Project Overview
The Problem:
The Central Casting booking system is outdated. Currently, it is a process in which employees get texts and/or emails for job inquiries in addition to a web profile that many find useless.
The Goal:
Create an easy to use mobile app that incorporates the text/email booking system and the better parts of the website.
Understanding the user
User research
Personas
Problem statements
User research: summary
For my user research, I conducted 6 user interviews to understand user needs and discover pain points of the current booking system and website. Going into the research I had made assumptions such as the users think the system is outdated, the users don’t use the website often, and that a main pain point would be getting in touch with a casting director. After the interviews, I realized that the the participants often used language such as “I only use the website to…“ and each participant noted something different. 66% of the participants expressed their disdain for communicating with casting directors and cancelling bookings and the same percentage of participants immediately said they like to be notified about jobs when asked what they like about the current system.
User research: pain points
Not being able to cancel a booking online
Difficult to keep track of bookings
Current system is outdated
Persona: David
Problem statement: David is a 24 year old aspiring actor who needs an easy and cohesive way to apply for and look up his bookings.
Persona: Leslie
Problem statement: Leslie is a 29 year old SAG actress who needs a better calendar feature because she wants an easy way to check her schedule.
User Journey Map:
Paper wireframes:
In these wireframes I wanted to mainly address the pain point of cancelling bookings and the ability to see your bookings in one place. During my user research one of the main things people liked about Central Casting was that they receive availability requests rather than looking for jobs themselves. Because of this, I wanted the mobile app to recommend jobs to the user that match their description. Currently, the jobs page is separate from the user’s profile and I believe keeping everything in one app would make it more cohesive.
Refining the design:
First mockup and most recent design comparison
Initial Mockup
In the early stages of the project, I prioritized aligning the app's color palette and design elements with Central Casting's established branding. I extracted the brand colors directly from the existing website to maintain a consistent visual identity, ensuring familiarity for existing users.
Feedback and Accessibility Insights
After presenting my initial mockup, I gathered feedback from users and peers. One critical insight was that the original color contrast didn’t meet accessibility standards, making it challenging for users with visual impairments to interact with the app.
Final Version
In response, I revisited the design and conducted a thorough color contrast analysis using accessibility tools. I adjusted the palette to enhance contrast while maintaining the essence of the Central Casting brand. This iterative process resulted in a design that not only adhered to the company's branding but also improved accessibility and inclusivity.
Key Takeaways
This experience reinforced the importance of balancing brand consistency with usability and accessibility. It also highlighted the value of user feedback in refining design decisions to better serve diverse user needs.
Booking Pages
Availability Inquiry pages
During my user research I found there was no negative feedback on the current structure of the availability inquiry emails, so I chose to focus on designing other aspects of the app. Below is a comparison of the current email and the in-app inquiry.
Calendar, Notifications, and Profile page
Current look of an availability inquiry through email compared to the in-app availability inquiry screen