ROLE

This was an explorative solo project, ideating interaction design solutions based on the context, problem & constraints.

DURATION

1 week

SKILLS / TOOLS

Sketching, Storyboarding, High-Fidelity mockups, Figma for prototyping & testing

THE PROBLEM

Users find it overwhelming to learn more about an artwork or artist when visiting Museums. I set out to understand how a better experience could be crafted for the user as they toured a Museum.

SOLUTION

I wanted to make sure that the app was not taking away from physically being in the Museum, but is aimed at enhancing their experience when visiting a Museum. So, I designed a self-led tour of artworks for the user, by using a simple interaction pattern, guiding them through their Museum visit.

PROCESS

I ran a one-week modified Google Ventures’ Design Sprint based on the design thinking methodology, which includes 5 stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

USER PROFILE

Angela, an Art Explorer, likes to visit Museums by themselves, every couple of months to browse the work that is showcased.

WANTS / NEEDS

• Wants to know more about the artist and work

• Wants quick information while looking at art, to make most out of their visit

PAIN POINTS

• To learn more, they look at articles online or books, but find the information too long and detailed

LIGHTNING DEMOS

• Headspace - Using a set itinerary sequence, featured lists

• Google Art & Culture - Interactive visual art exploration, Information displayed as small chunks

• Google Maps AR, Dent Reality (AR Grocery shopping) - Interactive Directions within space

• TikTok, other social media apps - Vertical Scrolling

CRAZY 8s

Inspired by Headspace, TikTok, and Google Arts and Crafts, I sketched 8 options for the primary interaction sequence - “User is provided with a tour sequence to start the tour”.

Vertical scrolling is becoming increasingly popular on many social media platforms, so I decided to test if that interaction pattern would be a good match for a self-guided art tour as both are image-heavy content with the taste of some audio. A Headspace-style landing page leading the user to multiple pages of artwork with a vertical scrolling interaction was decided as the way to move forward for this Sprint.

STORYBOARDING

Storyboarding through the user’s journey, the user’s first interaction with the app is through the museum’s information brochure that the user picks up at the Museum entrance or info desk. Having seen a QR code on the back for an app that provides the user Tours of the galleries, the user decides to try it out. 

The QR code is scanned by the user, leading them to a web app for the Museum. The landing page shows a few “Featured Tours”. The User picks a tour that interests them and is taken to a page with a sequence of artworks the tour covers. The user taps on “Start Tour” and goes through the overview of the artworks, and views the map that shows where the artworks are located in the museum. Either reading through the vertical scrolls or listening to the read-aloud option, the user interacts with the app by scrolling vertically. On reaching the end of the first art, the user clicks “Next” to view the next art. The user repeats the process, occasionally viewing the map when they need to locate the next artwork and reached the end of the tour. On clicking “Finish the Tour”, the user is taken back to the Overview page with a list of other Tours to view.

HIGH-FIDELITY MOCKUP

The task completion flow was mocked up for user-testing and validating. The color scheme is kept minimal & dark to highlight the colors of the artwork itself.

ASPECTS THAT WORKED WELL

• The user appreciated being shown the sequence of artworks before beginning the tour, giving them context and setting expectations.

• The color palette and the hierarchy of images to text - Users commended that the art piece was the highlight, and the text was just the right length to read.

• The guided tour element of the app was easy to navigate and provided the user with just enough information about the artworks, also giving them the ability to skip any if required.

ASPECTS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT

• 1/5 users thought that the vertical scroll was not intuitive, perhaps due to the lack of an indicator that asks to scroll the page.

• 3/5 users felt as if the end of the tour was very abrupt and did not give them other options to continue experiencing the Museum.  This could be solved by adding a modal when the user finishes the tour, asking them to rate & bookmark the tour, and in addition, giving them a call to action to view other tours available at the Museum.

• 3/5 users could not relate that they were touring the “Van Gogh Museum” which was a specific museum in Amsterdam, and thought it was a generic website with Museum tours. Improving the home page and adding/revising the copy as it relates to the Van Gogh Museum could set a better context about the usage of the app.

• The map feature of the app could be better integrated into the tour itself as users thought that it did not help them move about the Museum and find the next artwork.