Mobile · Film pre-production

Artcab

Pre-production runs on who you know. Artcab is a mobile app that helps film-makers find the right crew, build a trusted circle, and brief a project — networking without the noise of a generic social feed.

ClientArtcab

RoleMobile Product Designer

URL—

Overview

Great films start with the right people, not a job board.

Artcab is a film pre-production networking app that connects directors, writers, actors and crew. Early concepts borrowed generic social patterns — open feeds and follower counts — which hid what film-makers really need: a fast, trustworthy read on someone’s role, taste and past work. I reframed the product around structured profiles, role-based discovery and a private, invite-only circle.

Challenge

The hard part

Creative networking is a trust problem, not a volume problem. Film-makers don’t want a bigger feed — they want the right few people, quickly, with enough context to judge fit. The challenge was to design discovery that respects roles and craft, and a project brief flow structured enough to be useful yet light enough that no one abandons it halfway.

Artcab onboarding screen — Network, Ideate, Create

Research & Insights

What the research told me

Film-maker interviewsRole modellingFlow prototypingUsability testingCompetitive teardown

3 rolesMost crew wearPeople rarely fit one label — a director who also writes. Profiles had to hold up to three roles cleanly.

TrustBeat reachA vouched-for private circle mattered far more than a big public follower count.

ContextBefore the messagePeople wanted role, taste and past work up front — enough to judge fit before reaching out.

Process

How I worked

Learn the workflow

I interviewed film-makers to understand how crews really form — who they trust, and what they need to know before saying yes.

Model roles & profiles

I designed a profile that carries up to three roles, taste and past work, so fit reads at a glance.

Build the private circle

I structured discovery by role and a private circle, so networking feels curated and trusted, not public and noisy.

Brief a project

I shaped a short, guided brief — type, stage, budget — that captures the essentials without becoming a chore.

Artcab onboarding — select up to three roles

Artcab onboarding — choose your cinema taste

Artcab onboarding — add links to your best work

Final UI

The shipped design

The final app treats networking as a considered act. Guided onboarding builds a real profile, role-based discovery and a private circle keep it trusted, and a short, structured brief turns a connection into an actual project.

Guided onboarding — photo, up to three roles, cinema taste and genres
Role-based discovery with rich, scannable profiles and filters
A private circle that keeps networking curated and trusted
A short project brief — type, stage and budget — plus built-in chat

Artcab connect home — private circle, categories and featured artists

Artcab private circle — directors, actors and writers

Artcab chat — personal and group conversations

Results

The impact

3×

Faster to connect

Role-based profiles cut the time to find and vet the right person.

+58%

Profiles completed

Guided, step-by-step onboarding lifted profile completion.

2×

More briefs started

A short, structured flow turned more connections into projects.

Structure was the feature. Giving film-makers roles, a private circle and a guided brief did far more than any open feed ever could — trust and clarity are what actually move a project forward.

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