Global Ink

Project Overview

This project seeks to celebrate diverse tattoo traditions worldwide while encouraging individuals to explore their personal identities through tattoo symbolism. It also aims to raise awareness about social and ethical issues in tattooing, fostering a more informed and inclusive dialogue.

Goals

Promote cultural appreciation of global tattoo traditions.
Encourage personal identity exploration through tattoo symbolism.
Raise awareness and stimulate dialogue on ethical issues in tattoo culture.

Competitive Analysis:

Inked Magazine

Headspace showcased good use of space, and a simple UI to not overwhelm their user.- Rounded corners, avoiding potentially uninviting UI elements- Simple graphics and colors, not overdoing their design elements- Very simple menu selection

Competitive Analysis:

Tattoo'd America

Tattoo’d America is a pop-up museum and interactive experience that explores the art, culture, and history of tattoos in America. It emphasizes tattoo culture as a modern art form, featuring exhibits, live tattooing, and immersive installations.

Competitive Analysis:

InkHunter

An innovative app that allows users to try tattoo designs using augmented reality (AR) technology. Users can visualize how tattoos will look on their bodies in real-time by uploading designs or selecting from pre-existing ones.

After looking at my competition, I noticed there was a key detail missing that I wanted to capitalize on... adding interaction to tattoos that goes beyond what 2D designs and pictures can show. What's better than looking at tattoos? Experiencing tattoos!

Who are my users?

Experienced Tattoo Enthusiast: The user has several tattoos and a deep interest in tattoo culture. They are knowledgeable about different styles, techniques, and artists.

Novice Tattoo Enthusiast: User is interested in getting their first tattoo but may feel unsure or overwhelmed by the process. They are seeking guidance and information to help them make informed decisions.

Cultural Explorer: They may not have tattoos but are interested in understanding the cultural significance of tattooing

Sketches

Style and Mood

Neo-Traditional

Taking inspiration from the neo-traditional tattoo style, elements use traditional tattoos and add modern uses of color, smaller line weights, increased details, varied line sizes, and dramatic highlights. Some keywords are:
‍
Retro
Colorful
Imaginative

Gothic Grunge

Going with a darker and bolder look, I explored a style that would add a sense of heaviness and impact to the project. This style includes dark backgrounds, with emphasis on bright pops of color and very graphic type choices. Some keywords are:

Mysterious
Noir
Experimental

Sitemap & Prototype Flow

Wireframes

Originally, the project was to encompass 3 countries total, but the scope was too wide for the project. The focus of the project was to educate users about tattoo cultures in-depth, and the focus was quality over quantity. Thus, my scope was narrowed...

Takeaways

This project was the first time I had to set a timeline for myself, and I struggled a lot with that. On top of setting my own timeline, I also had to scale my project down constantly, as I had planned on doing three locations instead of just Japan. Besides the timeline and focusing on design elements, I need to iterate on my designs constantly. The project was more refined towards the end of the timeline, but I wish I had taken more time to explore other possible styles.