G1: User Research Phase Reflection

Reflecting on the user research phase (G1) of the project to build a platform for actors to apply for auditions and video production companies to upload listings, there were a number of aspects that stood out to us.

We were unsure of how we were going to be able to reach out to video production companies. Reaching out to actors was an easier task as the project team had some connections with actors, but we had to try cold emailing a bunch of companies and were lucky enough to have 1 reach back to us to help us out. We also created a survey and coming up with the questions to ask during the user interviews and surveys was also very intriguing as we really needed to make the questions concise and be clear on what we wanted to get out of the questions we were asking.

In terms of our expectations going into the research, we anticipated that there would be a strong demand for a platform that made it easier to find auditions or talent. This was largely confirmed through our conversations with actors and production companies, who expressed frustration with existing systems and a desire for a more streamlined approach.

However, one of the most surprising findings from the research was how different the needs and expectations of actors and production companies were. While both groups were interested in a platform that made it easier to connect with each other, they had very different priorities and ideas about what features would be most helpful. For example, actors were primarily interested in a platform that made it easier to find auditions and apply for roles, while production companies were more concerned with managing their listings and finding the right talent for their projects.

Going through multiple interviews and surveys and trying to identify patterns and themes was also a time-consuming and overwhelming task. It can be difficult to know where to start or how to structure the information in a way that makes sense. However, we managed to find similarities amongst most of them and categorized them to filter out 3 main key user tasks we wanted to build out.

Overall, the user research phase was incredibly valuable in helping us understand the needs and expectations of our target users, and we were able to use this information to inform the design of the platform moving forward. While there were certainly challenges along the way, the insights we gained made it all worth it.

G2: Persona, Scenarios, Storyboarding and Prototype Creation

After reviewing each others’ wireframes, we realised that everyone had a different idea of the format based on the Task they were designing for. Michelle, for example, had imagined that each post in the listing would be for one role. However, this approach raised some concerns: what if the company has multiple roles for one project? Then, we would need to either create multiple posts or, within the same post, allow performers to apply for one or many of the roles.

We decided to go with creating multiple posts — one for each role. This decision was based not only on the filtering of the posts but also on standardisation purposes. By having a separate post for each role, we can ensure that the information is presented in a consistent and clear manner. Furthermore, this approach allows us to display all the relevant information about each role on the cover of the card for each post.

However, this decision also brought up some challenges. For instance, we had to figure out how to handle situations where a performer is interested in multiple roles. To address this issue, we decided to include a feature that allows performers to apply for more than one role within the same post. This way, performers can express their interest in multiple roles without having to fill out multiple applications.