ARTBOARD
2025
Artboard is a community-driven platform that helps prospective and current art students connect, share insights, and navigate the art school experience. It enables applicants to access firsthand information from enrolled students while providing enrolled students with opportunities for collaboration, and networking.
FOCUS
Branding UI/UX
TIMELINE
7 Weeks
TOOL
Figma
BACKGROUND
CONCEPT
ArtBoard is a peer-driven platform that helps prospective and current art students navigate programs, expectations, and actually school information through shared experience.
*Features
1 Easy to connect with current students from programs you are interested in
2 Other tailored information and a peek at what current students are discussing
3 Find people in school with the skills you need
4 Discuss about the courses you are interested in
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RESEARCH
To better understand the different types of challenges and concerns prospective art students face as they research, apply, and prepare for art school, I conducted 20 interviews: 10 prospective students currently preparing their applications. 10 current students reflecting on their past application experiences.
INSIGHTS
• The information-gathering process is long and scattered:
Applicants need to look for information from multiple sources, including school websites, social media, forums, making research time-consuming and frustrating.
• Students rely heavily on unofficial sources for accurate information:
Many applicants turn to platforms like Reddit, and LinkedIn to seek real student experiences, as official school sources often feel too curated. But sometimes information from those platforms can be outdated.
• Connecting with peers outside one’s discipline is difficult due to silos within schools
Even within the same institution, students struggle to seek help or collaborate with those from different fields due to course schedules, a lack of shared platforms, and limited structured opportunities.
• Current students are willing to communicate or help
Many students enjoy engaging with prospective applicants and are happy to share their experiences when approached. They are open to providing insights and opinions. They prefer controlled interactions where they can set boundaries
PERSONAS
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Based on the research, I summarized key design principles and user needs to guide my design process.
FIRST-TIME USER FLOW
I created a user flow chart to guide the design and then finished the main flows, introducing the key features.
DESIGN
With the user flow in place, I developed low-fidelity wireframes to map out key interactions, then refined them into high-fidelity wireframes to define the visual style and interface details.
*Current Students
Status System
After testing, users agreed that the status system improves communication efficiency. For applicants, it reduces awkwardness as they feel more comfortable reaching out when they know students are open to answering questions. At the same time, students who prefer not to be contacted won’t receive messages, respecting their boundaries.
Bookmark
Help returning users save and revisit content more easily. This feature is especially useful for users who are exploring multiple programs or student profiles over time, allowing them to keep track of relevant information without starting from scratch each time.
CREATING THE BRAND
The logo is inspired by cork boards, which is the old-school way of collecting ideas, just like how this platform gathers people and information. Made of tape pieces, the logo captures the handmade, creative process of design and art.
UI Kit
REFLECTION
As both the designer and the user, I initially approached the problem through my own experience, how lost I felt during my application process and wishing I could talk to someone already in the program. But being so close also brought blind spots. Research helped me step back and understand a wider range of needs from both applicants and current students.
At first, I considered a paid consultation model like ADPList, but user feedback showed that it could make the experience feel transactional and high-pressure. For current students, the idea of answering questions for money didn’t feel meaningful or motivating enough. This led me to focus instead on creating a more casual, peer-driven platform centered around shared experiences for both applicants and current students.
What's Next?
There are still a lot more to explore, for example:
How to make profit out of this platform except from ads?
Application helper tool, keep track on deadlines, time management and requirement.
Possible model for mentorship service?