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.
Overview
Great films start with the right people, not a job board.
Artcab 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.
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 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.
Research & insights
What the research told me
People rarely fit one label — a director who also writes. Profiles had to hold up to three roles cleanly.
A vouched-for private circle mattered far more than a big public follower count.
People wanted role, taste and past work up front — enough to judge fit before reaching out.
How I worked
Learn the workflow
I interviewed film-makers to understand how crews really form and what they need before saying yes.
Model roles and profiles
A profile that carries up to three roles, taste and past work, so fit reads at a glance.
Build the private circle
Discovery by role plus a private circle, so networking feels curated rather than public and noisy.
Brief a project
A short, guided brief — type, stage, budget — that captures the essentials without becoming a chore.
Onboarding
A profile that reads fast
Guided onboarding builds a real profile: photo, up to three roles, cinema taste, genres and links to past work.
Discovery
A circle, not a feed
Discovery is organised by role and craft rather than reach, and the private circle keeps the network curated and trusted.
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 brief turns a connection into an actual project.
