrics.
Leveraging Deep User Analytics for Explosive, Scalable Growth
After stakeholder interviews & a heuristic audit, Ainam Mania collaborated with the data team to harness Amplitude, unlocking behavioural insights that enabled Ainam Mania to:
- Examine & compare behaviours of engaged vs. churned users
- Investigate behaviours predictive of retention or conversion
- Analyse real-time data: funnels, segmentation, trends & revenue.
- Identify behavioural patterns, areas of friction & drop off for users.
The key metrics evaluated with Amplitude.com were:
- Conversion Rate: 0.8%
- Retention Rate: 33.6%
- Onboarding Completion Rate: 14%
- Time to Complete Onboarding: 7 minutes
- Product Homepage Engagement Rate: 0.6%
- Average Session Duration: 4 minutes
Amplitude.com revealed four significant user behaviour data patterns:
- Current: active & consistently engaged users
- Resurrected: sporadically active users
- New & Dormant: inactive users since registration
- Artwork Purchasers: users primarily buying artworks
Leveraging the metrics & behaviour patterns, four survey questionnaires were crafted to target each user category & gain insights into their app experiences. Amplitude facilitated user outreach & survey distribution.
Getting to Know the Community
In each survey, users were invited to participate in follow-up interviews to understand their pain points, needs, goals & personas. Two users from each category were then selected for interviews, making a total of eight participants to validate assumptions & identify areas for improvement. The user interview focused on these key areas:
— Onboarding & First-Time Experience
— Registration, Log In & Verification
— Buying, Selling & Exploring Artworks
— Streaming, Tracking & Analysing Auctions
— Identifying Challenges in the User Journey
— New Feature Recommendations
User Personas
The conversations with key LiveArt users provided valuable insights, shedding light on previously unnoticed issues & their impact on the cross-platform experience. These insights played a pivotal role in our understanding of the problem & paved the way for targeted improvements to enhance user satisfaction.
Using the feedback gathered from the interviews, we crafted detailed user personas & user stories, which significantly influenced our design decisions. By categorising LiveArt's users into three primary types & aligning their insights, feelings & information from the interviews with each user type, we gained a deeper understanding of their needs.
Throughout the design process, these user personas & stories remained a guiding force, allowing us to focus on creating effective solutions that elevate the overall experience for each category of users. Our design rationale was strongly rooted in addressing the specific requirements & pain points expressed by these users, ensuring LiveArt's evolution into an invaluable platform that caters to their needs.
Background
A seasoned art enthusiast & collector deeply immersed in the art world for many years, valuing both classical masterplumeroes & staying attuned to the latest art market trends. They have a keen appreciation for the historical significance & cultural impact of art.
A seasoned art enthusiast & collector deeply immersed in the art world for many years, valuing both classical masterplumeroes & staying attuned to the latest art market trends. They have a keen appreciation for the historical significance & cultural impact of art.
Goals
Their aspirations encompass exploring artworks by established & emerging artists, closely monitoring auction data for well-informed acquisitions, fostering connections with fellow art collectors & curating a diverse art collection reflecting their unique taste & interests.
Challenges
The art collector faces challenges in finding trustworthy platforms with comprehensive data on artist & auction results. They must also balance their desire to invest in art amid fluctuating market conditions while ensuring the authenticity & provenance of artworks & sellers before making any purchase.
User Story
When exploring the art world, the art collector desires easy access to detailed information on artists & their artworks. They particularly value data on previous sales & auction results as it allows them to track artistic trajectories & make well-informed decisions on participating in auctions or purchasing artworks. This data-driven approach contributes to their goal of curating a valuable & diverse art collection that truly reflects their taste & passion for the art they love.
Background
As a dedicated aficionado of digital art, they are actively curating their collection from emerging artists & niche collections. They cherish the exceptional & rare qualities offered by NFTs in the art space, embracing the decentralised nature of these digital assets.
As a dedicated aficionado of digital art, they are actively curating their collection from emerging artists & niche collections. They cherish the exceptional & rare qualities offered by NFTs in the art space, embracing the decentralised nature of these digital assets.
