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App Modernization with Cloud Four: ImageQuix’s Blueprint for Success

A MacOS app window showing one of Cloud Four’s in-browser prototypes for ImageQuix. This interface allows a photographer to organize photos from a session into groups.

ImageQuix worked with Cloud Four to design a web-based successor to their popular but aging Java application for independent photographers. The resulting experience, Blueprint, introduced a smart workflow for connecting high-volume photo sessions for schools, sports and other events and directly to labs, sales portals, payment and fulfillment.

ImageQuix recognized that the web was the only platform that could seamlessly cover the entire flow, from associating photos with customers, to designing unique up-sells, to connecting those products to their ecommerce platform. 

Blueprint was praised by its customers and featured prominently in ASG’s acquisition of ImageQuix.

Process

Various contributors to the ImageQuix project sketch ideas on sticky notes while seated at an open conference room table.
After discussing the goals, requirements and audience, we ideate together: What could this experience be?
ImageQuix’s Craig Valente presents some of his ideas to the project team. He stands in front of a whiteboard adorned with sticky notes, his teammates seated on comfy couches.
Sharing these ideas early exposes opportunities, disrupts assumptions and surfaces hidden requirements.

When Cloud Four joined the project, ImageQuix had an existing development partner and had already begun early design explorations (inspired heavily by Material Design). To onboard quickly, we met in person with vendor and client stakeholders for discovery and collaborative brainstorming.

The wireframe is composed of three columns. The leftmost column shows a list of subjects (by first and last name), with options to search the list or add a new subject. The middle column shows a chronological timeline of captured images, with markers representing changes in the selected subject, pauses in capture, etc. These markers can be dragged in case the subject was changed too late or assigned incorrectly. The images have buttons allowing deletion of the image or marking as a primary image. The rightmost column is a placeholder and would contain more information about the current image.
One of many wireframes created for this project. This interface allows photographers at schools and other events to associate imagery with specific subjects in real time.

These meetings informed the next phase: Information Architecture. One of the biggest changes we proposed was splitting the way price sheets were presented from the way they were stored on the backend so that it more closely matched the mental model of photographers. We produced in-depth yet efficient wireframes to rapidly set a shared vision for the app’s redesigned features.

The enhanced product builder interface allowed photographers to craft templates for unique custom keepsakes. Our browser-based mockups validated the feasibility of these interactions ahead of implementation.

Once we had consensus on overall direction, we fleshed out and validated our approach using interactive, in-browser mockups and prototypes. By refining and evaluating each design in the same medium as its implementation, ImageQuix gained confidence that what they approved would be representative of the end result.

A vertical column of form field summaries with 'Number of Images' highlighted. Initially the value is shown as a simple range ('1–5'). Once selected, the field is expanded to show two radio options, 'Includes All' or 'Range' (with a min and max value). If those values are changed, the field expands to show the original value with a control for reverting the change.
It’s important to allow photographers to customize the product catalog, but the number of options can easily overwhelm. We recommended simple, text-based summaries that progressively expose more options as needed. Here, the option to revert to the default catalog values only displays once the value has been modified.

With each new design, we identified and documented any new recurring patterns. These building blocks streamlined subsequent prototypes while providing specifications for development unmatched by any mockup or static style guide.

Outcome

Thumbnail of the ASG press release announcing their acquisition of ImageQuix.

ImageQuix and their development partner executed on our designs, launching Blueprint in the months that followed. The redesigned app was a success: Customers praised the efficiency of the unified workflow and enjoyed increased sales due to the newfound visibility of product design and upsell opportunities.

Blueprint’s success spurred a successful exit for ImageQuix founder Mark Valente. ASG completed an acquisition of ImageQuix, LLC in 2019.

Cloud Four really dug in to understand what our customers needed and how our business worked. The end result was not only an exceptional user experience, but because they designed the interfaces in code, it meant our developers were able to build Blueprint more quickly.

We chose Cloud Four for their web expertise, but what they delivered would be world-class on any platform. I’m so proud of what we accomplished together.

Mark Valente, ImageQuix Founder and CEO

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