SCRATCH
Scratch connects experts in smartphone photography with people who want flattering photos of themselves (and face it, who doesn’t?). Scratch: matching iPhoneographers with their next subject.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Scratch is an on-demand peer-to-peer photography experience that links everyday photo-savvy smartphone users (people who maintain an eye-catching Instagram or other photography web presence) with consumers who want to get flattering photographs, almost instantly.
Because it is dual-sided (photographer and photographee), there are two clickable prototypes, one from each user perspective. I created the feature set, wireframes, and clickable prototypes for both sides of the app.
Conceptually the project evolved quite a bit due to our advice. The client who commissioned the app originally came to us envisioning an app to hire professional photographers more affordably, but after reviewing the market research and conducting surveys, we suggested focusing on everyday “iPhoneographers” and Android users with good smartphone cameras and photography chops. This is currently an undeveloped market for people wanting casual to semi-professional photos taken of themselves in a budget-friendly way.
OBJECTIVE
There was a need for an on-demand app to fill the supply/demand gap between customers and impromptu photographers. Currently, people wanting photos taken during casual outings are limited to asking friends, restaurant staff, strangers, or taking selfies. But Scratch would make these options seem obsolete by creating a superior, personalized experience that is both fun and practical.
SOLUTION
With Scratch, outings can be glammed up by linking with nearby tech savvy phone users: customers get attractive photos for their social media or other use and feel special while these casual “paparazzi” work their magic, and self-styled smartphone photographers make extra cash for being good with photos and filters.
User-friendly app screens make it a snap to connect photographers and subjects seamlessly. Browseable photo galleries, geolocation and a booking tool allow the user to request a photography session on demand.
1.2 T
1.2 Trillion digital photos are taken every year. That's an average of 160 for every single person on planet Earth.
4M+
Cult fave VSCO, the #1 photo editing app loved by Gen Z and teenagers worldwide, has over 4 Million paid users.
85%
Of all photos taken, about 85% are taken with smartphones, edging out traditional photography by a long shot.
Photographers can showcase their skills by upload portfolio images and creating galleries.
When a client is requesting a session, the photographer can see where the job is and decide whether to accept or decline.
Shows the transactional details of prior jobs, including the time duration, money spent and photos taken.
USER FEEDBACK
Part of my design process included conducting market research and surveys of people who are the intended users for the app. Below are some of their response and how I used their feedback to improve the design:
“I would like to see portfolios of the photographers inside the app.”
I included browseable galleries to enable photographers to show off their best work. This complements the original idea to include a link to their Instagram profile.
“Add a rating system where people can rate the experience of the person they hired.”
I added a rating and review functionality so that photographers and subjects can mutually rate each other, similar to Uber, encouraging professionalism from both sides.
Photographer Side
clickable prototype
Client Side
clickable prototype
Photographer Side
Customer Side