GalleryPal Logo

Reimagining the Art Experience: Crafting Personalized Museum Journeys with GalleryPal

Project Details
Museum and art gallery visitors can feel like they aren’t making the most out of their experience due to a lack of knowledge about the artists and works on display. Google searches, books, or online articles are often too detailed, making them overwhelming and time consuming for an in-person visit. GalleryPal addresses this issue with a mobile app that enhances the visitor’s experience through a streamlined feature set, allowing them to focus on the art and enjoy their visit more fully without distraction.

Roles and Responsibilities
This project was assigned to me in the context of Google Ventures-style Design Sprint, modified to be a solo endeavor. Working within the scope of a brief for “GalleryPal”, I was responsible for synthesizing user research, creating the design concept, and testing the app with users, all in the span of 5 days.

Tools
Figma, Photoshop, Moleskine

Demo/Prototype
Live Prototype

Duration
5 Day Sprint

Role
Product Designer, UI/UX Designer

The Design Sprint

The process began with comprehensive secondary research and a literature review to understand the current landscape of mood tracking apps. This research identified key challenges users face, such as inconsistent engagement, privacy concerns, and usability issues. I also explored features that users find beneficial, including personalized feedback, easy data entry, and integration with other health tools.

Understanding the Audience

To better understand the needs and motivations of our users, I utilized a persona. Based on preliminary research provided by GalleryPal, the characterization of Angela, a 23 year old Junior Art Director living in NYC, served as a starting point for understanding users’ experiences, goals, and frustrations going into the project.

Persona brainstorming in my moleskine sketchbook

Persona: 

Angela

23 years old
Junior Art Director

New York, NY

Frustrations: 

Enjoys her visits, but feels like if she knew a bit more, she’d have a better experience. Has tried to read some books and articles, but loses interest due to how long/ in-depth they can be.

Goals: 

Angela wants to get quick info while looking at the art that will give her a better appreciation for it, and make her feel she is making the most of her visit.

Mapping
To grasp the potential process for a user, I outlined a step-by-step map of the user experience to guide my research.

Sketching out step-by-step maps of the user experience

Research and interview notes

These first steps into understanding the problem space were guided by extensive notes on GalleryPal’s preliminary research, including interviews with gallery patrons, as well as an expert interview with Lena Carroll, tour guide at the National Museum of History in NYC.

Finding our Muse:
Inspiration & Ideation

Lightning Demos

On Day 2, I used Lightning Demos to gather inspiration and identify effective design patterns. By exploring successful apps and tools, I was able to:

  1. Identify Best Practices: Understand what works well in similar contexts.

  2. Generate Ideas: Spark creativity and integrate valuable concepts into my project.

  3. Validate Concepts: Gain confidence in the feasibility and potential success of my ideas.

The “O” (App for MONA)

The “O” - App for The Museum of Old and New Art 


  • Provides info about nearby artworks @MONA

  • Uses Bluetooth + GPS to display artworks physically closest to the guest

  • Also serves as a guide to the museum, available dining & facilities, etc. 

  • Nice UI/aesthetic and feels very modern & classy

Bloomberg Connects - The Metropolitan Museum of Art 


  • A digital guide for exploring collection highlights & associated audio during your visit, 
or from anywhere. 

  • Includes interactive map

  • “Lookup” includes the ability to scan a QR code or enter a # to look up an object

  • Has features section + 100 Audio Guide highlights for major works

Bloomberg Connects

Tourblink

Tourblink - (MET Guide & Tours) 


  • Acts as a guided tour the the museum

  • Offers “itineraries” which focus on specialized pathways through exhibits or sites

  • Provides audio narration for “Monuments” section, a selected group of featured works (this is AI and not particularly attractive sounding)

  • Offers tickets for various other sites in city

Rapid Ideation Session
To ensure users have a smooth and engaging introduction to GalleryPal, I focused on designing the initial screen they encounter after scanning an artwork. The aim was to provide immediate, concise information without overwhelming users or disrupting their experience. 

