Wallz
Mobile App
Research & Development Insights
With major cities like Tokyo boasting prolific artists and crews who leave their mark on the urban landscape, and others like Melbourne, Buenos Aires, Berlin, and London known as hotspots for street art, the community of artists engaging in this form of expression is vast and culturally significant.
These urban centers not only provide a canvas for local artists but also attract international artists who contribute to the cities’ cultural fabric through their unique styles and messages. With the rise in both legal and commissioned street art, as well as the more traditional forms of graffiti, artists are increasingly recognized for their contributions to public art and urban aesthetics.
The need for the Wallz app in this burgeoning market is clear. With a large and growing number of artists participating in mural and graffiti art worldwide, there is a significant demand for tools that can aid in the creation and execution of street art. Wallz, with its innovative features such as precise paint calculations and collaborative painting options, addresses the practical needs of artists, making the logistical aspects of creating street art more manageable. This allows artists to focus on their creative expression, knowing they have the resources and support to realize their visions fully. The app not only serves the artists but also enriches the cultural landscape of the cities, reflecting the dynamic, collaborative, and colorful world of street art.
Provisional User Personas
The Wallz app is designed to cater to a spectrum of creative individuals, each with their unique artistic endeavors.
Aspiring Street Artist
a young urbanite, deeply integrated into the street art culture and eager to leave a visual imprint on the cityscape. This tech-savvy individual craves a solution that allows for quick, accurate image transfers onto large canvases, minimizing the need for manual scaling and reducing the physical toll of creating large-scale art. They seek efficiency without sacrificing the precision of their vibrant, impactful graffiti.
Professional Muralist
often a more experienced artist in their 30s or 40s, tasked with delivering large, intricate murals for various clients. Precision is paramount for these projects, as is the ability to predict material needs accurately. They require a tool that not only assists in the meticulous process of scaling and transferring detailed designs but also streamlines project management and logistical planning. The Wallz app with LIDAR technology stands to revolutionize their workflow by providing a level of detail and planning capability that paper sketches and manual grids cannot match.
Creative Parent or Teacher
individuals who might not have a background in art but who are enthusiastic about engaging children in creative activities, whether it’s in decorating a room or conducting an art class. They need a user-friendly interface that demystifies the artistic process, offering a clean, efficient, and educational experience. The Wallz app’s intuitive design and LIDAR-enhanced precision allow for an enjoyable, mess-free project, making it possible for anyone to bring a touch of artistry into their environment.
Pain Points
Image-to-Wall Transfer Challenges
Transferring a small image to a large wall or canvas is inherently difficult. It requires the artist to maintain proportion and perspective over a much larger scale, often without any direct reference points.
Costly Techniques
Some methods of transferring images, such as using large sheets of paper as stencils, can be prohibitively expensive. This method, while detailed and effective, may not be financially viable for all artists or projects.
Equipment Requirements for Projector Use
Using a projector simplifies the transfer process but requires working in darkness, which can be impractical outdoors or in public spaces. Additionally, projectors and their maintenance can be expensive.
Paint Supply Management
Estimating the amount of paint needed for a large mural is complex. It often involves manual calculations and referencing manufacturer specifications to determine coverage, which can be time-consuming and inaccurate.
User Experience & Design
User Journey
This process involves scanning the chosen wall, selecting an image from the user’s phone, adjusting the image’s placement via the app, and, upon confirmation, using the phone as a guide to draw the image directly onto the wall.
This process allows graffiti artists and muralists to use the Wallz app to bring their digital creations to life with precision and ease, transforming plain surfaces into works of art.
Product Concept
The Wallz app harnesses the advanced capabilities of LIDAR sensor technology, optimizing the process of transferring detailed images onto walls with remarkable precision. At the heart of Wallz’s innovation is its commitment to a seamless user experience, designed to cater to the needs of both novice and seasoned artists alike.