Goals
Immersing themselves in NFT communities & platforms, their primary goal is to stay updated on the latest trends & opportunities in the crypto art market. They seek to explore & collect unique digital artworks from diverse artists & creators, curating a valuable & diverse collection that reflects their passion for digital art.
Challenges
Navigating the vast & ever-changing landscape of NFT platforms poses a core challenge for them. They must carefully assess the authenticity & provenance of digital artworks before making acquisitions. Additionally, staying informed about the rapidly evolving technology & market trends requires constant vigilance & adaptability.
User Story
The NFT collector desires a seamless experience that enables them to effortlessly explore & discover digital artworks. Real-time data on NFT sales, artist information & market trends is essential for making well-informed decisions & building their valuable NFT collection.
Background
This tech-savvy individual has a strong interest in Web3 & blockchain technology, particularly at the intersection with the art world. They are intrigued by digital & generative art, challenging traditional notions of art ownership & authorship. Driven by blockchain's transformative potential, they explore decentralised platforms & Web3 applications in the art context, extending their focus beyond NFT collecting to embrace the technological aspects of the art world.
This tech-savvy individual has a strong interest in Web3 & blockchain technology, particularly at the intersection with the art world. They are intrigued by digital & generative art, challenging traditional notions of art ownership & authorship. Driven by blockchain's transformative potential, they explore decentralised platforms & Web3 applications in the art context, extending their focus beyond NFT collecting to embrace the technological aspects of the art world.
Goals
Driven by exploration, this individual aims to discover innovative ways to interact with art, particularly in the digital & generative art sphere. They view blockchain & Web3 technology as transformative tools that can redefine art creation, sharing & experiences.
Challenges
The exploration of digital & generative art requires adapting to new expressions & comprehending blockchain's impact on the art industry. Staying up to date with the evolving blockchain landscape, market trends & technological advancements in art is a constant demand.
User Story
Deeply curious about blockchain's applications in the art world, The web3 enthusiast seeks access to digital & generative art, staying current with Web3 developments. Eager to curate a collection that reflects their passion for both tech & art, they explore the growing field of digital & generative art, embracing blockchain-powered artistic expressions.
Comparative Competitor Analysis
After conducting comprehensive surveys & user interviews, we analysed competitors to gain substantial understanding of the trends & competitive landscape in the art market. Thorough research revealed the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats of each competitor enabling us to devise a successful strategy & identify 15 key players in the industry. These competitors were further categorised into three distinct segments based on their history, focus & offerings.
Legacy Institutions
Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Phillips, Bonhams, & Artcurial lead the traditional auction world with prestige. While rooted in fine art heritage, many began exploring digital frontiers with dedicated NFT departments, signalling a quiet but notable evolution.
Curated Marketplaces
Artsy, Artnet, 1stDibs, Chairish, & Artspace blend commerce with curation. These platforms serve a global collector base & expand access to artworks across genres, often beyond auctions, into editorial & interior crossover experiences.
Web3 Pioneers
OpenSea, SuperRare, Foundation, Nifty Gateway, & Rarible drive innovation through decentralisation. With first-mover advantage, they reframe ownership, provenance, & artistic empowerment via blockchain-native infrastructure.
Prioritising Activities, Defining Requirements & Unlocking Bold Ideas for a Strategic Market Dominance
After conducting extensive discovery & in-depth research, we meticulously fine-tuned the product roadmap, incorporating invaluable user & market insights. Our central focus was on redesigning the entire app, revamping the user experience & interface to eliminate clutter & outdated elements, while also prioritising impactful features by eliminating obsolete ones. This approach enabled us to organise the project into essential tasks, ensuring efficient development & implementation. Other focus areas were
- Redesigning a seamless onboarding experience for users.
- Streamlining the registration, log-in & verification process for a concise user experience.
- Enhancing the homepage & product detail pages for better user engagement.
- Improving the buying & selling processes for a smoother transaction experience.
- Enhancing the auctions experience for improved user participation.
- Optimising search functionality for enhanced artist & artwork discoverability.