Using the Crazy 8s technique, I rapidly brainstormed and visualized multiple design ideas, setting a timer for 8 minutes to quickly sketch 8 possible screens. This method allowed me to quickly generate a range of ideas, helping to identify the most effective features for delivering relevant details in an intuitive and user-friendly manner.

“Crazy 8’s” – exploring quick info, audio guides, and itineraries

Solution sketch – honing fundamental features

Visualizing the Concept
The chosen solution presents users with a streamlined overview page of the artwork they are viewing. This page offers options to explore further via an audio guide when available, or to navigate through branching screens for more information on the artist, genre, and techniques. Additionally, a feature called ‘perspectives’ acts like a virtual tour guide, offering philosophical insights, interesting anecdotes, history, or varied viewpoints on the artwork, encouraging users to form their own perspectives and leave with memorable experiences.

Other MVP features considered included a system of recommended thematic paths through the museum to help users maximize their time and enhance their overall experience. 

Decision Time:
Choosing the Winning Concept

Storyboarding
On Day 3 of the sprint, the focus shifted to visualizing how users would interact with GalleryPal when encountering an artwork they wanted to explore. Building on the ideas generated during the Crazy Eights exercise, the storyboard highlighted key moments, ensuring that the most essential screens for the MVP would guide users seamlessly through their experience.

Two versions of the storyboard were created: one capturing the overall user story and another refining the essential interactions, much like a simplified wireframe. This approach clarified the most important steps for users, ensuring the design would support intuitive exploration and allow for effective testing with real users at the end of the sprint.

A couple of photos from my home office of the initial storyboards used to visualize a timeline of the main user experience.

GalleryPal is an app designed around providing quick and digestible information to compliment an art lover’s experience as they make their way through a museum or exhibit, rather than something serving as a replacement - in other words, their visual focus should be free to stay on the artwork, rather than their screens, as much as possible. Because of this, priority was placed on features such an efficient scanning method to immediately bring up the object in front of them within the app, audio tracks to accompany the visitor (using ears, not eyes), and a quick info page with clear and easily parsed pertinent info about the works they are viewing, with options to bookmark the work’s page to explore more on their own if they wish.   

*Consideration was given to the idea of an AI-powered system that facilitates both audio recordings to accompany the works and the ability to field questions from guests, much like a tour guide would. This is something I’d love to pursue in a project working closely with a team of software developers. As this is a solo design sprint, however, I decided to focus on what was most crucial to the MVP, as well as realistically testable by Friday. 

From Concept to Reality: The Prototype

Time to build! 

On Day 4 of the sprint, the focus turned to prototyping. Inspired by philosophies from the GV Design Sprint approach, the goal was to create a quick yet realistic lo-fi prototype that could be tested with users within a day. This approach allowed for rapid iteration, ensuring any usability issues could be addressed efficiently before the final testing phase.

The screens shown below have been refined post-sprint to include a finalized logo and UI elements but maintain the original structure of the one-day prototype, demonstrating the effectiveness of this streamlined process.

Prototype Features:

Easy Scan System
The Easy Scan System allows users to quickly scan any artwork within the museum using their smartphone camera. Whether the future software implementation of this is based on QR Codes, plaque numbers, or AI-recognition, this feature provides instant access to detailed information about the piece, enhancing the visitor's experience with minimal effort.

Quick Info Page with Audio Features
The Quick Info Page presents easy-to-read, essential details about the scanned artwork, including its history, artist, medium and cultural significance. Should users want to explore further, it includes a “Perspectives” section which features provocative quotes related to the piece throughout its lifespan, including both criticisms & praise from a wide range of sources to encourage users to develop their personal opinions on the work, much like a tour guide would. Additionally, it includes audio guides that offer a more immersive and engaging way to learn about the exhibits.

