The aim for revamping of the Black Ink Chicago VH1 cast page was based around the unappealing and not so memorable design of the original.

 

The colors, tone, and story of the page didn’t reflect the group's personality, causing a lack of web interest/traffic to the VH1 reality show’s webpage.

Due to its unappealing aesthetic which didn't cater to the Black Ink Crew Chicago's audience,

I decided to focus primarily on the cast section. A few of the UI issues, including images of the members, were poorly edited, with a background representing the cast member's sex. This color-way was a royal blue for men and fuchsia pink for the women; neither color reflecting the feel of the group and lacked symbolisms that come with their career such as ink, needles, artwork, etc. 

 

Another issue was the lack of transparency in the drop-down bio, which only offered the user a short fluffy blurb on the cast member; therefore, not allowing the user to have the chance to explore the character via other mediums.

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A creative UI solution added was the layering of the cast members images on the main page, showing the group as a whole. Each image was made as a separate element with a hover effect including a gold shadow, allowing the user to identify each particular group member, and also the ability to click and explore each artist individually. 

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The gold shadow and accents were a unisex color,  bringing a royal or wealthy touch to the group and their brand. 

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Researching the brand’s target audience, the design needed to appeal to ages 18 - 49. The thread throughout the show is the love and passion for tattooing, so elements were included to reflect the art form. 

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The finale of “Black Ink Crew: Chicago” posted a season-high .96 P18-49 LSD rating and was the #2 cable telecast of the day with women ages 18-49yrs.  Across the premiere and first encore, the finale saw 1.9 million P2+ (total viewers).

 

The Personas below were taken during the first phase of the project for a better understanding of the specific needs of the target audience. These personas were used as a reference throughout the project to ensure that every decision and design was made to reflect the personas' needs. 

The details contained in the personas were from real users/viewers.