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Key Collector Comics

A cover can catch your eye. The first appearance, story, or artist behind it is what makes the issue worth a closer look. I helped redesign the app I used to make those discoveries.

Key Collector Comics on desktop, tablet, and phone
RoleProduct & Brand Design
EngagementFreelance · Since 2020
AudienceComic Collectors
PlatformsDesktop and Mobile
The process

Starting as a collector.

Find the gap in the experience

I reached out as a user. Key Collector already had the information I wanted, but its interface made little use of the thing collectors recognize first: the artwork.

Design for different kinds of searches

I researched casual readers, experienced collectors, and buyers looking for value. Someone exploring a character’s history needs a way into the catalog. Someone hunting a particular issue wants to get straight to the record.

Test the mobile patterns first

I worked through wireframes and prototypes with beta testers before bringing the new browsing and search patterns to desktop.

Outcomes

From discovery to the collection.

I started using Key Collector to find out why a particular issue mattered. In the redesign, I wanted that discovery to lead somewhere: collectors could follow a cover that caught their eye, read the story behind the book, and track it alongside the rest of their collection.

4.5 StarsCollectors rate the app 4.5 stars. I brought cover art into search and browsing so readers could recognize a book at a glance, then open it for the details.
100K+Key Collector has passed 100,000 downloads. I designed the welcome tour to give new collectors a starting point in a catalog that can feel vast on a first visit.
CatalogAfter launch, existing users singled out the collection tools. A broader catalog and more sorting options made it easier to organize the books they already owned.
01 / Mobile discovery

Let the artwork do some of the searching.

I brought cover art into category browsing and gave the issue record more room for detail. A collector could start with a familiar image and follow it to the story behind the book.

Home Screen
Category Browsing
Issue Details
02 / Desktop search

Two ways to scan the same results.

I carried the mobile category tiles over to the web. The cover view supports visual recognition. The list view puts more records in front of someone comparing search results.

Cover View
List View
Issue Details on Desktop
03 / Identity and campaigns

Keep the character collectors knew.

I kept the existing superhero mascot and used its palette to guide the identity refresh. That visual thread carried from the app into print ads and film promotions, including Shang-Chi.

Brand Identity
BOOM! Studios Print Ad
Shang-Chi Campaign
The Suicide Squad Campaign
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