Art Compass

Real-time map showing active street performers in your area using geolocation.
Main landing page for discovering, following, and searching live street performers.
Users can browse artists by category and view currently featured performers nearby.
Digital tipping system that helps artists earn more — even when spectators don’t carry cash.
Spanish homepage version to highlight localization and bilingual accessibility.

Inspiration

We were inspired by the magical feeling of walking through a city and suddenly encountering a brilliant live performance — a violinist in a plaza, a dancer on a corner, a puppet show by the river. But these moments are often missed, and the artists behind them remain invisible outside their physical presence.

On the other side, street artists struggle to build long-term connections, reach wider audiences, or receive support beyond small cash tips. ArtCompass was born from the idea of giving street artists digital tools to be found, followed, and fairly supported — and giving audiences a way to never miss those spontaneous cultural gems.

What it does

ArtCompass is a mobile app that connects street performers and audiences in real time:

Artists can go live and share their current location on a map.
Viewers can see live performances nearby, filter by type (music, dance, theater, etc.), and navigate to the artist.
Each artist has a public profile with bio, photos, and the ability to receive digital tips.
Users can follow artists and get notified when they go live again.

It turns cities into open-air stages — and phones into cultural compasses.

How we built it

We built ArtCompass using the Bolt no-code platform, combining:

User management for two roles: artists and spectators
Real-time location sharing blocks
Interactive maps and category filters
A follow system and basic tipping integration
Interface design using 21st.dev

This combination allowed a non-technical creator to develop a functional and visually engaging prototype in a short time.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge was designing a complete location-based experience without writing code. Learning to use Bolt’s tools creatively and connecting features like maps, roles, and interactions required research and experimentation.

Another challenge was thinking from both perspectives — the artist and the viewer — to make the experience fluid and rewarding for both.

Finally, integrating the visual and emotional tone of a cultural platform into a practical, intuitive interface took several iterations and feedback sessions.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Created a full mobile prototype in a no-code environment.
Designed artist-first features like digital tipping and live presence.
Successfully localized the app for multiple languages.
Developed a complete pitch deck and video for presentation.
Built an idea that blends culture, tech, and community.

What we learned

That no-code tools like Bolt truly empower creators from non-technical backgrounds.
That street performers and independent artists are underserved digitally.
That location + culture + connection = powerful potential for real-world impact.
That listening to artists' needs was key to shaping the right UX.