Intuitive Image Alignment
The app’s standout feature, the Image Alignment Screen, presents users with an interactive canvas, allowing for meticulous adjustments and alignment of their chosen images against the scanned wall. Artists can scale, rotate, and reposition the image with ease, giving them complete control over how their artwork will be rendered in the real world.
Realistic 3D Pre-visualization
This immersive feature enables artists to visualize their creations in context before making a single mark, thereby minimizing errors and material waste.
Enhanced Creative Workflow
Together, these features not only streamline the creative workflow but also empower artists to execute their visions with confidence and ease. The Wallz app’s focus on precision and user-friendliness demystifies the process of large-scale image transfer, making it accessible and enjoyable for artists of all backgrounds. By bridging the gap between digital artistry and physical execution, Wallz sets a new standard for technology-assisted street art creation.
Paint Estimation
One of the most innovative features of the Wallz app is its ability to estimate the quantity of spray paint required for a project. This feature is designed to ensure artists can complete their artwork without the inconvenience of running out of paint or over-purchasing, thus optimizing both cost and resources.
Intelligent Paint Calculation
Using the precise measurements obtained from the LIDAR scan and the detailed color segmentation of the uploaded image, Wallz intelligently calculates the amount of spray paint needed for each color. The app considers the real size of the artwork and the average coverage provided by a single spray can, a feature that takes the guesswork out of planning for materials.
With this feature, artists have the flexibility to tweak the size of their artwork within the app. As adjustments are made, the app recalculates the necessary quantity of paint, allowing for real-time resource management. This ensures that artists are well-equipped, regardless of whether they are working on a small piece or a large-scale mural.
Seamless Procurement Integration
Understanding that convenience is key, Wallz offers a direct in-app purchase option. Artists can order the exact number of spray cans needed, across various colors, directly from partnered paint companies. For those who prefer to shop in person or require immediate supplies, the app includes a map feature guiding users to the nearest spray paint stores
This feature not only saves time and money for the artists but also promotes efficiency and sustainability by reducing waste. It’s an embodiment of Wallz’s commitment to supporting artists throughout the entire creative process, from conception to the final stroke.
You’ll Never Wallz Alone
Building on its suite of innovative features, Wallz introduces a collaborative element that transforms mural painting into a shared experience. With the app’s location-sharing capability, artists can invite friends to join in on a project by syncing with the scanned wall data. This means that multiple creators can simultaneously view the augmented reality projection of the image on the wall, allowing for a coordinated effort in bringing the mural to life. It’s a feature that not only fosters community and teamwork but also significantly expedites the painting process, as artists can work on different sections of the mural in harmony, guided by the precision of Wallz’s AR overlay.
Technological Innovation
LIDAR vs. ARKit
LIDAR technology offers a more detailed and accurate mapping of environments compared to ARKit, making it particularly suitable for transferring images onto large, complex surfaces. This technological choice underscores Wallz’s commitment to providing artists with a tool that enhances their creative process with precision and stability.
Competitor Analysis
Wallz stands out by using LIDAR technology, in contrast to its main competitor, SketchAR, which relies on ARKit for AR experiences. LIDAR’s ability to create accurate 3D representations of walls allows for more precise image placement, setting Wallz apart in the market for artists seeking fidelity in their creations.
Conclusion
The concept of the Wallz app is an innovative proposition born out of careful market analysis and user insights, specifically tailored for the evolving demands of the street art and muralist communities. It represents a case study in itself, confirming the necessity for such an application in today’s technologically advanced landscape.
Wallz harnesses the cutting-edge capabilities of LIDAR technology to bridge the gap between digital artistry and large-scale physical execution, offering an unprecedented method for artists to project and realize their visions onto vast canvases of urban environments.
Although still in the conceptual phase, early feedback from potential users underscores the app’s capacity to revolutionize public art spaces and marks it as an indispensable asset for modern artists.
If you are intrigued by the Wallz app concept and see the value it promises to add to the artistic space, or if you are interested in exploring this concept further, I invite you to reach out for potential collaboration. Let’s shape the future of art together.
