We wanted to better ascertain the priorities in which creators and bookers would approach the service so held user interviews with Canadian authors and librarians to represent these user types. Through these, we were able to identify common pain points and positives about their current booking processes. This helped us design features that were more beneficial for our users. 

Most creatives in just about any field have their own portfolio—authors and illustrators are no exception. Aside from some of our competitors’ platforms, most creatives are contacted for work through their websites which all vary from each other. This makes comparing creatives difficult and may require work on the bookers’ end to take notes. By having a standardized creator profile throughout our directory, we not only expedite the comparison process for bookers, but we streamline profile creation for creatives who might be unsure about what to include on their portfolios. That being said, when interviewing creatives, there was still an emphasis on customization. Creatives want to express their identity and work through their portfolios. Surprise! Creatives like being creative. So keeping this in mind, we made sure to design for options outside the necessary details like pricing and location.

Through our interviews, we also found that uncertainty and communication were educators’ biggest blockers in contacting creators. To this end, we created a template inquiry form tailored towards addressing these issues. Oftentimes, educators deal in approximations of audience, date, accommodations and more—details that may not always be at the forefront of a booker’s mind when contacting a creator. By providing labeled input fields, this cuts down on back-and-forth email correspondence and allows both parties to save on time so as to come to an agreement sooner.

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