- Implement light/dark mode to adhere to IOS Human interface & Android Material Design guidelines.
- Improving the app’s accessibility features to accommodate users with diverse needs.
- Organising & prioritising new features based on user & business needs.
- Making UX updates & addressing quick fixes for better usability.
Prioritising Activities, Defining Requirements & Unlocking Bold Ideas for a Strategic Market Dominance
After conducting extensive discovery & in-depth research, we meticulously fine-tuned the product roadmap, incorporating invaluable user & market insights. Our central focus was on redesigning the entire app, revamping the user experience & interface to eliminate clutter & outdated elements, while also prioritising impactful features by eliminating obsolete ones. This approach enabled us to organise the project into essential tasks, ensuring efficient development & implementation. Other focus areas were
- Redesigning a seamless onboarding experience for users.
- Streamlining the registration, log-in & verification process for a concise user experience.
- Enhancing the homepage & product detail pages for better user engagement.
- Improving the buying & selling processes for a smoother transaction experience.
- Enhancing the auctions experience for improved user participation.
- Optimising search functionality for enhanced artist & artwork discoverability.
- Implement light/dark mode to adhere to IOS Human interface & Android Material Design guidelines.
- Improving the app’s accessibility features to accommodate users with diverse needs.
- Organising & prioritising new features based on user & business needs.
- Making UX updates & addressing quick fixes for better usability.
02
CONCEPTING: IDEATE + PROTOTYPE + TEST
Laying out the Building Blocks
The discovery phase established a clear strategic foundation. To enable design at scale, Ainam Mania introduced an atomic design system with refined spacing, unified typography, bespoke iconography & accessible colour updates. Built in Figma, the component library delivered consistency & scalability across the product. Accessibility, performance, & cross-device responsiveness were treated as core requirements throughout. Every change was research-led & rigorously tested, resulting in a refined, high-performance product defined by clarity, craft, & cohesion that supports LiveArt’s growth.
The strategy behind the design...
Unlock
Onboarding
The previous onboarding experience lacked guidance, leaving users with a blank screen, a logo & a CTA. However, after gaining valuable insights from users, Ainam Mania seamlessly integrated key unique selling points (USPs) into a user-friendly onboarding process, completely transforming the art collection experience.
Registration & Log In
The previously cumbersome 20+ screen registration, login & verification process was optimised by leveraging Onfido, a reputable SaaS integration & UX best practices. This reduced the process to 9 core screens, improving user experience & enabling a seamless self-service registration, login & verification process. Plans for the future are to integrate Magic Link, a web3 integration to simplify the process, this will further reduce friction, consolidate the flow into a single screen & eliminate user pain points.
Experience
Home
The Homepage was revamped to prioritise trending art & news. The previous design lacked harmony & consistency, leading to a cluttered experience. Integrating notifications & a secondary menu improved user focus. Live Auctions, Auction Results & Editorials became primary content. The UX copy was adjusted for clearer communication & a consistent tone of voice.
Curated Drop
A brand new feature introduced to LiveArt, “Curated Drop” offers members access to a carefully selected collection of the finest artworks on the Marketplace. Each drop features hand-picked works, reflecting creativity & beauty. Available at unexpected times these drops give members the opportunity to purchase exclusive artworks directly from LiveArt Market.
Monitor
Editorials
LiveArt “Editorials” is a hub granting members access to art market updates, insights & trends. They can stay up-to-date with the latest developments, enriching their art journey. The revamped tone of voice & design ensure an accessible & engaging experience for all readers types.
Notifications
With the introduction of Notifications to LiveArt, users are notified with real-time updates on auction results, live auctions & milestones achieved by the artists they follow. Personalised notifications ensure they never miss out on the latest opportunities in the art world, creating a seamless & captivating art-collecting experience.
Stream
Live & Online Auctions
The revamped “Auctions” feature offers an intuitive streaming experience, structured navigation & integrated features, addressing previous drawbacks. The old layout was unorganised with unclear copy, making navigation challenging for users. The redesigned interface allows easy access to enhanced features like viewing lots, incoming bids, hammer prices & more.
