Justref · 2025
Creating a gallery app that supports your creative flow
Duration
6 Weeks
Role
Product Designer
Team
Personal Project
Tools
Figma, FigJam
Artists spend a lot of time finding and preparing reference photos
References are essential to art. They serve as a reality check for proportions, lighting, and detail that even the most seasoned artists rely on. Photo references are a go-to for many because they are accessible, providing diverse perspectives and subject matters.
But, finding and working with references can be a long, tedious process.
Many artists use popular photography and inspiration board apps to find their photos, but these interfaces are not built with an artist’s workflow in mind. Existing solutions contain repetitive and unreliably sourced photos. They lack essential tools for working with images in-app, requiring artists to move photos from app to app throughout their workflow.
Artists seek an elevated photo gallery solution that is built with their workflow and goals in mind.
Who I Was Designing For
For this project I focused on two different groups of artists...
The Off-Clock Creative
This user is an artist by hobby. They might be a student or a young professional. They enjoy the art of curating a sketchbook, and a drawing session usually consists of shorter bursts of energy spread out over several sketches. They are on the lookout for pockets of inspiration for their work.
The Working Artist
This user is an artist by trade, whether that be a content creator, artist for a larger company, or an independent artist selling their work. They care about producing high quality work that adds to their portfolio. They also care about improving their craft and maintaining their creative flow when working.
Research Methods
For this project I utilized several sources for research. I observed and spoke with artists I know in real life to understand their workflows. I reflected on my own experience as an artist. I also browsed and analyzed conversations on art subreddits such as r/ArtFundamentals, and r/ArtistLounge.
Key Findings
Artists frequently sort through an influx of photos
Many artists online expressed frustration regarding finding references while browsing their go-to apps. Ads and repetitive photos can make finding unique references difficult. In watching friends draw and search for references, I observed that they would prefer to work with unique images of a similar category, rather than images that looked identical.
Artists jump between several apps to meet their needs
Artists use references throughout every stage of their process, beyond collecting images and curating collections. For sketching sessions an artist might want to set a timer and have photos change on an interval. Or, an artist might want to edit a photo, such as mirroring the image. Light photo manipulation is unsupported by photo gallery apps, requiring a user to download the images and move them to a new location.
How Might We
Reduce context-switching and overload for artists when finding & working with reference photos?
Merging three processes into one
References should live in the same place as artists work. So, I focused on eliminating the need to jump between apps when sketching & painting.
I started by defining the user flows within the app, such as collecting and searching for images. I also defined the core feature: a sketch mode that transitions the user into a space for drawing, referencing, and image manipulation.
From there, I moved into low-fidelity sketches to explore layout options.
Laying the groundwork
Once I had a clear idea of what screens and flows I wanted, I moved into Whimsical to build the wireframes.
Wireframes for key screens
Key Design Decision
We aren't trying to build photoshop here....
The sketch mode's toolbox covers some of the basic image editing artists utilize. I had to draw a line between what image editing tools were logical to support in-app, and what tools were better off staying in a separate image editing interface. So, when choosing tools I focused on ease and flexibility: tools that artists want to toggle and switch between quickly throughout a sketching or painting session.
Sketch Mode
A blank canvas for creation
When creating the visual design of the app I drew inspiration from art studio spaces. I wanted the UI to bring focus to the images, and be able to fade into the background when you sketch. A dark color scheme allowed for less emphasis on the UI itself. It also provides a clean, professional, but warm feel. I chose to use warm toned neutrals such as charcoals, dusty greys, and a sandy paper-like color for the brand color.
Color Scheme & Typography
The Result: An app tailored for artists
Sketch Mode
Key Takeaways
I gained a deeper understanding of app design
This was my first time designing an app from research to prototype. This meant that I learned a lot about app design conventions that I didn't previously know. I ended up doing lots of research on existing design systems in order to translate common patterns into my own custom components. I've come out of this experience with a deeper understanding of mobile friendly UIs, for both native apps and websites.
Defining a scope kept me on track
One of my goals for this project was to practice designing on a timeline. But, I also had full creative freedom. So, at times I struggled to strike a balance between what I wanted to do and what I had time to do. Defining a scope for my features, such as the toolbox, helped me stay on track and not dive into side quests.