case study
INK;BLOT PROJECT
AN ARTIST-LED TATTOO STUDIO
OVERVIEW
This project consisted of building a website for a tattoo studio from scratch to make booking an appointment simple and stress-free. The focus was on clear navigation and creating a safe and professional environment.
Role: Product designer
Responsibilities: UI & UX research, branding, prototyping, testing
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Google Forms
Timeframe: 3 weeks
Challenge: A key challenge of this project was recognizing the emotional discomfort many people experience when booking a tattoo appointment at a new studio. For many customers, reaching out can feel intimidating or discomforting, especially when they’re unsure what to expect or how they’ll be received. This hesitation often leads to second-guessing or avoiding the booking altogether.
Objective: To create a clear and confident brand presence that immediately puts potential clients at ease by establishing a strong visual identity and thoughtful tone. The design aims to build trust from the first interaction and set clear expectations for the experience ahead.
RESEARCH
Market research examined how customers choose a tattoo studio and what influences their decision to book. Reviewing competitor websites, social media, and reviews revealed a strong focus on visuals, but a lack of clarity around the booking process and what to expect. This insight highlighted an opportunity to create a more transparent, reassuring experience that builds trust and reduces uncertainty.
Research methodology: I researched existing competitors, both successful and unsuccessful to get an understanding of what their strengths are as well as where they came short. I conducted further research by asking the target audience (customers) themselves to get an understanding from both perspectives.
User research consisted of people who:
Have never gotten a tattoo before
Have experience getting tattooed at different studios
Key questions:
What concerns do you usually have before booking an appointment at a new tattoo studio?
(Surfaces fears, hesitations, and emotional barriers.)
What information do you need to feel confident enough to book?
(Reveals trust signals, content gaps, and clarity issues.)
How would you expect the booking process to work from start to finish?
(Uncovers mental models, friction points, and expectations.)
Key takeaway: Individuals with & without the experience of being tattooed need support and reassurance to successfully complete the booking process. They value the first impression when choosing a studio — it has to have a strong professional brand image but shouldn't feel too corporate and off putting. Another key point is that people need to be able to see good quality work to eliminate the fear of their first tattoo being a disaster. The same applies for first time customers with experience, they will have pre existing standards that will act as their minimum expectations.
confusion
overwhelm
stress
fear
first impression
clarity
guidance
PERSONAS
My research results gave me the ability to create the following user personas.
These reflect the unique qualities, preferences and behaviours of the interviewed users.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
I researched the websites of existing tattoo studios to understand their strengths & weaknesses to try identifying what causes the uncertainty and doubt described by users in the my research.
The research covered a range of studios with of size and reputation, especially focusing on the first impression of their brand, how they present their work, and how they guide the user through the site from the landing page all the way to completing the booking process.
The good: On average, websites that balanced user experience and visual clarity belonged much bigger and more successful tattoo studios. They made the visitor feel at home and guided them through every step of the way in a clearly designed yet subtle manner, leading to more successful bookings.
The bad: While visually strong, many sites lacked clear guidance, often sacrificing the user's experience to pack more features — this explains why many users said they feel overwhelmed.
Many visitors who would've have a good tattooing experience if they decided to book were likely turned away very early on which is the exact opposite of the desired effect.
The ugly: Some sites lacked a spark on the design side that would keep the visitor engaged and entice them to learn more. Some of them didn't showcase their artists' work on their site at all, instead trying to redirect visitors via external links. The lack of available information confuses the user and fails to build their trust. This is likely to make them leave and go to a competitor instead.
WIREFRAMES
Designing good the low fidelity wireframes was the most important part of the journey.
The user flow and structure took priority over implementing obsolete features that would overwhelm visitors.
By prioritising these aspects at the beginning I reduced the need to go back and reiterate later on. A strong foundation important for obtaining clarity and a clear visual hierarchy.
This is what allowed me to create a truly enjoyable yet professional experience for the user, further increasing their trust with every interaction.
Clear calls to action to help with guidance.
Good use of negative space to make the experience feel premium and calming.
Clear visual hierarchy through typography to let the user know where they are with one quick scan of the page.
