June 2025 - July 2025
MOBILE APP PROJECT
THE ART MUSEUM
Helping art museums reach and retain a wider audience.
As my first UX / UI project, I played a part in every step of this fictional scenario, from user research to prototyping.
OVERVIEW
Currently, patrons of an art museum have significant difficulty planning their visits. The Art Museum app will allow users to view and schedule activities based on their preferences and purchase tickets in advance. Patrons also have the option of being notified when new events or exhibits are announced.
This flexibility will allow the museum to put a cap if necessary on the number of visitors during a time period so that patrons are not turned away upon arrival due to overcrowding. Because events are advertised easily on mobile devices, this will also give the museum the opportunity to reach a larger audience.
THE CHALLENGE
Create an app for an art museum that provides information to patrons and allows patrons to view events and exhibits and schedule visits.
USER RESEARCH
MUSEUM SURVEY DATA
DEMOGRAPHICS
42% elderly
25% adults with children
15% young adults / students
10% adults w/o children
8% young adults / non-students
PAIN POINTS
- Cannot view events or schedule visits using a mobile device
- Events are too crowded / not able to schedule in advance
- Late or no notification of events
- Schedule conflicts / cannot filter events by preferences
PERSONAS
FRANK WEST
“I am always seeking ways to gain art knowledge, even in retirement.”
- Age: 67
- Education: Master’s
- Hometown: Suburbs
- Family: Married
- Occupation: Retired
FRUSTRATIONS
- Museum events tend to be too crowded with kids and strollers.
- Event details do not include handicap options or parking information.
- Difficulty viewing events on tablet.
GOALS
- Art events and exhibits that are mid-day.
- Finding other people of their age group and with similar interests in art to socialize with.
SUMMARY
They are a retired, elderly and educated adult confined to a wheelchair. While museums have been handicap accessible, those details are often not communicated prior, or at least not via email, and they spend a significant amount of time upon arrival discovering these details on their own. Also, events, if they even know about them in advance, are too crowded with kids, making it further difficult to navigate with a wheelchair.
CYNTHIA CHO
“If my kids are both entertained and educated during the day, I am one happy parent!”
- Age: 32
- Education: Bachelor's
- Hometown: Suburbs
- Family: Married, 2 kids
- Occupation: Stay-at-home-mom
FRUSTRATIONS
- Many museum events are too crowded, making it difficult to navigate with a stroller and keep an eye on their kids.
- They are notified late about events since the museum does not notify via text.
GOALS
- Events that are familyfriendly affordable, and mid-day so that kids can be entertained.
- Notification about new events on their phone since they do not have time to spend on a computer.
SUMMARY
They are a busy mom of two young kids, 2 and 3 years old. They are always looking for family-friendly activities during the day and find the additional educational component of museums attractive. However, most museums do not communicate events via phone notifications and many times the events are marketed to everyone. This results in events being overly crowded and difficult to navigate with a stroller. They have a harder time also managing the kids at these events since there are more distractions with the crowds.
KIMBERLY BURKE
“Events that are both fun and relevant to the arts are what my friends and I looking for.”
- Age: 22
- Education: Degree in progress
- Hometown: City
- Family: Single
- Occupation: Student
FRUSTRATIONS
- Museum events are often during their classes.
- They are a college student on a limited budget, and many events are too expensive.
- They are often not aware of events.
GOALS
- Evening and weekend museum events that are fun but also informative.
- Events that allow them to network with other young adults.
SUMMARY
They are a young adult currently in college studying fine arts. They are looking for fun, social events in an educational setting. They find the option of museums as ideal, especially art museums, but events are often not communicated well in advance via phone, if at all, and the events that they are aware of are not in evenings or on weekends. Therefore, they typically do not go to the museum.
JOURNEY MAPS
FRANK WEST
Find an activity.
Travel to museum.
Enter museum.
Attend museum event.
Return home.
TASK LIST
- Look at the museum’s website on tablet.
- Review each option.
- Select an activity.
- Get into car.
- Drive to museum.
- Find handicap parking.
- Get to museum entrance.
- Go to ticket counter.
- Pay for ticket.
- Review exhibits or attend event.
- Leave museum.
- Find car.
- Travel home.
FEELINGS
- I am confused by this website and unsure if the activity is suitable.
- I am excited and looking forward to the event but finding parking was stressful.
- I am annoyed! It is not clear where to go. But, I was relieved once I got to the ticket counter.
- I am frustrated. There are so many people. How am I supposed to navigate my wheelchair through this?
- I am a bit lost in the museum when trying to leave. But relieved when I found my way to my car.
IMPROVEMENTS
- Allow patrons to filter activities based on preferences.
- Provide a parking map to patrons with handicap information.
- Provide museum site map with clear directions on where to go upon arrival.
- Give patrons an option to purchase tickets in advance.
- Provide museum site map that clearly indicates where the front entrance and parking is.
CYNTHIA CHO
Find an activity.
Travel to museum.
Enter museum.
Attend museum event.
Return home.
TASK LIST
- Look at the museum’s website on phone.
- Review each option.
- Select an activity.
- Get kids ready and into car.
- Drive to museum.
- Find parking.
- Walk to museum entrance.
- Go to ticket counter.
- Pay for ticket.
- Review exhibits or attend event.
- Leave museum.
- Find car.
- Travel home.
