Art Gallery App

Art Gallery features new and upcoming artists from around the world.

It offers artists a platform to showcase their work.

SUMMARY

ROLE

Sole UX designer from conception to delivery.

PROBLEM

Because of the pandemic, art galleries remained closed for several months and when they opened again, they needed to implement safety protocols and limit the amount of visitors. Today, people need to make a reservation before going to an art gallery, therefore they want to preview an exhibit beforehand.

PROCESS

The research started with an online survey and continued with several user interviews.

Results showed that users are more likely to book a visit after they can preview what’s featured and learn more about the pieces and the artists.

SOLUTION

Having a virtual tour app helps art galleries reach people from all over the world and help artists reach a wider audience, too.

OUTCOME

The impact of the art app is that it helps users connect with new artists and give them an easy option to check new art out. It also gives artists the chance to reach a newer audience. People can now enjoy the art gallery experience anytime, anywhere.

Role

Sole UX designer from conception to delivery.

My responsibilities were conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, designing the UI and iterating on designs.

Project duration

April – August 2021

Problem

After conducting user interviews, I learned some of the issues people have when visiting an art gallery.

Old fashioned tours

People like to go to art galleries, but they do not like the tour guides. They want to have a more interactive experience and learn new and interesting facts about the pieces and the artists.

The pandemic

Because of the pandemic, art galleries remained closed for several months and when they opened again, they needed to implement safety protocols and limit the amount of visitors. The only way to visit art galleries during the restrictions was online.

Curiosity

Today, people need to make a reservation before going to an art gallery, therefore they want to preview an exhibit beforehand. People want to live the experience before actually going there.

I also learned that people want the process of booking a visit to be simple and straightforward.
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Process

The research started with an online survey and continued with several virtual user interviews. The user group initially confirmed assumptions about the gallery’s customers, but research also revealed that flexibility was not the only factor limiting users to visit an art exhibit.

On this first stage of the research users agreed that they would like to peek at art galleries before actually going there or booking a ticket. Early results showed that users are more likely to book a visit after they can preview what’s featured and learn more about the pieces and the artists.

Other user’s problems included small reading signs, crowded and noisy spaces, accessibility for wheelchairs and in-line waiting time when visiting a gallery in person.

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I personally thought that users would like to open a user account to access the app, but the research proved me wrong. People prefer to book a visit and get an email instead of having to use the app to retrieve a booking.

Solution

Having a virtual tour app helps art galleries reach people from all over the world and help artists reach a wider audience too.

Users can have a digital experience of what the exhibit looks like and learn more about the featured artist.

They can also book a visit at any point and the booking process is very simple.

The app acts also as a companion when people physically visit the gallery. Having an audio feature and the ability to enlarge text solves the problem of users that can’t read small plaques.

Some feedback from users

Outcome

The impact of the art app is that it helps users connect with new artists and give them an easy option to check new art out. It also gives artists the chance to reach a newer audience. People can now enjoy the art gallery experience anytime, anywhere.

While designing the art gallery app, I learned that people love to see art and they are willing to try new ways to enjoy it. Art not only lives in museums, and art galleries make art accessible to everyone, and help artists showcase themselves. Having an app also helps art businesses reach an international audience.