Kandice's Portfolio

Art Sales Dashboard

Building the infrastructure for art transactions

Designed Primary Yellow’s first iOS app to extend the platform beyond web.

What

Gallery: Promote & sell
Artist: Promote & sell
Collector: Buy

Who

Developed scalable iOS design system and full-screen prototypes from low to high fidelity.

How

Delivered a mobile-native app that condensed complex web features into lightweight flows optimized for iOS

Impact

Designed Primary Yellow’s first iOS app to extend the platform beyond web.

What

Gallery: Promote & sell
Artist: Promote & sell
Collector: Buy

Who

Developed scalable iOS design system and full-screen prototypes from low to high fidelity.

How

Delivered a mobile-native app that condensed complex web features into lightweight flows optimized for iOS

Impact

August - September 2024

Timeframe

Figma

Tools

UI/UX Design Lead

Role

3 UI/UX designers, 1 project manager ,1 engineer

The Team

August - September 2024

Timeframe

Figma

Tools

Product Design Lead

Role

3 product designers, 1 pm ,1 engineer

The Team

Developed scalable iOS design system and full-screen prototypes from low to high fidelity.

How

Delivered an app that streamlined complex web features into lightweight flows optimized for iOS.

Impact

Designed Primary Yellow’s first iOS app to extend the platform beyond web.

What

Gallery: Promote & sell
Artist: Promote & sell
Collector: Buy

Who

01. Context

What's Primary Yellow ?

Primary Yellow is a social network and marketplace for the art world, connecting artists, galleries, collectors, and museums. It brings exhibitions, sales, and communities into one platform.

What’s the focus of this project?

Building on the foundation of its web experience, this project focused on designing the brand’s first iOS application.

02. Key Problems

Why do we need this design?

After launching web platform, we identified the need to expand to iOS to better serve our audience and leverage mobile-native advantages.

Perfect for social networking: Quick, frequent interactions thrive on mobile with push notifications, instant access, and always-on presence.

After launching web platform, we identified the need to expand to iOS to better serve our audience and leverage mobile-native advantages.

Perfect for social networking: Quick, frequent interactions thrive on mobile with push notifications, instant access, and always-on presence.

After launching web platform, we identified the need to expand to iOS to better serve our audience and leverage mobile-native advantages.

Perfect for social networking: Quick, frequent interactions thrive on mobile with push notifications, instant access, and always-on presence.

No existing mobile structure to build upon

We had to design the app from scratch within a tight one-month timeline, requiring rapid decision-making and efficient execution.

Condensing complex web features into a mobile-friendly flow Jump to see detailed web features

Uploading, buying/selling, and creating exhibitions were too layered for smaller screens. We nedd to streamlined workflows for a mobile-first experience without overwhelming users.

One of the web features

03. Problem Statement

How might we transform our web-based functions into a mobile experience that feels lightweight, aligning with users' fast-paced, on-the-go behaviors, without sacrificing the depth of the platform’s core offerings?

04. Final - Key App Features

Exhibition Overview

Explore Exhibitions

Artworks for Sale

Exhibition Overview

Explore Exhibitions

Artworks for Sale

Explore Exhibitions

This feature allows users to browse exhibitions around the world. Users can also explore and purchase available artworks in the exhibitions.

Explore Artwork

This feature allows users to browse artworks available for purchase, uploaded directly by artists and galleries.

Artwork Overview

Artwork Filter

Zoomable Image

Artwork Overview

Zoomable Image

Artwork Filter

Auctions Overview

Explore Auction

Auction Artwork Detail

Auction Artwork Detail

Auctions Overview

Explore Auctions

Each page provides auctions' details, participating artists, and available lots, with filtering options. Users can place bids directly within the app.

Personalized Login Onboarding

The onboarding flow adapts to the diverse art roles. New users first choose their preferred sign-up account type—Artist, Gallery, Museum, or Collector. This choice determines the features and profile experience they’ll see.

Sign Up Options

Choose Account Type

Tailored Roles

Choose Account Type

Tailored Roles

05. Process - Strategy

Platform-Specific Feature Strategy

Mobile prioritized features aligned with quick, task-based interactions, while content-heavy or multi-step processes remained on desktop for easier using.

Feature

Mobile App

Web/Desktop

Web

Browsing Artworks, Exhibitions, Auctions

✔️

Saving / Favorting

✔️

Purchasing, Bidding

✔️

Messaging / Inquiries

✔️

Uploading Artworks, Exhibitions, Auctions

✖️

✔️

Create Stories

✔️

✖️

Manage ongoing Exhibitions

✖️

✔️

05. Process - Usability Test

Early Prototype Screens (Pre-Testing)

1

Low-to-Mid Fidelity Prototypes

I created all major flows in low-to-mid fidelity to ensure that every critical interaction was represented before refining visuals.