Track
Upcoming & Past Auctions
Offering a centralised hub for auctions ensures a seamless, comprehensive experience. It tracks, organises & updates the latest auction results from various houses, eliminating the need to visit multiple websites. With the ability to compare what is coming up users can view past auctions with hammer & premium prices, even after the sale ends.
Negotiate
Deal Room
The Deal Room, a new feature on LiveArt, empowers users to negotiate art deals directly. It implements a buying approval process, ensuring KYC & AML compliance. Users view active & past deals, discover similar artworks, & receive personalized AI recommendations. The Deal Room enables tracking deal status & securely storing private transaction data.
Secure
Wishlist
The “Wishlist” a new feature on LiveArt empowers users to discover & track their desired artworks, creating a curated selection of plumeroes they are interested in, streamlining their art exploration & collection process. Initially conceived as a public wishlist, user feedback led to a shift towards a private & secure feature. Now, users have exclusive access, ensuring their desired artworks are kept confidential & visible only to them for a more personalised & secure experience.
Sell with LiveArt
The newly introduced feature “Sell with LiveArt” offers a seamless way for users to have art specialists sell their artworks on their behalf. LiveArt’s client service teams guide users through the entire process, ensuring their artworks are seen by the right people, connecting potential buyers with sellers & providing a straightforward process for listing, pricing & managing their art sales.
Search
Search
The old search was confusing & overwhelming. Insights showed users frustration with poorly executed filters. We redesigned filter to improve search efficiency & save preferences. The new & improved search allows users to compare works for sale across the market access transparent price insights. Explore the largest art market database with comprehensive results & graphs of artwork & artist performance.
Artist Page
The dynamic new design of the Artists page seamlessly allows users to discover, follow & engage with their favourite artists, exploring their portfolios & gaining insights into auction results. With the integrated system, collectors stay connected with artists & streamline the process of discovering, following & engaging with artists, resulting in a more enriching & informed art-collecting experience on LiveArt.
Curate
My LiveArt
My LiveArt offers a hub for users to access & manage bookmarked artists, artworks, auctions & wishlist requests, while gaining insights into their artwork collection for informed selling decisions. The new design builds on the old, integrating more features for a robust offering.
My Collection
Introducing “My Collection,” a new feature on LiveArt that provides users with a dedicated space to upload & track artworks they own. This feature is designed to aid decision-making on potential sales & provide real-time insights into the current value of their art collection.
Key Insights, Tradeoffs, Triumphs & Conclusions
LiveArt’s redesign is a testament to the transformative power of user-centric design, collaboration & strategic decision-making in crafting a successful & innovative luxury art trading platform. A captivating aspect of the project was delving into first-time user psychology & recognising its profound impact on the product’s long-term success. We encountered unique challenges that tested our adaptability & resilience. Adapting to team structure changes enabled us to leverage diverse perspectives & cultivate a dynamic design culture through knowledge sharing. As the lead designer, Ainam Mania championed understanding business metrics & effectively conveyed the numerical value of design to garner stakeholder buy-in. We learned the significance of building on existing solutions where appropriate, empowering us to focus on developing unique & high-value features. This strategic approach led to remarkable results, with a doubled conversion rate & an impressive 423% increase in platform engagement shortly after launch.
The launch of LiveArt received critical acclaim from media outlets, including Barrons, The Wall Street Journal, The Art Newspaper, & Financial Times amongst others. The Wall Street Journal lauded the platform’s revolutionary approach, empowering high-end collectors to buy & sell without intermediaries. Concurrently, LiveArt’s customers wholeheartedly embraced the fresh & immersive peer-to-peer trading experience. After a successful launch, Ainam Mania continued refining the aesthetics & functionality of the platform, shaping a future where art enthusiasts & collectors find inspiration, community & seamless experiences on the app. Ainam Mania is excited to witness this innovative art platform flourish & challenge traditional art market norms. Empathising with users, fostering a design culture, & continually iterating based on real-world feedback are the guiding principles that have propelled this project towards resounding success.