HIGH FIDELITY
At this stage, the strong foundation laid out in the form of the wireframes allowed me to fully focus on creating the high fidelity design without having to worry about the layout and page contents.
I was able to focus exclusively on designing an interface that will match the tattoo studio's requirements — a fresh modern experience for the user that will reassure them that they are in a safe and professional environment.
The calls to action are clear and unmissable and the selected colour palette removes unnecessary visual clutter.
The FAQ section resembles a conversation over text. This was specifically designed to make the user feel familiar and make their interaction more personal.
Bold page titles are supported by subtle text to precisely communicate what's happening to the user without overwhelming them and ruining the first impression.
The tone is warm and comforting — reassurance at every step.
The success page that sits at the end of the user flow has few elements. It's designed to be a moment of relief and peace for the user.
DESIGN SYSTEM
The studio's branding was designed to be elegant and clear while still showcasing their creative flair.
Typography: The Chivo font was selected due to its legibility which aids with quickly scanning the page both when used as a header of for the body text. It adds a splash of personality while giving an elegant impression. This font creates a premium experience for the user.
Colour palette: A minimalistic selection of colours promotes visual clarity. Neutral tones were chosen to calm the mind and to create a subtle contrast with the soft accent colours. The black and greys are a timeless combination that promotes visual hierarchy across the page, mixing well with the icy blue background. The overall combination is easy on the eyes while still highlighting the important content.
USER TESTING
After completing the high fidelity prototypes I moved to unmoderated usability testing with two groups consisting of four users each. The users were grouped based on which of the personas they resemble.
Group A: People who want to book their first tattoo appointment
Group B: People who have booked tattoo appointments before
Both groups were presented with the following scenario.
Scenario: You came across the website of a tattoo studio. Explore the site to see if it's a good match for
you, then navigate through the site to book your appointment.
The results of testing were measured by the metrics.
Success Rate: How many participants were able to complete the task without outside assistance.
Satisfaction: The measurement of participant satisfaction in the form of a post-task questionnaire.
Ease of Use: How easy was it for participants to complete the task on a scale of 1 to 5.
Completion time: The amount of time taken to complete the task by each participant.
Hypothesis: Both groups should be able to navigate through the site and complete the booking process
Results:
GROUP A
100%
TASK COMPLETION
SUCCESS
GROUP B
100%
TASK COMPLETION
SUCCESS
All users in both groups were able to successfully complete the task without any friction. The following feedback was given by participants after the test.
Participant 2 — Group A
The site felt intuitive and everything
was laid out clearly. It was easy to find
all the information I needed.
Participant 3 — Group A
I felt warm safe while navigating the
website. I liked how each page clearly
described where I am.
Participant 4 — Group A
My pre-existing fears and uncertainty
disappeared after finding all the answers
I need in the FAQ section.
Participant 2 — Group B
I felt like my expectations will be positively
matched and the whole process was
quick and easy.
ITERATIONS
The final version of the high fidelity design was perfected after users gave feedback on how easy and intuitive their experience was during testing. Below are listed the changes made and the reasons behind implementing them.
Navigation Bar
Participants from both groups expressed a lack of direction when landing on the home page. There was no clear call to action. People who already knew they wanted to book a tattoo were not immediately sure where to go — they missed it initially and it took them more time to start the booking process.
Design decision: Booking was identified as the primary CTA in the navigation bar
Before
After
Artist's personal CTA
Multiple participants said that the "SEE MORE" artist button in the gallery was not visible enough and it wasn't clear that it's clickable at all. Subsequently the font size was increased and a border was added in order to clearly communicate that the content is clickable.
Design decision: It's designed as a secondary action — it's visible without competing with the main CTA in the navigation bar.
Before
After
REFLECTIONS
I think that the project was a success — it allowed me to gain an insight into how to create a pleasant experience for the user through designing a well balanced and thoughtful interface.
User research and testing allowed me to better understand the needs and concerns of potential users with varying levels of experience. It showed me how important those insights are when creating the actual product and building trust between the brand and the user.
The new website will allow the INK;BLOT PROJECT studio to grow and convert more visitors into long term customers. It's a strong and scalable foundation that allows for easy implementation of new features in the future.