2

Usability Testing

How

Zoom (interview)

Who

2 Artists, 2 collectors, 1 gallery owner

Objectives：

Learn how different audiences perceive the platform’s core value.
Spot moments of unnecessary complexity, and unclear interactions.

Insights (pros) 👍🏼

The main flows were intuitve, easy to find between sections
The platform offered equally valuable benefits to each user group.
The clean design language gave credibility.

The main flows were intuitve, easy to find between sections
The platform offered equally valuable benefits to each user group.
The clean design language gave credibility.

Insights (cons) 👎🏼

The prototype attempted to do too much at once (commissions to artists or live streaming)
Some testers noted that Exhibitions and Auctions page felt too similar at a glance in this stage.

The prototype attempted to do too much at once (commissions to artists or live streaming)
Some testers noted that Exhibitions and Auctions page felt too similar at a glance in this stage.

06. Iterations - Solutions

Reduce Feature Overload

We used the Must-Have / Should-Have / Could-Have framework and but advanced features like commissions and live streaming to "could-have" future phases.

Clearer Section Differentiation

In the first stage, Auctions and Exhibitions shared the same UI design. We introduced stronger visual identities for each section so that their distinct purposes were clear at first glance.

Add More Trust & Transparency Features

Added more trust signals ( verified gallery badges & transparent pricing).

Contextual Search Enhancements

Refined search to prioritize context-specific filters ( “Nearby Exhibitions” & “Newly Added Works” for collectors, “Represented Artists” for galleries).

08. Final - Main App Flows

Navigation System Diagram

The diagram shows how core features are organized across the top and bottom menus.

Role-Based Profile Design

Since the app serves multiple audiences, the Profile page is tailored to each user’s account type. After selecting their account type during sign-up, users are presented with a customized layout highlighting the features most relevant to them.

09. Final - Design Decisions

Mobile prioritized quick, task-based interactions, while content-heavy or multi-step processes remained on desktop for a smoother, more practical experience.

Zoomable Images

💡 See every detail

This feature lets users examine brushstrokes and textures, which preserves fidelity and ensures users can evaluate works with confidence.

Zoomable Images

💡 See every detail

This feature lets users examine brushstrokes and textures, which preserves fidelity and ensures users can evaluate works with confidence.

Progressive Disclosure

💡 Reveal more when needed

This function keeps the interface clean, reduces cognitive load, and allows users to dive deeper only when they choose to.

Progressive Disclosure

💡 Reveal more when needed

This function keeps the interface clean, reduces cognitive load, and allows users to dive deeper only when they choose to.

10. Impact

Buidling a platform that offered equally valuable benefits to each user group from scratch in one month.

Artist

Fragmented exposure → Centralized identity

Artists with credible profiles gained continuous opportunities to engage with the wider community.

Museums & Galleries

Siloed networks → Shared community space

They can track activity, connected with peers, and engaged directly with audiences, instead of one-way promotion.

Collectors

Scattered channels → Unified discovery and direct connections

Collectors discovered exhibitions and auctions in a shared social feed, while directly engaging with artists and institutions. Connections were built on conversation, not just transactions.

11. Branding

12. Reflection

📱Consistency Builds Trust, but Context Shapes Experience

Designing for small screens requires trade-offs. Translating a feature-rich web platform into a mobile experience meant carefully prioritizing what to surface.

🛠 Execution Over Perfection

Tight timeline forced me to prioritize momentum over polish in early stages. Rapid prototyping and quick feedback loops allowed us to catch issues early while still meeting the deadline.

📁 Frameworks Speed Up Alignment

Using the " must - have, should - have, could - have " framework early on helped us make decisions faster. This structured prioritization avoided debates in later stages and kept everyone focused.

💬 Communication Shapes Outcomes

Clear communication and evidence-based reasoning across teams was as important as the designs themselves. Framing design choices with user feedback and clear metrics helped align everyone quickly.

📱Consistency Builds Trust, but Context Shapes Experience

Designing for small screens requires trade-offs. Translating a feature-rich web platform into a mobile experience meant carefully prioritizing what to surface.

🛠 Execution Over Perfection

Tight timeline forced me to prioritize momentum over polish in early stages. Rapid prototyping and quick feedback loops allowed us to catch issues early while still meeting the deadline.

📁 Frameworks Speed Up Alignment

Using the " must - have, should - have, could - have " framework early on helped us make decisions faster. This structured prioritization avoided debates in later stages and kept everyone focused.

💬 Communication Shapes Outcomes

Clear communication and evidence-based reasoning across teams was as important as the designs themselves. Framing design choices with user feedback and clear metrics helped align everyone quickly.