Enhancing the discoverability of creatives on Patreon
UX
Prototyping
UI
INTRODUCTION
What is Patreon and how does it work? 🤷♀️
Patreon is a platform where creators from various fields can receive financial support from their fans (patrons), primarily through different monthly subscription tiers that grant access to exclusive content.
Finding creators you love should be an intuitive and engaging experience. However, the current discovery process on Patreon has limitations, which is why we set out to redesign it.
BACKGROUND
The Brief 📝
The current discovery process on Patreon primarily relies on a basic search input field, allowing potential patrons to find creators. The task we were assigned was to research, ideate, and redesign the 'Find Creators' experience, making it more engaging, personalized, and effective in connecting patrons with creatives that match their interests.
USER INSIGHTS
The homepage is confusing and unintuitive
We performed generative user interviews to understand new users content preferences, discoverability expectations, and perceived barriers.
One thing that stood out among the interviewees' answers was that they felt unsure about what to do when they opened the homepage.
USER INSIGHTS
Free content and trials are missing
Another key insight from the interviews was that, before making a financial commitment, users wanted to familiarize themselves with the creator and evaluate their content. However, the current platform does not provide a way for users to do this effectively.
USER INSIGHTS
The experience has to be seamless 👩💻
Our interviews also revealed that users prefer platforms like Instagram or YouTube because they streamline the discovery process. Unlike Patreon, these platforms allow users to explore content without requiring registration or login. Additionally, they feature and suggest creators dynamically based on user preferences, interactions, and followed accounts, making discovery more intuitive and engaging."
Based on our user insights, we established clear goals and prioritized them strategically. Given our tight deadline, we chose to tackle each goal sequentially to maintain focus and avoid becoming overwhelmed. Our 🥇-priority was the homepage, where we planned to improve the layout and enhance the search functionality. After that, we intended to shift our focus to creators' personal pages, aiming to streamline the entire journey from discovery on the homepage to subscription.
IDEATION & EXPLORATION
Full speed ahead! 🚀
With our priorities set, we began sketching out different solutions to improve the homepage: focusing on making it easier to navigate while also enhancing the search functionality.
As we worked on this, one question kept resurfacing in the back of our minds:
If users don’t know exactly what they’re looking for, will simply refining the layout and search function be enough to help them discover creators?
Our answer was probably not, so we asked ourselves: What could we do instead?
IDEATION & EXPLORATION
Refine or rethink? A tough decision 😵
Mid-Fidelity wireframes drawing showing the first concept for "Mood Search"
THE SOLUTION
Mood-based discovery: Rethinking how users find creators
Instead of taking the safe path, we decided to explore uncharted territory. At first, this felt daunting, but the benefits of organizing our content this way were too compelling to ignore.
Structuring content based on mood addressed several key issues we had uncovered during our interviews, including:
No visibility for trending content or creators
No recommendations for similar creators
No curated lists from staff or creators
No free content, trials, or previews
Difficulty finding and exploring creators by category
To bring our vision to life, we created an interactive prototype that demonstrates how mood-based discovery enhances the user experience. Below are four key areas of the system, each explained through a short walkthrough video.
Searching & Filtering by mood
Instead of relying on traditional search, users can discover creators by selecting a mood that matches their current interests. This approach encourages exploration and makes discovery more intuitive.
Beyond search, we designed dedicated mood-based pages such as Bold Adventures and Cozy Creativity, where users can explore hand-picked content aligned with their emotions.
Personalized mood pages for creators
Mood-based discovery extends beyond browsing, it also enhances creator pages. One example is HarmonyWithKate, a musician featured in the Cozy Creativity category. This page provides a seamless transition from discovery to engagement.
BEYOND THIS PROJECT
Future opportunities 🚀
While this project introduced significant improvements to creator discoverability, there are still many areas that could be further refined and expanded. If the project were to continue, we would focus on:
Integrating mood-based discovery with search – Enhancing the search field to allow a seamless blend between traditional search and mood-based exploration.
Improving the subscription flow – Streamlining the process to make supporting creators as seamless as possible.
Exploring additional Creator Profile features – Refining the Shop, Membership, and Recommendations sections to further support engagement.
Enhancing the account creation experience – Simplifying the onboarding process to make signing up for Patreon more intuitive and frictionless.
This project opened up new ways of thinking about discoverability, and it’s exciting to imagine how these ideas could continue to evolve.