the independent
3d artist
A qualitative UX Research study exploring the nature of creative work in an online economy.
What does "freedom" actually look like for independent artists once it becomes their livelihood?
This central question was the driving component for the entire study. From this a number of secondary themes emerged; platform dependence, the emergence of AI, "impostor syndrome", and sustainability. This became a question of human need, framed through the lens of multiple talented individuals.
To answer this, interview questions were designed to feel open. Rather than leading participants to a presupposed narrative, these prompts focused on their lived experience, and allowed them to showcase it in the way that properly represented them.
Two separate interview formats were conducted to capture the picture on both a micro and macro level:
An extensive observational interview with visual artist "Oseanworld." Focuses on his journey into 3D art, motivations, and daily routine. This soft, more intimate presentation leads the video off with a feeling of comfort.
A series of video calls with independent artists encompassing a broad range of backgrounds and niches. These conversations focused on their shared experience as independent artists. Financial stability, expectations, platform usability, and the overall broader state of the social media landscape.
Theme Distribution
Across both formats, several consistent themes emerged:
artist concerns by frequency
Artists describe the freedom provided through freelance as liberating, but acknowledge unpredictability and instability of financial status.
Impostor syndrome was a big theme throughout the interviews. Posting content makes you feel inferior, but that inferiority is only subsided through validation of that same content. It's a toxic cycle that these artists perpetually exist under.
While Blender (a 3D creation software) is celebrated for its capability and accessibility, tools like A.I. are seen as emotionally empty. Because of this, A.I. is not seen as a large threat, and has the potential to also be reformed into a tool to strengthen capability.
freedom vs stability
technology perception
Statements constantly juxtapose each other. Later comments contradict earlier claims. The emotional investment these artists put into their career becomes clear through their response. To better materialize these findings we can observe them using Maslow's hierarchy of needs, interpreted through the lens of creative labor.
Self-Actualization
Balancing pioneering one's own brand while simultaneously providing their audience with reliable art is key for artists to feel autonomy.
Self-Esteem
How artists fulfill self-esteem needs provokes a conversation about human's need for adversity. feeling inferior fuels their creative process.
Social
Socializing is a crucial part of daily life. constant collaboration and a network of artists create a safe space for healthy competition.
Safety
Feeling safe to create means feeling safe to live. Technology has additionally allowed artists more freedom in a creative space.
Physiological
Artists need a space/studio to exist in. New tech has allowed their work to become condensed to a single computer, allowing for additional mobility.
This framework helps to contextualize responses without reducing them to generalizations.
This study is an anchor in human continuity. The people behind the output and the platform. Although delivered as a documentary, it fundamentally highlights understanding users within a system. To that effect, it demonstrates:
- Qualitative research planning
- Interview design
- Organization and utilization of large, unstructured data
- Translation of research into a coherent narrative