GalleryPal
About GalleryPal
GalleryPal is an app that elevates the art-viewing experience in museums and galleries. It offers deep insights into artworks' background and technique, empowering visitors to engage more profoundly and form unique perspectives. This project was executed using a modified Google Ventures design sprint, based on a prompt from BitesizeUX.
Due to the modified design sprint format, this project had to be completed in just five days. I began with a provided scenario, constraints, and objectives. The prompt also supplied user research, personas, and user interview data. The project's main aim was to enhance the in-person viewing experience, with the solution tailored for a mobile app or a mobile-optimized website.
Day 1: Map
Understand the problem:
Museum and gallery visitors often find themselves seeking a deeper connection and understanding of the artworks they encounter. While some attempt to research beforehand, the vast information available online is frequently seen as excessive and overwhelming. There's a marked curiosity about the artwork's background, the artist's story, the context, and the techniques employed.
Interviews with museum guides confirm these insights. They often encounter two main types of visitors: those who come without prior knowledge of the art and those who've done some preliminary research. However, a common theme emerges - most visitors lack a comprehensive understanding of the art and the artists. This gap in knowledge prevents them from fully immersing in the art experience and forming their own unique perspectives, indicating a need for a more concise, engaging, and insightful approach to presenting art information.
After understanding the problem, I created three potential end-to-end user experience maps.
Day 2: Sketch
Lightening Demo
I conducted a lightning demo to review products that address similar problems for inspiration. I examined major gallery and cultural art apps, including MET, Bloomberg Connects, Art Institute, NationalGallery, and Smartify. Several of these apps feature an option to input a number or scan a specific artwork to access audio guides and additional information. I found that such screens effectively offer a convenient way for users to learn more about the artwork and its artist, thereby enhancing the visitors' comprehension of the art.
Critical screen
Next, I revisited the map from Day 1 to pinpoint the most crucial step for my users. The most vital step identified was listening to the audio and accessing supplementary details about the artist and artwork.
Crazy 8 Exercise
Building on the identified crucial step, I employed the Crazy 8 exercise, a rapid ideation technique designed to foster divergent thinking. In a short span of just 8 minutes, I sketched out 8 distinct design concepts for the most critical screen. This method proved invaluable, not only did it push me to think outside the box and move beyond my preliminary ideas, but it also provided a plethora of options. After carefully evaluating each of the eight design concepts, I pinpointed the one that, in my assessment, offered the most effective solution for this essential screen.
Three-panel Board
After identifying the most effective solution for the pivotal screen, I sketched two additional screens to complement it. The first is the home page, where users can tap the audio button in the navigation bar to delve into details about a specific artwork. This action takes them to the second screen, where they have the option to scan a QR code found on the artwork's accompanying label. Upon a successful scan, users can listen to an audio guide detailing the artwork. Additionally, they can access information about the artist, delve into the techniques used, and explore other works by the same artist.
Day 3: Decide
Storyboarding
Drawing from my three-panel board, I crafted a storyboard that sequentially represents a user's journey. While constructing this, I anchored my approach on three key principles:
The design must amplify the user's gallery viewing experience, fostering a deeper bond with the artwork.
The user journey should be intuitive and efficient.
Information about the artwork should be comprehensive, ensuring it's readily accessible and understandable, even to users unfamiliar with the art or those who haven't conducted prior research.
Day 4: Prototype
First, I developed a wireframe sequence to illustrate the user's journey across various screens. The flow encompasses six key screens (or steps):
Sign in/Sign up.
Account creation.
Language selection.
Homepage (accessing via the 'audio' button in the navigation bar)
QR code scanning from the artwork's label.
Accessing the audio description of the artwork, complemented by additional information about the artist and the piece itself
Next, I transitioned to crafting high-fidelity screens rooted in the wireframes. I chose purple as the primary color for the design, not just for its rich artistic undertones, but also because it resonates deeply with the realm of art and creativity. Historically, purple has been associated with royalty, mystery, and imagination. In the context of a museum, where visitors are often looking to be inspired and transported to different worlds and eras through art, purple can set the mood, offering a backdrop that encourages contemplation and appreciation. It's a hue that not only enhances the visual appeal but also complements the deeper mission of a museum—to inspire and educate.
Clickable Prototype
Day 5: Testing
On Day 5 of the sprint, I conducted usability testing for GalleryPal, evaluating the design flow and gathering impressions of the primary screens, along with feedback for enhancements. All five participants had either an interest in museum visits or past experience with museum and gallery excursions. Their primary task was straightforward: use GalleryPal to listen to an artwork's description and access supplementary information while viewing a piece at the museum.
Testing Summary:
All participants successfully completed their tasks.
All participants found the design to be straightforward and easy to use.
Participants particularly liked the main screen, which allows them to listen to descriptions and access transcripts and additional information.
All participants agreed that using the product would enhance their understanding and foster a deeper connection with the art.
Things to Improve:
A suggestion was made to change the "audio" button on the homepage to "lookup" as it might better convey the idea of learning more about the artwork.
On the final screen, where users access insights about the artwork, it would be beneficial to include details such as the date, era, and dimensions directly below the title and artist's name.