The Problem

Most social platforms aren’t built for small creators to easily monetize their work. While tools like Patreon allow creators to offer paid content, they lacked free tiers at the time and didn’t support the social, feed-based experience many artists and fans enjoy. This left a gap: creators had to choose between visibility on traditional social media or monetization on platforms that felt isolated and transactional.

The Goal

Design a seamless platform that makes it easy for creatives to:

• Share visual content in a feed-first experience
• Offer premium content through flexible subscription tiers
• Build and engage with a fanbase

Users

We focused on early-career and independent artists—creatives who already had small online audiences and wanted more control over how they shared content and earned support.

Key Features

• Post Artwork: Simple, clean composer for uploading and captioning images
• Subscription Tiers: Creators could offer free or paid posts, with customizable pricing
• Creator Profiles: Each user had a dedicated profile showcasing their posts and tiers
• Follower Feed: Fans could follow creators and view a personalized stream of content

Design Approach

We prioritized a mobile-first, distraction-free layout that put artwork front and center. Inspiration was drawn from familiar platforms like Tumblr and Patreon, but stripped back for clarity and control.

Key considerations:

• Minimalist interface to let art shine
• Easy onboarding for creators and fans
• Subscription flow with transparent pricing and benefits

Outcome

Blur Social launched as a private beta and received positive feedback from early users who appreciated its simplicity and creator-first mindset. The platform helped validate demand for a space where visual artists could grow and monetize their audience without relying on generic or ad-heavy platforms.