Before I came to the Institute of Design, I was working for Christie's Fine Art Auctioneers. While sales and various administrative duties were my primary concern, in my spare time, I created an MVP to help with the ways in which Christie's employees document art during the acquisition (customer facing) phase.
I used FileMaker Pro to create a database where employees could interact with each other in real time and enter information about clients and pieces of art. The current system was a pad and paper with an old digital camera. Additionally, if a client's piece did not make it into the formal system with real estimates from specialists, then the information would sit in physical file, unable to be accessed by anybody else. A digital solution seemed clear.
The design is obviously not the prettiest, but it was my first foray into building a real, working system. I was really excited to be building something, anything!
More than anything though, this project taught me a lot about working within a corporation. I presented the prototype in a finished format and didn't allow for other employees to get involved. Thus, only I had any real skin in the game. Had I involved others, I believe this project would have had more traction and I could have gotten more access to the real decision-makers. In addition, I left the firm to attend grad school within weeks of presenting the database, so there was nobody to represent it after I left.
