Easel
Context
Easel explores what happens when people encounter artworks not just as objects to admire, but as assets they can partially own.
Unlike traditional investments, artworks do not have clear pricing logic, predictable outcomes, or immediate feedback.
TImeline
15 weeks
role
Individual
SCOPE
End to end decision flow
Problem Statement
Users make high-commitment financial decisions influenced by quick digital interactions, often leading to premature commitments in illiquid markets before understanding constraints. This project focuses on improving decision quality before irreversible commitment, not predicting asset performance.
Research Insights + Interviews
Based on 3 user interviews, synthesis, and lightweight flow testing, recurring decision risks shaped the flow.
P1 Beginner
observations
>Focused on artwork appeal and surface cues before assessing ownership constraints.
>Thought everything that is bought can be sold at any time.
DEsign Implication
>Separate artwork exploration from commitment review and delay irreversible actions.
>Explicit yet simple illiquidity related reminders.
P2 Retail Investors
observations
Understood the investment framing but skimmed liquidity and exit-related terms when presented as dense text.
DEsign Implication
Move key constraints into a structured review step before authorization.
P3 Institutional Investors
observations
Checked if commitment, recordkeeping, and ownership remained consistent post-execution.
DEsign Implication
Design commitment as a persistent system state across authorization, receipt/history, and portfolio state.
Synthesis
Across profiles, attraction and commitment collapsed into one moment unless the flow separated exploration, review, and authorization.
Iteration Proof
A key change in the flow came from separating attraction from commitment comprehension.
Observed issue
Users overlooked liquidity and ownership constraints when artwork details, commitment actions, and unit selection were combined on the same screen.
Change made
I separated the flow into distinct stages: Artwork Detail (exploration), Commitment Setup (unit selection), Review, and Authorization.
Result in flow
Evaluated the flow by checking whether commitment, recordkeeping, and ownership state stayed consistent after execution.
BEfore
Exploration and commitment setup were compressed into one state, which reduced constraint visibility.
After
The flow was split into separate stages so setup, review, and authorization happen in sequence.
SYstem Response
>Commitment is removed from discovery.
>Risk interpretation happens before authorization.
>Execution is treated as a state transition, not a tap.
Execution Recorded
Authorization transitions the asset from intent to ownership.
Tradeoffs Considered
Where should friction happen?
(A) Add friction during browsing/artwork exploration
(B) Add friction only at the commitment boundary
Chosen direction
Friction at moments of risk, not attraction
Why not the alternative
Early friction reduced exploration quality and made the product feel prematurely transactional.
How should constraints be presented?
(A) Present risk/ownership terms as dense disclosure text
(B) Convert key constraints into a scannable review state
Chosen direction
Authorization is a distinct irreversible state
Why not the alternative
Allowing edits during confirmation blurred the boundary between setup and commitment.
Where should friction happen?
(A) Add friction during browsing/artwork exploration
(B) Add friction only at the commitment boundary
Chosen direction
Friction at moments of risk, not attraction
Why not the alternative
Early friction reduced exploration quality and made the product feel prematurely transactional.
SySTem COntinuity
Commitment persists as a system state across authorization, receipt/history, and portfolio state.
Post-Execution State
Following authorization, the position remains recorded and reflected over time.
Cross-Platform Navigation
Core navigation remains persistent across discovery, portfolio state, and market context without disrupting active decisions.
Digital Shouldn’t Always Mean Instant
Easel explores how to design systems
that slow users down when commitment is permanent.