FEELINGS
- I am stressed and annoyed about the time this is taking. I am unsure if the activity is suitable.
- I am looking forward to the event. But, I am a bit unsure of where to park upon arrival.
- Finally, we made it! But, I am unsure and annoyed - the entrance is so far away, and it looks crowded.
- The event was interesting, but it was too crowded to truly enjoy. I am happy but also annoyed.
- I am stressed and annoyed! I could not remember how to get to the parking area and so many people are leaving at the same time.
IMPROVEMENTS
- Allow patrons to filter activities based on preferences.
- Allow patrons to be notified of activities.
- Provide a parking map to patrons with handicap information.
- Provide museum site map with clear directions on where to go upon arrival.
- Give patrons an option to purchase tickets in advance.
- Provide museum site map that clearly indicates where the front entrance and parking is.
KIMBERLY BURKE
Find an activity.
Travel to museum.
Enter museum.
Attend museum event.
Return home.
TASK LIST
- Look at the museum’s website on phone.
- Review each option.
- Select an activity.
- Find bus route using phone.
- Walk to bus stop.
- Get on bus.
- Get off bus.
- Walk to museum entrance.
- Go to ticket counter.
- Pay for ticket.
- Review exhibits or attend event.
- Leave museum.
- Walk to bus stop.
- Wait for bus.
- Travel home.
FEELINGS
- I am annoyed – this is taking forever. I do not have time for this!
- Annoyed again – this is time consuming. I have to find the route then wait for the bus.
- I am relieved – finally made it! I am worried though about the cost of the ticket.
- I am happy – I found some similar people to talk to but the exhibits were too crowded.
- I am annoyed! I just missed the bus. Now I have to wait 30 minutes for the next one.
IMPROVEMENTS
- Allow patrons to filter activities based on preferences.
- Allow patrons to be notified of activities.
- Provide a bus route map to patrons with route information.
- Provide museum site map with clear directions on where to go upon arrival.
- Give patrons an option to purchase tickets in advance.
- Provide a bus route map to patrons with route information with pick-up location.
IDEA GENERATION
COMPETITIVE AUDIT
NAME
CITY
MODERN
HISTORY
TYPE
direct
direct
indirect
LOCATION
city
city
city
AUDIENCE
families, elderly
families
families, elderly
APP
none
none
none
VISUAL DESIGN
good
good
good
NAVIGATION
good
poor
okay
EVENT FILTERS
patron type
none
none
ACCESSIBILITY
poor
okay
good
RAPID SKETCHING
WIREFRAMING
USE FLOW DIAGRAM
STORYBOARD
SITE MAP
PAPER WIREFRAMES
LOW-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
CREATING & TESTING LO-FI PROTOTYPES
USABILITY STUDY OUTLINE
GOALS
- Determine if the basic prototype is easy navigate.
- Determine if it has the features that patrons need and want.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
- Time on task / How long does it take a user to complete a task?
- Drop off rates / How many users do not complete a task?
- User error rates / How often do users encounter an obstacle?
- System Usability Scale / Questionnaire to evaluate user feedback.
PARTICIPANTS
2 elderly, 1 using assistive technologies
1 adult with children
1 college student
1 young adult
PROMPTS
- Starting from the Welcome screen, create an account.
- Browse the Events & Exhibits screen.
- Suppose you find an event you are interested in. How would you purchase tickets?
- Suppose you have purchased tickets. Now, find a map of the museum.
AFFINITY DIAGRAM
ANALYSIS
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
- Time on task / The average time for a task was 5s.
- Drop off rates / 0! All participants were able to complete the activities.
- User error rates / 25% - there is some initial confusion upon login and when leaving the tickets screen.
- System Usability Scale / Overall, all participants found the app easy to use, and with some improvements, they would use the app in the future when scheduling visits.
IMPROVEMENTS MADE IMMEDIATELY
- Removed the About screen.
- Made the first screen upon login be the Events / Exhibits screen.
- Added a filter option for Young Adults.
- Added a calendar and time options to the tickets screen.
- Condensed the “Create Account” screen to avoid scrolling.
- Added a confirmation screen after ticket purchase.
- For clarity, replaced word “tickets” with “schedule.”
IMPROVEMENTS MADE IN FINAL DESIGN
- Split up the ticket screen into multiple screens.
- Added an option to save credit card information.
- Added a day pass option.
- Reduced the size of the filters button.
- Larger buttons on the Welcome Screen.
- Bus route map.
UPDATED WIREFRAMES
CREATING & TESTING HI-FI PROTOTYPES
DESIGN SYSTEM
MOCK-UP: PHONE
HIGH-FIDELITY PROTOTYPE - PHONE
CONCLUSION
REFLECTION
This project, though fictional, proposes a way to make art more accessible to everyone. By allowing museum patrons to easily find and schedule activities that align with their interests and needs, everyone has the capability to enjoy art at their local museum. Consequently, the museum’s reach is expanded as well.
LESSONS LEARNED
This project was my first UX design using Figma. It was fun, but also challenging as I navigated a new tool. I also learned more about the UX Design process.
In addition, had this not been a fictional project, I would have altered the following:
- Investigated the museum’s survey results further with patron interviews. This could reveal additional pain points unique to specific demographic groups.
- Tried a moderated usability study, perhaps for the high-fidelity prototype.
