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THE COLLECTOR'S HERO

Welcome to the case study for The Collector's Hero, a prototype for an app that I created in the summer of 2022. Below you will find the research and steps I took to develop the app and refine the user experience.

 

THE MARKET

Thanks to the explosion in comic-book-based movies and shows, there is more demand for comic books and related collectibles than ever before.

One strategy that retailers and manufacturers are using to drive traffic and sales is the offer of exclusive and/or limited runs of products. 

For example, a version of a specific comic book with a special cover that is limited to 300 copies and only available at a specific comic book shop or a collectible vinyl figure in a special color available only at a particular big-box retailer.

THE NEED

Comic book fans need timely information on new products and events because these items are often offered in limited quantities and tend to sell out quickly.

Comic book fans who fear missing out on new products and events need a way to stay informed, but are not able to keep current with all available data streams.

These fans need a hero. But who...?

USER INTERVIEW PROCESS

  • Created an interview discussion guide

  • Conducted 5 user interviews

  • Synthesized the data in an affinity map

USER INTERVIEW INSIGHTS

  • Time is a major challenge to being informed — the info is out there, but not collected in a convenient place

  • Info is currently gathered online, largely by word of mouth via Facebook Groups

  • Typical fans spend 4-6 hours a week looking for information

  • Fans are not going to stores or conventions as frequently since pandemic

  • Most fans have missed out on merchandise that they wanted at some point

  • Comic book fans are easy to displease and vocal about negative experiences

 

KEY USER QUOTES

“…there’s no end to this.”
“…hard to keep track of everything.”
“…almost impossible…”

USER PERSONA:
KIRBY MAGUIRE, ADULT COMIC FAN

Age: 42

Work: IT/admin

Family: Married, 2 children

Location: Oakbrook Terrace, IL

Stories and Scenarios
Kirby was a comic fan as a kid, but fell out of it as he focused on college, career, and family. After having kids, he was re-exposed to the hobby, and he decided to begin collecting again (especially after the popularity of comic book movies). He enjoys being the person that his friends and family come to for information when a new Marvel movie is released, and he has a dedicated room in his house to store and display his collection. He enjoys sharing his hobby with his kids and actively adds to his collection of Wolverine books and products, but because he is active with work and family, he doesn’t always find out about new products in a timely manner.

Needs and Goals

  • Timely information about products and events 

  • Find and acquire specific issues of specific series of his favorite character, Wolverine of The X-Men

  • A complete picture of available products, so that he can allocate his budget thoughtfully and strategically

Behaviors

  • Reads and collects 6 or more comics series each month

  • Watches every Marvel movie, and most other TV/movies based on comics

  • Travels to 2-4 local (within 25 miles) conventions each year

  • Spends 4-6 hours each week gleaning product info from Facebook

Frustrations

  • Not always aware of new products until too late

  • Does not have time to monitor/sift all sources of information for news that is relevant to him

  • Does not always remember or keep track of important information

HOW MIGHT WE…
… allow fans to opt-in to informational alerts about products and services that they are interested in?
… provide timely information to fans
so that they can participate in limited-
quantity offerings?

…give fans a complete view of the
available offerings so that they can make informed purchase decisions about how and where to best spend their resources?

PROTOTYPE LINK

https://tinyurl.com/3wzutwvb

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