The Nasjonalmuseet Audio Tour App is a concept project built to explore different ways in which a renowned art institution could connect with their visitors and give them a way to share beyond the walls of the museum.
Starting the Project
Project Goal
Create an audio tour app that brings the best of audio tour, A/R capabilities, and social sharing to the museum’s exhibits. The app will serve as an access point for the museum’s collection, historical information as well as a resource for museum amenities.
Target Audience
Nasjonalmuseet is a highly-regarded, international art museum located in Oslo, Norway. As such, they see a wide range of visitors from international visitors to local school-age groups. Because of this, the target audience for this app is Male/Female, age 13-75.
My Role
My role is as the lead Researcher & Experience Designer. My responsibilities included competitive research, wireframing, ideation, design system development, prototyping, testing & final design.
Key Challenges
The audio tour space is populated with sophisticated, modern competitors who offer a wide range of out-of-the-box and custom options for their clients. The biggest challenge in developing the app was to create something that did not feel like it was purchased and used by the museum but was developed specifically to reflect the values of the museum and the integrity of their collection.
Research & Ideation
Research Study Details
Competitive research and first-hand research were the main methods used to help build an understanding of what an audio tour app like the Nasjonalmuseet app needed to achieve. I found the competitive research helpful in that it helped identify areas where other companies had found success but more importantly it identified where there was room for improvement or opportunities to build on features that would make Nasjonalmuseet’s app feel unique.
Initial Design Concepts
Crazy 8’s proved helpful in imagining the various ways in which a visitor could interact with the app.
A challenging aspect of the development of the app is understanding the myriad of ways in which a user might interact with the app itself or the features within. In other words - I wanted to be sure I was answering questions like “Are we encouraging museum visitors to use the app?” and “Does the app bring another level of experience to the physical experience the visitor is having?”
I found the best way to tackle these questions and put myself in the visitors shoes was to do several rounds of Crazy 8’s. I focused on different experiences in the museum and looked for opportunities in which the app would be helpful or would be accessed.
Wireframes started in my notebook where I felt like I could more quickly iterate on my ideas.
After completing my research and ideation, it was time to turn those ideas into wireframes. I found this step quickly tested the viability of different concepts by making practical challenges apparent.
Wireframes
My favorite part of the development journey was undoubtedly the wireframing process. After researching and building solid user personas I felt that my job as a designer had fundamentally shifted to that of someone who is seeing beyond the visual design of a product and instead stares directly into the heart of the functionality. See a full lo-fi prototype of the app here.
User Testing
My user testing was ultimately positive and helped me identify key insights surrounding some of my key app features like augmented reality and social sharing. See the full research report here.
Hi-Fidelity Prototype & the Final Design
Hi-Fidelity Prototype
After several rounds of user testing it was clear that more emphasis needed to be placed on feature education and making the sharing component of tours more easily accessible/understood. The hi-fidelity prototype represents the culmination of user research, testing and visual design development.
Visual Identity
Nasjonalmuseet has one of the most expressive, colorful and impactful brand identities that I have ever seen. It was essential to me that I did not merely copy that branding but take it in a direction that felt recognizable but new for the app experience.
Design System Assets
Imagine an art gallery wall. Imagine the heavy frame surrounding an artwork. Imagine the swirling colors of a Munch. What lead you into this beautiful piece?
Our experience of walking through an art gallery and taking in the artworks that surround us is largely guided by contrasts. Gallery walls are not painted to distract but to draw your attention to the details on those walls - the artworks. This same methodology of contrasts was the jumping-off point for the Nasjonalmuseet audio tour app design system. As you explore the hi-fidelity prototype you will feel as if you were experiencing an exhibit at the museum - clearly marked action points, bright color where it matters to the experience and clear descriptive text.
Conclusion & Next Steps
The Nasjonalmuseet audio tour app aims to bring industry-first A/R + social sharing features to hands of museum visitors. These features in addition to accessibility features and inclusivity through age-specific tours sets the Nasjonalmuseet at the top of the list of influential art establishment.
Through the course of this project I learned time and time again that while my own designer intuition may lead me in a direction that feels solid, it is user feedback that ultimately leads to a useful and exciting product.
Next Steps
1.
In order to truly feel like this project has reached a point of completion I would like to consult with A/R designers to discuss creating a mockup of that experience for this user flow.
2.
I would like to continue my usability studies to understand travelers who visit museums which aren’t in their home cities. What do they look for? What do they have time for? How can an app like this one help make the most of their time?
3.
Lastly, I would like to present the app and the ideas within the design to the head of exhibits at the Nasjonalmuseet. I believe this kind of tool is something that would fit with the museums goals of sharing access to their collection.