Patreon Search Page: Redesigned for discoverability

For our initial approach, we employed a generative user interview as our primary data collection method. We crafted the interview questions to gain insights into users' content preferences, discoverability expectations, and perceived barriers to supporting creators on platforms such as Patreon.

Users prefer to financially support smaller creators because they feel their contributions have a significant and direct impact, making them integral to the creator's growth and sustainability. The personal connection fostered by smaller creators, through more frequent and meaningful interactions, enhances the sense of community and involvement. Additionally, there's a sense of pride in helping talented creators achieve their potential and grow their presence.

We recognized the importance of highlighting the "human-ness" of creators and their work. By doing so, the platform can foster a deeper emotional connection and enhance user engagement through thoughtful design.

Users primarily find new creators through algorithm-driven recommendations rather than active searches. Platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Pinterest excel in this area, suggesting a need for improved heuristic evaluation and competitive analysis to enhance Patreon's discovery features.

Users face challenges in content discovery due to vague categorization on Patreon. Instead of generic categories like Art, Music, Photography, and Video, more specific and user-centric categories could enhance the discovery process, making it easier for users to find content that matches their interests.

Patreon’s current model focuses on monthly subscriptions, but some users prefer one-time donations over recurring payments. Offering flexible support options could attract a broader user base and cater to varying preferences for financial contributions.

We conducted user testing to observe how users navigated the search page to find a creator they would like to support. Many users relied on thumbnail images on the results page to decode what kind of creator/content they could expect. However, some users expressed that it was hard to get an immediate idea of what kind of content was offered with the limited information presented to them.

This insight led us to focus heavily on the design of the creator thumbnail (or card) in the redesign, ensuring it effectively captures users' attention and conveys key information.

We conducted a comprehensive and rapid heuristic evaluation on various platforms featuring user-created content curation UIs and category systems. This included both direct and indirect competitors. By analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of these platforms, we gained valuable insights into effective content discovery and categorization techniques.

One key finding was the importance of content card and thumbnail design in content exploration. Platforms like YouTube effectively use thumbnails to convey essential information quickly, influencing user decisions. From our user testing, it became evident that Patreon could benefit from similar strategies to improve content discoverability and user engagement.

Buymecoffee, primarily a one-time donation platform, provided inspiration on how one-time donation and purchase options could be seamlessly integrated into Patreon’s UI. Apple TV offered insights on categorization, demonstrating how content could be divided into sections based on moods, like "How's the culprit?" for crime content or "Dystopian techno future" for science fiction. These insights informed our redesign of Patreon's explore and creator pages, ensuring a more personalized and engaging user experience.

We initiated the process by creating low-fidelity wireframes to visualize various ideas that my team and I ideated based on the findings from the research. This is also the stage where we ran some of the ideas with users to validate initial concepts.

Following the validation of our wireframes and initial design concepts, we transitioned to creating high-fidelity prototypes. These prototypes were crafted with a focus on delivering a polished, interactive experience that closely mirrored the final product. The high-fidelity prototypes allowed us to conduct more detailed user testing, providing critical insights into the functionality, aesthetics, and overall user experience of the redesigned Patreon interface.

To gather this data, I employed a combination of A/B testing, usability testing sessions, and clickstream analysis. A/B testing allowed us to compare the performance of the original and redesigned pages, while usability testing provided qualitative insights into user behavior and preferences. The clickstream analysis further validated the quantitative data by tracking user interactions.

During the final round of user testing, these methods revealed substantial improvements across key metrics. Dwell time on the redesigned creators' page increased by 22%, as users were more engaged with the content. This was followed by a 62% increase in the consideration rate, driven by the introduction of flexible payment options, including one-time purchases and donations, which appealed to users previously hesitant about monthly subscriptions. Interview feedback highlighted that the new "Shop" and "Support Creator" tabs made it easier for users to support creators on their terms. Finally, the overall SUS score improved by 30%, largely due to the visual upgrades on the "Find creator" page. The new card design showcased creators in a more visually appealing manner and provided users with more relevant information, enhancing their ability to connect with the right creators.

During the final round of user testing, these methods revealed substantial improvements across key metrics. Dwell time on the redesigned creators' page increased by 22%, as users were more engaged with the content.

This was followed by a 62% increase in the consideration rate, driven by the introduction of flexible payment options, including one-time purchases and donations, which appealed to users previously hesitant about monthly subscriptions. Interview feedback highlighted that the new "Shop" and "Support Creator" tabs made it easier for users to support creators on their terms.

Finally, the overall SUS score improved by 30%, largely due to the visual upgrades on the "Find creator" page. The new card design showcased creators in a more visually appealing manner and provided users with more relevant information, enhancing their ability to connect with the right creators.

The redesign of Patreon’s search and creators page successfully addressed key pain points in discoverability and user engagement. By introducing flexible support options like one-time donations and purchases, and enhancing the visibility of creators through more dynamic content displays, we were able to make the platform more accessible and engaging. The increased consideration rate, longer dwell times, and improved SUS score are clear indicators that these changes have created a more user-centric experience, ultimately fostering stronger connections between creators and patrons. This project highlights the importance of listening to user feedback and continually iterating on design to better meet user needs.