GPS Mapping & Itineraries
In-app GPS mapping, coupled with an Itineraries feature, helps users navigate the museum effortlessly. More importantly, it allows users to experience the museum or gallery in a way that is tailored to their goals and interests. Strolling through on your lunch break but have an interest in Velásquez? How about a streamlined tour of 17th century Spanish Baroque painters using chiaroscuro in their works? Want to see everything the museum has to offer? Fire up a step-by-step guided tour which can be paused and resumed across multiple day visits.

Real-World Testing: Insights and Discoveries

Usability Testing
On Day 5, I conducted five usability tests with participants, four of which were remote, and one in-person. Participants were selected based on their interest in art and their experience visiting museums or galleries. The testing sessions followed the 5-Act Interview process to gather authentic insights into how users interacted with the prototype, and I was thrilled to get some real-time insights on the effectiveness of my designs.

Testers were tasked with scanning an artwork and navigating the museum using the app, focusing on John Singer Sargent’s Madame X. The sessions provided valuable feedback, revealing areas for refinement and confirming the effectiveness of the core design concepts.

Key Findings from User Interviews

  1. Audio Feature Confusion:
    Users expressed uncertainty about the “play” button, unsure if it would play a video or what type of audio would start. To resolve this, the final design separated the audio section from the main artwork image for clarity.

  2. GP Logo Uncertainty:
    The original logo led to confusion, with some users mistaking it for a shopping bag icon. In response, a new logo incorporating the “GalleryPal” text was developed to clearly represent the brand’s identity.

  3. Mixed Audio Guide Feedback:
    Feedback varied on the audio guides; one user disliked the fixed timeline, while another appreciated the ability to listen while focusing on the artwork. Future iterations could include a playback system offering more control and flexibility for users.

  4. Numbering System Uncertainty:
    Users were unsure whether the numbers referred to artwork identifiers or itinerary steps. Although the “Itineraries” section was not included in this MVP version, it will be a priority for further development to provide clear navigation cues.

  5. Positive Feedback:
    Users found the app easy to navigate, with straightforward features for scanning, accessing information, and using the map.

Conclusion: Insights and Growth

Lessons from the Design Sprint for GalleryPal

  1. Envision the End Goal:
    Establishing a clear vision of the desired outcome set the stage for a focused design process aimed at creating a better experience for museum and gallery visitors. This clarity provided direction and ensured cohesion throughout the sprint.

  2. Validate Assumptions Through Testing:
    The sprint’s rapid prototyping and testing phases offered crucial insights into user behaviors, preferences, and challenges. Involving users early on helped validate assumptions and refine the design based on real needs, demonstrating the value of quick, iterative testing.

  3. Clarify Iconography and Labels:
    User confusion around certain icons and labels highlighted the importance of clear, recognizable design elements. The sprint’s iterative approach allowed for quick adjustments, emphasizing the need for thorough testing to achieve a truly user-friendly interface.

The design sprint for GalleryPal was a transformative experience that highlighted the power of a rapid, user-centered approach in developing and validating ideas. The sprint’s structure allowed me to quickly bring concepts to life and test them directly with users, uncovering essential insights about their behaviors and preferences. By the end of the sprint, I had developed an initial prototype that not only addressed the core goal—delivering a seamless and informative experience for museum and gallery visitors—but also revealed key opportunities for improvement, such as refining iconography and ensuring clarity in navigation.

One of the measurable achievements was the positive user feedback on the ease of navigating and accessing information within the app, confirming that the design direction was on target. However, areas like audio playback control and logo clarity presented new challenges, emphasizing the importance of iteration and refinement based on real-world user input.

On a personal level, I found the sprint methodology both refreshing and energizing. It reinforced the value of fast, low-risk prototyping and gave me a new appreciation for agile, iterative design processes. This experience has expanded my skill set, and I’m eager to apply these learnings in future lean UX and agile projects to quickly test and evolve user-centered solutions.

Thank you for reading my case study! ☺️ Would you like to get in touch? 👉

kevinscottdavis.gw@gmail.com

Kevin Scott Davis, Product Designer

Kevin Scott Davis, Product Designer