Protecting digital art from AI theft, unauthorized use & copyright infringement.
Arthenticate
Project Background:
This concept was developed as part of my capstone project, where I aimed to solve a real-world problem through user-centered design.
For our senior project, we were tasked with developing a comprehensive interactive solution to a problem we identified.
In today's digital landscape, artists face unprecedented challenges as AI technologies can replicate and misuse original artworks without consent. Recognizing this pressing issue, Arthenticate was conceived to empower artists by providing tools to protect their creations from unauthorized use and AI-driven infringements
Team:
UI/ UX Designer Industry Mentors
Digital Artist
Peer Collaborators
14 Weeks
Timeline:
Product Designer
User Researcher
Design Manager
My Role:
Trello, Figma, Figjam, Adobe Creative Suite
Tools:
Problem:
How can we support digital artists to protect their work from AI theft, unauthorized use, and copyright infringement?
Project Goals:
Equip artists with AI-resistant protection for their work.
Make digital copyright protection accessible, fast, legally valid and help artists monitor, manage, and monetize their content securely.
Objectives:
Empower artists with tools that require no legal or technical expertise
Build trust through transparency and legally verifiable records
Design a user flow that makes copyright registration as easy as sharing art
SMART Goal:
Develop a hi-fidelity prototype and achieve a 70% task completion rate in usability testing for the platform's copyright registration process in 14 weeks, ensuring the feature is intuitive, efficient and aligned with user needs.
Solution:
Arthenticate is a platform that helps artists add multiple layers of protection to their digital artwork - from AI-proof watermarks to one-click copyright registration.
THE PROCESS:
Designing an experience that’s respectful, inclusive, and intentional.
Empathize
Research
Ideate
Design
Develop
Through user interviews, I uncovered that most artists were unaware of legal processes and felt helpless watching their work reposted or scraped.
From there, I mapped real-world user stories to define the exact "jobs" our product needed to fulfill ownership verification, protection from AI scraping, and easy registration.
Persona
Designing for Trust
The user flow prioritizes zero legal jargon, no technical barriers, and high emotional reassurance.
Each action is designed to feel intuitive, removing legal complexity and technical barriers, so artists can protect their work in minutes, not hours.
The structure prioritizes clarity and control. Every element is organized to reduce friction and build user trust.
Key Research Insights
Transparency builds confidence.
Users felt more confident when we clearly explained what protections they were getting and how the platform works—without legal or technical jargon.
Time expectations need to be set early.
Uncertainty around processing times created anxiety. We added estimated durations and real-time status updates to reassure users during longer steps like copyright approvals.
The Solution
Arthenticate transforms a complex, intimidating process into a seamless, five-step experience that empowers artists to protect their work with clarity and confidence. From AI shielding to copyright registration, every action in the platform is grounded in simplicity—removing legal jargon and offering visual feedback at every step. The interface guides users through registering, uploading, selecting protection, downloading proof, and managing their art, all with minimal friction.
Key insights from user research were embedded directly into the prototype: clear tooltips replaced legal complexity, visual confirmations reassured users during uploads and payments, and time estimates reduced anxiety around registration. The result? A focused, human-centered platform designed for real creative workflows.
Outcomes & Lessons Learned
While Arthenticate began as a capstone project, it quickly evolved into something more meaningful, both as a design challenge and a creative responsibility. The final prototype is a fully functional, scalable solution that empowers digital artists to protect their work with confidence and clarity.
Through this process, I delivered:
A hi-fidelity prototype with intuitive copyright protection workflows
User-tested flows for artwork registration and AI protection
A modular dashboard for managing content visibility and licensing
UX copy and visuals rooted in education, empathy, and simplicity
Reflecting on the journey, Arthenticate was more than a design sprint, it was a deep dive into ethical design, user trust, and the emotional weight of creative ownership. As a designer, I had to step into the mindset of people who often feel vulnerable in digital spaces, and build not just tools, but reassurance.
It pushed me to think holistically, not just about functionality or aesthetics, but how each interaction communicates safety, respect and transparency. I came away from this project with a deeper understanding of design as advocacy and the responsibility we carry when building for communities that are often underserved or overlooked. Above all, I learned that simplicity builds trust, and trust is what earns attention, retention, and long-term impact.
Each design assumption was tested and iterated through usability sessions. By the time I reached the high-fidelity stage, task-completion had improved, with users reporting a strong sense of control over their art.
User Journey Map
Prototype
