Actors Access
THE CHALLENGE
Actors Access had very complicated tools for actors to add and manage headshots. It involved adding photos to one area, then going to another and entering credit card information. Near the end of the process, you had to manually select the desired photos, or they wouldn't be added to your account. The process was disconnected and not intuitive. Customers weren't buying a lot of extra headshots, they were just sticking with their two free photos. Complicating matters was the fact that an actor could have multiple agencies representing them in different ways, which would require different headshots for each purpose.
THE PROCESS
Working together with the project manager and stakeholders from the business unit, we brainstormed possible solutions, based around the customer needs. We decided that it would be best to completely scrap the existing process, and redesign it from the ground up. The new process would have to:
- Allow users to easily switch between different reps to manage photos.
- Provide a simple, smooth process for changing default photos.
- Work in conjunction with a simple checkout process to encourage customer purchases.
To allow users to easily switch between different agents, I designed a tab system that could handle many different agents, though the average user would only have a few. By default, the view would display as many tabs as would fit, the user could re-order tabs, and anything that didn't fit would be available via an overflow dropdown list. When a rep was selected from the list, the UI would jump to that point in the tabs, showing it in order of its list, and as many tabs as would fit around it.
Commercial and theatrical photos were color-coded to easily distinguish between the two. A simple dropdown allowed the actor to change the classification. Primary photos were a bit darker version of the same color. Users could easily see which free photos they had available, as well as any extra photos they could add for an additional charge.
I also redesigned the process by which the actors submitted themselves for parts. I broke it down into four steps, with the ability for the user to step back at any point in the process, if they wanted to change anything. Previously, the use had no idea how far along in the process they were, and exiting out of the process would cancel the whole thing. Now, progress was saved, and the user could leave the system and come back and their information would be stored.
Eco-Cast Submission Process
By giving the user reference points of how far along they were and how far left to go, it elminates user frustration, when they might cancel out too early, and not complete their submission:
