ReWork App Prototype | Week 1
Week Overview:
This week was a kickoff for the project, starting with preliminary research and project ideation. The service that I am seeking to provide is a mobile app that allows low-budget artists, specifically college students, to connect, loan, and sell used art supplies to one another.
Weekly Goals:
Quantitative Data research
Begin Project Vision Statement
Monitor current market climate
Begin Development of User Personas
Identify Key Competitors
Begin Solutions Ideation
Identify Target Audience
Before developing any usability concepts around the app itself, market research had to be done to develop a better understanding of how to position this app in relation to other similar services. This preliminary research focused heavily on previously publicized quantitative and qualitative data sets; before pursuing a solution, I needed to find widespread evidence of the problem.
One Consumer Market Report from PwC proved that much of the art supply community wants to move digital, but they have very few options other than corporate retail giants like Amazon or eBay.
Other sources helped to clearly define the problem, focusing in on the main points of concern surrounding the art supplies market.
Quantitative Data Sources:
In-Person Testimonials
A competitive swot analysis was performed on eBay, ReCreative, and Hobby Lobby.
The swot analysis can be viewed here.
Weekly Outcomes:
The week yielded enough quantitative data to hypothesize target audiences and key market competitors. The target audience is aged 20-40 years old, middle-lower-class art students. Future solutions will explore the functionality of services like Uber, Student Book Exchange, Tinder, and eBay.
Ultimately, when dealing with the problem of a huge competitor like eBay, I must consider how apps in other market circles approached similar problems (for instance, how an app like Uber overtook large public-service companies). Core Competencies for my service may include convenience, innovation, and speed. For these reasons, I believe a location-based and/or social aspect of the app may be crucial in differentiating its services from those of eBay and Amazon.