How Studio Revolutionized Daily Operations for Tattoo Studios in Spain

How STUDIOAPP Revolutionized Daily Operations for Tattoo Studios in Spain

Problem Context

Tattoo and piercing studios in Spain face significant operational challenges, with more than 3,800 studios, over 80% of which still rely on paper-based systems. Among the most repetitive and legally mandatory tasks is the signing of informed consent forms, which outline health risks associated with tattoos and piercings. This process is time-consuming, averaging 15 minutes per client, and studios often only have forms available in Spanish, creating barriers for non-Spanish-speaking clients.

Additionally, managing appointments, inventory, and invoicing manually results in inefficiencies that cost studios time and revenue. These operational bottlenecks hinder productivity and fail to meet the growing expectations of modern customers.

To address these challenges, Axel, Pau, and Manu—a team who had previously collaborated at Gamestry—built STUDIOAPP, a mobile application designed to digitize and automate tattoo studio workflows.

The Process

The team followed a structured approach to deeply understand the pain points faced by tattoo studios and implement features to streamline their operations.

Identifying the Core Challenges

The key operational issues were:

• Time-Consuming Consent Forms: Manual processes averaged 15 minutes per signature, delaying workflows.

• Language Barriers: Non-Spanish-speaking clients struggled with forms, often leading to misunderstandings or delays.

• Inefficient Organization: Studios lacked systems for managing appointments, inventory, and financial operations effectively.

Understanding the Industry and Pain Points

To ensure the solution met real-world needs, the team engaged tattoo studios in Spain to uncover their daily frustrations and operational gaps. Feedback from studio owners and artists was instrumental in defining the app’s features.

Feature Design and Prioritization

Using insights from their research, the team prioritized features that would address the most pressing issues while improving efficiency and compliance.

Solution

STUDIOAPP delivered a comprehensive, user-friendly solution to digitize and automate the daily tasks of tattoo studios:

Digitalized Consent Signing

• QR Code Process: Clients scan a QR code to access and sign consent forms on their mobile phones in under 2 minutes, reducing signature time by over 80%.

• Multilingual Support: Forms are available in multiple languages, addressing the needs of international clients and improving accessibility.

• Secure Storage: Signed forms are digitally stored and easily accessible, ensuring compliance with legal and organizational requirements.

Shared Team Calendar

• Google Calendar Integration: Enables tattoo artists to manage their schedules seamlessly.

• Automated Appointment Reminders: Notifications sent via WhatsApp reduce no-shows and improve client communication.

Inventory Management

• Real-Time Stock Tracking: Helps studios monitor and manage supplies efficiently.

Automated Invoicing and Billing

• Simplifies financial operations, reducing errors and freeing up time for creative tasks.

Results and Impact

The implementation of STUDIOAPP led to transformative results:

• Efficiency Gains: Reduced consent form signing time from 15 minutes to 2 minutes, saving significant time for studios and clients.

• Daily Adoption: The app now manages over 250 consent signatures daily across its user base.

• Widespread Use: Over 80 tattoo studios and 600 artists in Spain actively use the app to streamline their operations.

• Revenue Growth: Achieved $20,000 Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in the first year.

• Enhanced Client Experience: Multilingual support and automated reminders increased customer satisfaction and retention.

Key Learnings and Collaboration

The success of STUDIOAPP highlights the importance of understanding user needs, designing with empathy, and fostering collaboration.

• Empathy in Design: The team prioritized features that addressed real pain points, ensuring a meaningful impact on studio operations.

• Continuous Discovery: Feedback loops with users allowed the team to refine and expand features post-launch.

• Team Synergy: Axel, Pau, and Manu leveraged their shared experience from Gamestry, combining technical expertise and a customer-first mindset to deliver a powerful solution.

Looking Ahead

STUDIOAPP is set to expand its user base further across Spain and explore additional features to enhance efficiency and user satisfaction. The team envisions helping even more studios transition into the digital age, transforming how tattoo and piercing studios operate.