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Scope
A mobile app to enhance pre-, during-, and post-gallery-visit experiences by offering interactive, personalized ways to engage with artwork and make the most of limited time in a gallery.
Methods
User research
User journey map
Competitive audit
Storyboarding
Wireframing
Usability studies
Prototyping
Accessibility considerations
Tools and Software
Figma
My Role and Responsibilities
As the UX designer for this indiviudal project, I was responsible for all research and design tasks, re-designing the GroupMe app from conception to delivery.
Duration
8 weeks: May 2022 - June 2022
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Overview
This is my second UX design project since I started my journey with the Google UX Design Professional Certification program. The assignment was to design a new mobile app using UX research and design process.
My goal for this project was to design an app that provides a more immersive experience by providing interactive, personalized ways for people to engage with contextual information related to the artwork they’re looking at.
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Problem
User research showed that individuals who are busy or short on time will often find it hard to make the most of their time at a gallery, as they might often be moving back and forth between places, thinking about what the art means, and just trying to appreciate the artwork.
User Journey Map
To further illustrate this dynamic, I created a user journey map that provides a look at where and when the pain points I identified earlier might arise during a visit.To tackle these areas of frustration, I also began brainstorming opportunities for improvement.
User Research
User interviews and empathy maps helped to generate a better understanding of who my users are, what problems they face, and how their needs can potentially be met. Specifically, my primary user group includes students and working adults who do not have the time to fully engage with artwork when they are visiting an art gallery.
Personifying the points into a user persona helped me to empathize with user frustrations on a deeper level by seeing how they might realistically interact. Hence, meet Rune:
Competitive Audit
I analyzed both direct and indirect competitors to see how existing apps approached similar problems. An in-depth competitive audit report can be viewed here.
As a whole:
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Common features included interactive features (e.g., AR tours), a saves section for users to come back to favorite pieces or accounts, and recommendations (which each competitor packaged so it highlighted their unique positions in the market).
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Some opportunities I considered from this research included clarity of content organization, as well as a more personalized experience (e.g., more features to engage with the saves section or even a new section to keep up with planned events and upcoming events from favorite accounts), improved search filters, and condensed information.
Low-Fi Wireframes
Following laying out the general sequence of interactions, I began brainstorming different versions of individual app screens. In the paper's low-fidelity wireframe example shown below, the home screen emphasizes easy searching and planning to give users quick access to information they need or want to explore.
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Stars were used to mark the elements of each sketch that would be used in the initial digital wireframes.
Med-Fi Wireframes
From creating my first couple of digital med-fidelity wireframes, more sets of iterations ensued to imagine a full user flow. Eventually, I was approaching the first round of usability studies, and the app was really beginning to take shape as I connected the wireframes to get a feel for how the interactions and features would play out.
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Storyboards
To further illustrate how I imagined my potential solution would play out if used in the same scenario in the user journey, I created a set of storyboards. The big picture (top) storyboard shows how the user would use my app to interact with the artwork in the main part of the user journey (during the visit), while the close-up storyboard (bottom) shows the specific interactions the user would go through on the mobile device during the gallery visit.
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Usability Studies + Refinements + Hi-Fi Wireframes
Two rounds of usability studies were conducted in the course of the project. Findings from the first study helped guide the designs from wireframes to mockups. Afterward, I began fine-tuning the visual aspects in high-fidelity mockups. The second study used a high-fidelity prototype and revealed what aspects of the mockups needed refining.
Throughout the design process, I referred back to the analyses from the user research and usability studies in order to guide my design.
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Final Prototype
The final high-fidelity prototype presented more efficient and accessible information searching and display methods. It also meets user needs for planning gallery visits and is a place for future reference of artwork information.
Used alternative motions so users can access features in different ways.
Used icons to facilitate navigation by enhancing recognizability of app menu and action items.
Included imagery to help users better understand artwork, artist, gallery content and promote decision-making.
Accessibility Considerations
The current high-fidelity prototype also includes accessibility considerations that enable the app to be efficiently utilized for and enjoyed by a wider audience. These were implemented as part of the design, and include alternative motions, dark and light theme options, as well as visual approaches to displaying information.
Takeaways
The app has transformed how users engage with and learn about artwork, artists, and galleries, providing an intuitive and educational experience. User feedback highlights the app's ability to present information in a way that enhances understanding and appreciation of art and also suggested next steps to further improve user experience.
Impact
The app provided an interactive and efficient means for users to learn more about artwork, artists, and galleries.
One quote from user feedback: “I know what’s next and the story behind what I’m looking at. This app would be perfect for lazy people like me.”
What I Learned
This was my first experience with designing an app from scratch. I learned that balancing variety, consistency, and a well-defined experience is immensely crucial in tying an engaging and smooth user flow into a fulfilling user experience.
Some next steps I would consider include conducting another round of usability studies to validate whether the pain points users experienced have been effectively addressed, as well as to strengthen the brand of the app (i.e., strengthening features & content design) to increase engagement.