Digitizing legal waivers saves forests' worth of trees — especially in the USA, where people sue each other for fun and pleasure. When tech prevents legal problems, people might relax and break less…everything.
-Conan Lea, Tattoo Artist and maker of TRF and PRF apps.
Efficiency Snobs for a Calmer Humanity
Founder and tattooer Conan Lea blends engineering and artistry to eliminate the stress and red tape of paper waiver processes. Conan loves challenging ‘standards’ with oblique yet pretty and straightforward solutions for human workflow. Conan and his team launched TRF app back in 2013 to a tattoo industry still skeptical of the newfangled iPad.
Conan invited his brother, tattoo artist Brandon Lea, to the front to help our customers feel amazing, one of Brandon’s superpowers. He braved the role of our first social media agent, taught himself the game, and rode the wave, keeping us afloat as social media became…the world.
Conan and Brandon took TRF to tattoo conventions across the USA and asked artists and studio owners what they wanted from the app. The feedback was enormous and positive, which began the product feedback cycle we still build on today: ask the artists, update the app, repeat. Indeed, TRF app is made by tattooers for tattooers.
Klejdi Hoxha builds the engine that powers the new TRF. He’s a severely determined developer who lives by a self-chosen code of honor and discipline that would’ve impressed the Samurai. He created the complete recoding of the TRF and PRF apps, and we’d have no app without him. #gratitude
Erin Wynn came along and took the helm of social media, realizing that Brandon needed help building and maintaining our society of international TRF artists. She excels at bringing us together, which you’ll see if you follow @VolutaTattoo, @TattooReleaseFormsApp, or @PiercingReleaseFormsApp. None better!
Mollie Beets came to us the hard way: collecting a sleeve tattoo from Conan. She’s sharp and tough as nails, with a keen female intelligence that nearly sees through walls. She brings her tech-industry skills and savvy to the team, wisdom earned from living and surviving a career in the tech space.
Conan asked UX/UI designer Stefano Okti to unleash his skills on our product. He modernized TRF's interface and fluidity, lending his sense of minimalism and elegance to the app and elevating it from a mere tool to a pleasant experience.
We then asked renowned UX/UI designer Marko Bijelic to consider the final design and assembly of TRF app, where pretty screens become code. TRICKY BUSINESS. Lucky for us, he was interested! Considering his human-machine interface designs for Apple, Google, and Zoom, we knew we could trust him with our wee project. He refined and wove Stefano’s designs and Conan’s understanding of tattoo client, artist, and studio owner needs into TRF App Version 3.0. Marko’s skills are FIRE.
Gabe Ripley of TattooNOW builds and powers our website. Conan met Gabe in 2000 while attending Guy Aitchison's 'Reinventing the Tattoo' seminar at the Detroit Tattoo Convention. Gabe pioneered digital technology for the tattoo industry by building the first custom studio websites and touchscreen kiosks in the late 1990s. He founded his company, TattooNOW, a comprehensive web design, CRM, and booking platform that currently powers the operations of over 1,000 studios and artists globally. Beyond software, Ripley hosts global business seminars, is hired to help produce international tattoo conventions, and builds the Guy's tattooer educational network, Reinventing the Tattoo.
The Mothership: Voluta Tattoo Studio
Tattoo Release Forms App was born at Voluta Tattoo Studio in Indianapolis, USA. Voluta enjoys a fine reputation since 2006 for inclusive, all-custom tattooing for intelligent collectors. Those collectors became our friends, and those friends lifted Voluta, spreading the message to like-minded collectors throughout the Midwest. With thousands of clients ribboned together by miles of tattoo coverage over the years, Voluta is indeed a living tapestry.
Are you a tattoo artist ready to self-manage and elevate your career? If you’re a kind, hard-working, never-screw-your-client-or-studio sort of tattooer, please consider stopping by Voluta when you are passing through Indy, or send Conan a message here. We enjoy a rolling list of fantastic guest tattooers, and we’d love to blend our skills and good vibes with you.