Vendor Flow — Case Study

01 — Context

Background

Independent artists

(like myself) are turning to conventions to survive.

Independent artist character drawing on a tablet

The shift

Many independent artists are facing increasing challenges due to shifting social media algorithms, a difficult economy, and reduced online visibility.

As a result, many turn to vending at conventions as one of the most direct ways to showcase their work and generate income.

02 — Pain Point

Setup is the stress peak

After hours of travel, vendors arrive to:

Wrong load-in instructions

Smaller space than promised

Long load-in lines

Physical strain

Solo setup

Getting my stuff from my car to my table… it's the most time consuming, stressful, and exhausting part of the job.

— Ash, Heads & Tails Studios

This isn't disorganization. It's systemic friction.

03 — Data Snapshot

The reality

Vendors plan carefully. Reality keeps breaking their plans.

67%

Experienced space mismatch

78%

Have been overstocked

100%

Believe layout affects sales

Time constraints = #1 stressor

04 — Users

Who they are

Convention vendors are:

Small business owners
Inventory managers
Display designers
Logistics planners

They optimize for

Predictability. Control.
Efficiency. Sustainability.

THEIR GOAL

"Slip my headphones on and just start setting up." — Ash, Heads & Tails Studios

05 — Design Challenge

How Might We…

Help convention vendors stay in control of their setup by reducing uncertainty and adapting to changing spaces and logistics?

06 — Ideate · Diverge

Crazy Eights

Original ideation sketches — hand-drawn

06 — Ideate · Concept

Convention Vendor Logistics Planner

CONCEPT

A platform that helps vendors organize event information, prepare their booth setup, and manage inventory in one coordinated system.

ADDRESSES

Unclear load-in instructions · Unexpected booth space changes · Chaotic setup processes

Logistics Dashboard

Event info in one place

Booth Planner

Visual layout tool

Smart Checklists

Adapt to each event

Inventory Tracking

Live stock visibility

07 — Prototype

Explore the prototype

Walk through the full Vendor Flow experience: Dashboard, Layout Planner, Packing Checklist, and Inventory + POS.

Dashboard

Layout Planner

Packing Checklist

Vendor Flow inventory and POS prototype screen

Inventory + POS

View interactive prototype

08 — Solution

Solution 1 · Introducing Vendor Flow

One coordinated system

A tablet app that helps vendors organize event information, prepare their booth setup, and manage inventory in one coordinated system.

Event info

To-do Checklist

Vendor Flow dashboard mockup on a tablet device

Dashboard — Vendor home view

08 — Solution

Solution 2 · 3D Booth Layout Planner

A 3D layout system vendors can customize, save, and reuse. Component counts auto-track in the background, and flow into Solution 3.

1

Pick a preset

Vendor Flow layout planner — pick a table or booth preset

Start from common table sizes (4″ / 6″ / 8″) or pick booth / exhibit formats.

2

Build in 3D

Vendor Flow layout planner — build a booth layout in 3D

Drag cube and ramp components onto the grid. Rotate to see every angle.

3

Save + track

Vendor Flow layout planner — color grids and track cube and connector counts

Color the grids, save it, and the system counts every cube + connector used.

08 — Solution

Solution 3 · Packing Checklist

A packing checklist split into four focused sections: Display, Inventory, Essentials, and miscellaneous — to keep cognitive load low. Each section pulls smart imports from the rest of Vendor Flow.

1

Four focused sections

Display · Inventory · Essentials · misc. Divided to avoid overwhelm at setup time.

2

Smart imports

"Load Display Preset" pulls cube + connector counts straight from Solution 2's layout.

3

Visual cue

Vendor Flow packing checklist — completed display section highlighted in green

Completed sections light up green on the dashboard, closing the loop, no second-guessing.

08 — Solution

Solution 4 · Inventory + POS

Track stock, edit items on the fly, and hand off payment to Square. The booth becomes a sellable system, not just a display.

1

Track

Item name, stock, price at a glance. Low-stock counts flag in red.

2

Add

Vendor Flow inventory — add new items mid-event

Quick-add new items mid-event with name, quantity, and price.

3

Sell

Vendor Flow inventory — cart checkout and record sale

Tap items into a cart, review the total, record the sale.

4

Charge

Vendor Flow inventory — redirect to Square for payment

Hand off to Square for the actual transaction, no payment risk to own.

09 — Impact

Before & After

Before

A typical setup morning

3+ hours of trial-and-error unpacking
Items forgotten in the car, found mid-setup
Layout doesn't fit the assigned table size
Stock counted by hand, restocked by guess

"Setup is the part I dread most."

After

Setup with Vendor Flow

Layout pre-planned for the assigned table
Packing checklist auto-built from the layout
Stock tracked live as items sell
Time + energy reserved for the actual event

"Headphones on. Start setting up."

10 — Reflection

What I learned

Flexibility is essential to vendor logistics.

Vendors plan extensively, but spaces and timelines shift. Tools have to flex with them, not the other way around.

Personal Reflection

From my personal experience vending at Furry Weekend Atlanta, everything that would go wrong went wrong even when I planned for everything — vendor needed a tool that can help them navigate moments of adapt to changing circumstances.

11 — Call to Action

What can you do?

Check out my UI/UX Designs

https://arytian.design/

Check out my art business

https://www.arytian.art/

Thank you — Ary Tian