Studio King
A vibrant platform for studio rentals
Studio King is a mobile app designed for creatives seeking the perfect space for their next project. From music production to photography, podcasting, and more — the app provides a seamless way to discover, book, and manage professional studios across various categories, all in one intuitive and colorful interface.
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Vision of the project
With the growth of the creator economy, more and more independent artists, producers, and content creators need access to high-quality studio spaces — but current solutions are fragmented, outdated, or overly complex.
The vision behind Studio King was to build a joyful, user-friendly platform that centralizes the search, communication, and booking process — empowering creators to focus on their work, not logistics.
The problem
Freelance creators often waste time searching across multiple platforms, dealing with unclear pricing, scattered communication, and non-transparent booking processes.
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The reality: Many users struggle to find reliable and suitable studio spaces for their specific needs.
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The market: Most platforms either target luxury rentals or offer poor filtering and discovery for creators.
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The need: A mobile-first, creator-friendly experience with personalized studio discovery, secure payments, and integrated communication.
The goal was clear: make renting a studio feel as smooth, safe, and inspiring as using Airbnb — but tailored to creators.
The research process
User research
We interviewed 7 musicians, photographers, and podcast creators who regularly rent studio spaces.
Their biggest pain points included:
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Lack of filtering by creative type (e.g. podcast-ready studios)
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Confusing price structures or hidden fees
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Difficulty contacting studio owners directly
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Inability to filter studios by the facilities they offer (e.g. drum kit, acoustic treatment, lounge area)
These insights drove a user-centered experience focused on clarity, speed, and creativity.
Secondary research
We studied market leaders like Airbnb, Peerspace, and niche creator platforms. Key takeaways included:
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The importance of visual design and trust indicators
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The role of verified reviews and clear service descriptions
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The need for flexible login, payment, and profile management options
This research formed the foundation for a unique design language and a product flow that feels natural to independent creators.
Affinity mapping
An affinity mapping session helped organize user feedback into clear themes and pain points. This process revealed patterns around confusion, time pressure, and lack of confidence—insights that directly shaped the product’s design decisions.
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Empathy map
The empathy map captured what users think, feel, say, and do during the contract creation process. It helped uncover emotional pain points—like stress, fear of mistakes, and feeling overwhelmed—which guided more intuitive and reassuring design choices.
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User journey map
A journey map was created to visualize the user’s experience from start to finish. It revealed moments of friction, effort, and satisfaction across each step—helping prioritize improvements that would reduce stress and increase efficiency.
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Brainstorming and HMWs
A structured brainstorming session using the “How Might We” method helped turn user pain points into actionable design questions. This encouraged creative thinking and led to solution-focused ideas tailored to real user needs.
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Crazy 8's
The Crazy 8's method was utilized to rapidly generate a diverse range of ideas, enabling the exploration of multiple creative directions efficiently.
User Flow
A simplified flow showing how users move from onboarding to browsing, selecting, and booking a studio — including optional chat with the host. The goal: a smooth and intuitive experience from start to finish.
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Low fidelity
Sketching simple and focused wireframes allowed for quick idea testing, concentration on structure and functionality, and easy adjustments as needed.
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Welcome Screen
Initial loading screen showcasing the brand's logo and visual identity.
This screen sets the tone for the app, highlighting the playful branding of Studio King with a bold purple gradient background and a yellow crown as a visual cue of leadership and fun.
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Sign In & Onboarding
User login and profile setup with a friendly and intuitive flow.
From third-party login options to setting up a profile picture and basic user info, this screen ensures quick onboarding while reinforcing the app's personality through tone and color.
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Choose Studio Type
Letting users define their creative project type to personalize search results.
A vibrant, gamified interface invites users to select from studio types like music, photography, podcasting, etc., using colorful icons and a strong call-to-action.
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Studio List, Discovery & Filters
The main discovery flow guides users from exploring nearby or top-rated studios to filtering based on specific needs.
Clean card layouts allow quick scanning of essential info such as rating, price, and room size. From there, users can navigate to a smart filtering interface — selecting studio type, equipment, price range, and location.
Studio Details
Studio-specific page with location, facilities, host info, and reviews.
The information is structured for clarity: basic logistics above, host communication tools in the middle, and community trust via reviews and testimonials below.
Booking & Payment
Detailed booking breakdown with transparent pricing and payment options.
Split into two steps for usability: inputting booking details, then selecting a payment method. The purple CTA button maintains hierarchy and consistency.
Profile, Chat, and Message View
User profile management and in-app messaging for direct communication.
This screen trio demonstrates the seamless integration of user data, message notifications, and real-time chat with hosts — reinforcing trust and convenience.
Wrap up
Studio King was one of my favorite projects — not just because of the creative concept, but because it allowed me to blend playful branding, intuitive UX, and clear functionality into one seamless mobile experience.
Designing for creators meant constantly asking: how can I make this feel fun and frictionless? From the category icons to the booking flow and chat feature, every detail was crafted to support ease, clarity, and trust.
If I had more time, I’d focus on refining the search and filtering system based on user behavior, and expanding studio owner features like analytics and calendar integration.
My biggest takeaway? Good UX isn’t just about structure — it’s about energy. When the design reflects the mindset of the people using it, everything clicks.