Grey Mannequin with back top hat and and the text props2ya

Props2Ya

A digital inventory mobile app to help you tell your story.

Client: Personal Passion Project

Role: UX Designer and Researcher

Methods: User Interviews, Ethnographic Research, Information Architecture, Wireframes, Usability Testing and Prototyping

Tools: Figma, Sketch, InVision, and Keynote

Deliverables: Interactive Prototype | Recommendations Report

Overview/Users

Overview

  • Props2Ya is a white label digital inventory mobile app for theater companies for their costumes and props. I’ve worked in professional and educational theater for 15 years and there is a great need for companies to have a digital inventory in a mobile app.

  • I conducted ethnographic research at a local community theater to see what their current storage and organizational needs are.

  • The mobile app would allow theater companies to upload their costume and prop inventory digitally and categorize it to fit their storage and rental needs.

Users

  • Costume Shop Managers, Volunteers and Stage Managers.

Initial Information Architecture of Site Map

The Challenge

Rack of costumes

Plastic bin with costume pieces

Several prop items

  • Several of the theater spaces I have worked in have been very disorganized. Most theater companies kept records of their costumes and props in spreadsheets and physical photo albums.

  • Most of the items were shoved in boxes and not properly categorized. Props were strewn about and there was no sense of order or organization.

The Journey

The project started with a stakeholder meeting with the Artistic Director of the local community theater. We talked about their current processes and what their organizational needs are. We talked about what features they would like to see in the app and what would be most beneficial to the company.

Wireframes

Lo-fi to Hi-fi wireframes were created to showcase the key features that were discussed in the stakeholder co-creation meeting.

 

Landing Page

The landing page is customizable with the company’s logo and brand colors. This is the main access point to the app’s key features.

Lo-Fi Wireframe of Landing Page

Hi-Fi Wireframe of Landing Page

Create an Item Page

  • Upload a photo and add any relevant details.

  • Add tags for an easy way to search and categorize the item.

  • Choose the item’s status and location.

Lo-Fi Wireframe of Create an Item Page

Hi-Fi Wireframe of Create an Item Page

Item Status Page

  • Provides the status and location details of the costume or prop.

  • Displays item details and tags.

Lo-Fi Wireframe of Item Status Page

Hi-Fi Wireframe of Item Status Page

Hi-Fi Wireframe of Item Status Page Continued

Search Function Page

  • Search for items in your inventory.

  • It displays a small thumbnail photo of items and it’s availability status.

Lo-Fi Wireframe of Search Function Page

Hi-Fi Wireframe of Search Function Page

Results, Recommendations, and Reflections

Next Steps:

  • Build out the Rental Section of the app.

  • Implement the QR functionality and expand this app to a website application.

Reflection:

  • This was a passion project of mine for a couple years and was very excited to dive deeper into this venture.