Problem:
Insights
Artists from all creative fields are facing the introduction of artificial intelligence into their craft. Digital artists in particular have been at the forefront of adapting to the rapid development of technology that many feel is encroaching on their art and devaluing their work. As more and more AI tools are trained on art scraped from the internet, artists have hesitation about embracing the technology.
There are attempts at ethical AI art generators and compensation models, but the murkiness of how exactly the image models are trained and artists compensated leaves room for a more transparent and artist-based approach to these solutions. Users want to support artists if given the ability but need a platform that allows them to do so and puts the artists' support first.
Solution
Remaix is an ethical AI platform for creatives to showcase their work, discovery of artists, collaboration, and new forms of user engagement that allow for creatives to be supported by AI. Features such as creative style licensing, user tipping, auto-merch generation, and profit-splitting models give artists multiple revenue streams and a unique way to engage with fans and peers.
Experiment 1
The first round of user testing required participants to participate in a card sort study to determine the types of creative fields they wanted to be remixed and why. The results detailed how users have a broad spectrum for why they would use a platform like Remaix, from inspiration sourcing to trying to create the strangest amalgamations they could think of.
Experiment 2
Round 2 of experimentation focused on how users instinctually think the UI of the platform should be sorted and organized. In order to get participants to think outside of the box, they were asked to sort the activations of a physical art museum based on the features of what Remaix would have. The experiment results provided valuable insight into how the design of the prototype UI.
Experiment 3
The final experiment looked at the roles within museum organizational structures to determine what Remaix could use as a framework for how creators and users on the platform would interact with each other and use the features. This led to the development of the "curator" roles for users that not only gave them new ways to interact with artists but also gave them a more direct role in supporting and promoting artists' work.
After synthesizing data from the three experiments, the prototyping phase began. The first step was to figure out how the various screens would be organized in relation to each other, as well as the static menu bar placement and contents. I began with the user interface and layout using low-fidelity sketches before moving on to a high-fidelity prototype flow in Figma.
Final Prototype
The "for you" discovery page where users can select specific artists, creative fields, or popular content to browse.
A depiction of how auto-generated merchandise from remaixed artwork can be purchased.
Page showing an example of various AI creative licensing models artists can offer from their profile.
recap of remaix
reflections
1. It’s an ethical platform for artists to showcase their art in which
2. Where artists are fairly compensated for their work that is put into remaixed and AI-generated images
3. It promotes a form of collaboration between artists in which they leverage AI technology to help them reach new audiences
4. Creates a new form of interaction between artists and their fans, making them feel more involved with artists they love
5. And the fans become an integral part of the creative process, giving them new ways to support them.
Overall the project was a success. After the development, the prototype was shown to the participant of the first and second experiments to get their reaction. Whether they were looking for a platform to gain inspiration, support artists, or looking to have fun, Remaix addressed their wants from a platform.
In future iterations of the prototype, there will be the inclusion of in-app AI features such as text prompt image generation and user upload remixing features. This will ensure that the creative licensing features can be fully utilized and artist's confidence in the viability of the platform is secure.