Initial research
Dream and Color UX Case Study.
Background
Research objectives
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Key Insights
competitive analysis - colorbliss
OUTCOME
design recommendations
What Users Said
How Might We Questions
Research methods
Dream & Color is a Colorado-based startup that leverages AI image generation and large language models to convert user-uploaded photos into printable coloring books. The platform serves parents, educators, and hobbyists who want to transform personal photos into line art or vector sketches, available as downloadable PDFs.
Dream & Color supports two generation models:
Classic: Uses edge detection techniques
Dream 3.0: Fully generative AI model
The platform offers three pricing tiers: Free, $9/month, and $29/month.
Team: Mythiresh Gajendra Babu, Lavan Kumar, Vishakha Gautam, Yash Chaudhari, James Tran
Mentor: Charlotte Hult
Client: Matt Kummer, Founder @ Dream & Color
Timeline: 4 weeks (Spring 2025)
Skills: UX Research, Usability Testing, Competitive Analysis, A/B Testing, Stakeholder Communication
Before diving into research, we outlined key questions to guide our approach:
What’s working well and what causes friction on the website?
How can users more easily find and explore Dream & Color’s core tools and paid features?
What are Colorbliss (our main competitor)'s strengths and weaknesses in comparison?
Users are curious and excited to generate personalized coloring books using Dream & Color, but face confusion around tool functionality, unclear value proposition of premium tiers, and lack emotional connection with the site. These challenges hinder both usability and conversion.
“I uploaded an image, but didn’t understand if the quality would be good enough to print.” - Hobbyist, 29M
"The site looks sleek, but I didn’t feel emotionally connected to it." - Educator, 42F
"I wasn’t sure what Dream 3.0 meant. It didn’t feel explained."
-Parent, 36F
Before diving into interviews, we reviewed Dream & Color’s live site and tested both generation models to identify usability gaps. We noted:
Unclear differentiation between Dream 3.0 and Classic
Lack of visual cues guiding users toward pricing or tool initiation
CTA buttons like “Generate” and “Upgrade” felt vague and lacked context
We also performed a competitive teardown of Colorbliss, evaluating their onboarding, visual storytelling, and pricing transparency to establish a benchmark for comparison.
1. Usability
Users struggled to distinguish between Dream 3.0 and Classic generation models.
Uploading images worked as expected, but concerns around print quality and resolution were common.
Terms like "Generate" and "Upgrade" were unclear, leading to hesitation.
Minimalist interface felt clean but lacked personality and emotional engagement.
2. Discoverability
Pricing page was hard to locate, especially from the homepage.
Call-to-action (CTA) lacked clarity and urgency; users weren’t confident where to begin.
The value of different subscription tiers was not obvious.
We presented the final report and prototype mockups to the client. Our findings helped Dream & Color revise homepage messaging, reorganize visual hierarchy, and improve call-to-action clarity. Key deliverables included:
Annotated prototypes
Highlight clips from usability sessions
Competitive UX summary deck
We conducted a UX teardown of Colorbliss, a major competitor in the personalized coloring book space.
Strengths:
Intuitive onboarding flow with a clear demo access
Strong product imagery and visual walkthroughs
Transparent pricing table and free preview feature
Weaknesses:
Cluttered interface and outdated UI
Limited image style options
Less personal connection — no support for personal photo uploads
Dream & Color’s flexibility in model options and personal storytelling potential stand out, but UX and onboarding are key areas for improvement.
We conducted a comprehensive mixed-method evaluation:
5 moderated usability interviews to observe user behavior
Screener survey to ensure target alignment (parents, educators, hobbyists)
Structured moderator guide for consistency
Note-taking grid to map pain points, reactions, and quotes
Competitive teardown comparing Dream & Color with Colorbliss.com
• Add brief tooltips or info modals to explain Dream 3.0 vs. Classic
Surface the demo CTA prominently above the fold on homepage
Improve labeling clarity (e.g., change "Upgrade" to "See Plans")
Visually differentiate pricing tiers with example outputs
Feature user stories or use cases aligned to each audience group (parents, educators, hobbyists)
How might we clarify the purpose and output of Dream 3.0 to build user trust and confidence?
How might we improve onboarding and CTA clarity to help users start creating faster?
How might we foster emotional connection and showcase value across all pricing tiers?