Overview
If someone pointed a camera at you right now and asked you to pose with no guidance, how would you feel? Confused? Lost? That's exactly why we’ve created an AI consultation chat feature for the photography booking app 'Unscripted.' With this new tool, clients can seamlessly express their photoshoot vision—from the purpose of the shoot to suggesting initial poses. No more guesswork or miscommunication. Just smooth, creative collaboration where every shot captures the true essence of the moment. This is a place where creativity meets clarity!
Unscripted is a photography studio app that contains a large database of poses for models and photographers to use, while also allowing those interested in a photoshoot to find a photographer who will best satisfy their needs.
TEAM SIZE 3 people | TIMELINE 10 weeks |
Current Experience
Unscripted is a photography tool designed to help photographers plan, shoot, and communicate effectively with clients. It offers features including:
Pose Libraries: a collection of poses to help photographers guide clients during a shoot
Checklists: customizable shoot plans to ensure no important moments are missed
Sun Tracking and Weather Tools: information about natural lighting conditions
Client Management: tools to organize bookings, communicate details, and handle scheduling
While these features are great for professional photographers, they require manual input and rely heavily on pre-set templates and the photographer’s creative direction. The experience can feel a bit generic or one-size-fits-all, and some clients may find it hard to articulate their exact vision, leading to missed opportunities in communication.
Primary Design Goals
The AI consultation chat feature will significantly enhance the app and photography experience through:
Personalized Vision Articulation: Clients will be able to communicate their unique ideas and preferences with the help of AI, making the experience more tailored to their needs. Instead of photographers interpreting vague requests, the AI will help clients clarify their vision, ensuring fewer misunderstandings.
Automated Suggestions: Based on the conversation, the AI can suggest custom pose ideas, lighting setups, or location suggestions that match the client's vision, adding a layer of creativity and convenience to planning.
Efficiency and Convenience: Instead of waiting for back-and-forth emails or messages, clients can instantly share their ideas with the AI and get real-time suggestions or guidance that can be personalized based on the photographer's preferences, streamlining the process for both clients and photographers.
This feature brings a more intuitive, personalized, and efficient collaboration process, making each shoot feel unique while helping the photographer closely capture what the client envisions.
User Research
We surveyed 18 undergraduate students using a 12-question online survey, gathering general demographic information as well as insights from both portrait photographers and individuals who have experienced professional photoshoots. Our goal was to understand not only how photographers interact with clients and prepare for sessions, but also what clients experience and expect during photoshoots. This would enable us to deliver an in-app experience that assists photographers in satisfy their clients' needs. Below are our key insights:
SESSIONS WITH A ROCKY START | DIFFUCULTY POSING CLIENTS |
100% of photographers feel it can initially be difficult to meet the clients' needs due to poor consultation
| On a scale of 1-5, photographers rank the ease of finding and suggesting poses to clients on the spot as a 3 on average
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CLIENT EXPERIENCE | CONSULTATION IS KEY |
63% of people who have experienced a photoshoot claim their session was awkward or uncomfortable because the photographer did not take the time to get to know them or their needs prior to the photoshoot | 75% of photoshoot clients feel consultation prior to photoshoots would make them feel more confident and comfortable, allow for clear communication, and help the photographer better prepare to save time |
Standout Responses
(Photographers) Do you think you are typically able to meet your clients' needs? Why or why not?
I am able to eventually, but it definitely takes some time at the start of the session to understand their needs and make sure we get shots that the client likes.
(Photographers) Are there any photography apps you currently use to plan your sessions, guide you with poses, gain inspo, etc.? If so, which ones and what do you like/dislike about them?
(Clients) How would you feel about having a consultation chat to discuss with your photographer before the photoshoot? (Please explain your answer in detail)
Personas
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Analysis of Popular Platforms Used for Photography Inspiration
TikTok | |||
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Solutions for Problem Spaces
After gathering user insights and analyzing existing platforms, we found that many clients value the ability to set clear goals before their photoshoots, while photographers also benefit from having these objectives clarified during consultations. However, they often face time constraints that limit the depth of these discussions.
We aimed to avoid simply replicating existing apps and, during our research, found Unscripted to be an excellent posing app with a range of helpful features for photographers. Despite its strengths, we saw an opportunity to enhance the app by offering a more streamlined and effective consultation process. Here's how the addition of an AI consultation chat can improve the current experience for both photographers and clients:
Clarified Vision and Expectations:
Clients: AI helps clients articulate unique style, preferences, and goals for the shoot. Additionally, the consultation chat feels more like a natural conversation rather than a simple question-and-answer survey.
Photographers: The consultation chat reduces misunderstandings and enables photographers to capture precisely what the client envisions.
Personalized Pose and Setting Suggestions:
Clients: Based on client input, the AI recommends personalized poses, locations, and props that match their aesthetic, allowing clients to give feedback on their preferences for the AI to remember and report to the photographer.
Photographers: The AI does the work of finding client-specific ideas so that the photographer doesn't need to spend as much time searching for pose inspiration.
Efficient Session Preparation:
Clients: After the consultation, clients will arrive at the session feeling prepared, relaxed, and more confident.
Photographers: The AI streamlines the pre-shoot planning process, eliminating time-consuming back-and-forth communication and allowing more time for creativity during the shoot itself.
Consistent Quality and Satisfaction:
Clients: With clearer communication and tailored suggestions, the AI helps ensure that each photoshoot meets high standards of quality for clients.
Photographers: Photographers can consistently deliver satisfying results, building stronger client relationships and boosting repeat business.
Visual Design
Explore the Final Prototype
Takeaways
Communcation —> Collaboration By sharing ideas openly, giving constructive feedback, and aligning regularly on project goals, our team created a cohesive design vision and leveraged each member's strengths, leading to a more polished final product. | Design With a Purpose When enhancing app features, it's essential to focus not only on design but also on the feature’s purpose and real-life impact. How will this change benefit the user's day-to-day experience outside of the app? | Address All Layers Apps often have layered impacts, affecting multiple user experiences simultaneously. In this case, while the app primarily serves photographers, their interactions with it directly shape their clients' experiences, making it crucial to consider both photographer and client perspectives throughout the research and design process. |
Things I Would Have Done Differently
Understand the Problem First In hindsight, we jumped to our solution fairly quickly after conducting primary research. We could have taken more time to analyze survey responses and better understand pain points, possibly through journey mapping. | Allocate More Time for Experimentation Dedicating time to testing prototypes might have allowed for more creative experimentation. This could have led to innovative design solutions and helped us feel more confident about each feature before moving to the final stages. | Define Success Metrics Upfront Specific KPIs for aspects like user satisfaction could have provided a concrete way to measure how well the design met its goals so that we could make data-driven improvements. |
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