Sining
Company
Role
UI/UX Designer
Expertise
UI/UX Design
Year
2022
Sining allows users to have an immersive experience by simply scanning artworks to listen to an audio-guide as they explore different galleries in National Museum of Fine Arts PH. This is a solo comprehensive UX Design project for Google UX Design Professional Certificate Course.
At-a-Glance 👀
As an art enthusiast, visiting museums and art galleries always sparks creativity within me. However, at times it can be tedious and overwhelming, especially if you don't know anything about the artwork you're looking at. This inspired me to design an audio-tour app that provides users with a new way to explore the collections at the National Museum of Fine Arts Philippines. The app allows users to have an immersive experience by simply scanning artworks to listen to an audio-guide as they explore different galleries. This project is a solo comprehensive UX Design project for Google UX Design Professional Certificate Course.
The Problem
Museum goers don’t usually have an immersive experience when visiting the National Museum of Fine Arts. Currently, the National Museum of Fine Arts Philippines only has a 3D Virtual tour of the museum that’s only accessible through their website.
This sparked the question - How can we allow users to have an immersive experience when visiting the different art galleries inside the museum?
The Solution
✨ Sining: An audio-tour app that will allow users to have an immersive experience exploring galleries by simply scanning artworks to listen to an audio-guide.
Understanding the User
Ok, but how did I actually get there? 🤔
I started by designing an experience that addressed the pain points that had been identified. To ensure quality, I conducted two rounds of usability studies with five participants as part of the process. The feedback that was gathered was incorporated into the design and subsequently allowed me to refine my work and create a high-fidelity prototype.
User Research
I conducted an unmoderated usability study and created user journey maps to understand the users I’m designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was college students who already went to the National Museum of Fine Arts but didn’t have an immersive experience exploring the museum.
The feedback from users was incorporated into user personas. For example, our persona Pam is frustrated about not knowing anything about the painting she’s looking at the museum. For her, it will be better if she knows the meaning and inspirations of the artists while creating their masterpieces.
Starting the design
Paper Wireframes & Prototype
The process below begins with my initial ideas wireframes, then moves to mockups, and finally to the high-fidelity prototype. In this simple version, you can see how I approach to solve the user needs. Moreover, Using the completed set of digital wireframes, I created a low-fidelity prototype. The primary user flow I connected was scanning artworks to listen to an audio guide so the prototype could be used in a usability study.
Usability study
I conducted two rounds of usability studies. The findings from the first study helped guide the design from wireframes to mockups. In the second study, a high-fidelity prototype was used to reveal what aspects of the mockups needed to be refined.
Refining the design
Major Design Iterations ✏️
I made three major modifications based on the feedback that I received from the usability testing sessions. I took note of the user comments and suggestions and worked hard to implement them in a way that would provide the best user experience possible. My goal was to create a product that was easy to understand, efficient to use, and enjoyable to interact with. To achieve this, I paid close attention to the user feedback and made changes accordingly.
✍🏻 Iteration 1: Making the color of CTA buttons pop more.
The second usability study revealed that the color of the call-to-action (CTA) buttons was too similar to the color of the screen and did not stand out enough from the other elements. To address this issue, I changed the color of the CTA buttons to align with the color palette of the National Museum of Fine Arts.
✍🏻 Iteration 2: Adding ‘change language’ to settings.
In the original design, the option to "change language" was already on the homepage. However, some users reported that they are used to having it in the menu or settings. Therefore, I decided to also add it to the settings, allowing users to have a variety of options to change the language.
✍🏻 Iteration 3: Adding a ‘thank you screen’ after submitting feedback.
Many users have indicated that they would love to see a ‘thank you screen’ after submitting feedback and rating their experience. Therefore, I added a ‘thank you screen’ after they click submit to assure the users that their feedback was received.
Final design 🎨
Takeaways
This was my first-ever UX project (Hooray)! 🎉. What I'm most grateful for isn't only the final result but also the whole journey of going through the UX process and getting a taste of what it's really like. Stepping out of my comfort zone and taking on this challenge has been an incredible learning experience, and I'm eager to tackle whatever comes next!
Impact
What I learned 💭
As I delved into designing an audio tour app, I discovered that design is a constant process and usability studies proved to be a game-changer in improving your designs. But that's not all! I also came to realize that UX Design isn't just about refining user interface. Rather, it's about approaching users' needs with empathy and considering accessibility at every turn.
Moreover, I found that listening to user feedback is a critical aspect of designing. By gathering feedback, I was able to identify pain points and make adjustments to the design to better address user needs. It was fascinating to see how incorporating user feedback resulted in a better user experience. I'm excited to continue learning and applying these principles in my future projects!
Next Steps ✨
Conduct research to determine how successful the app is at helping users have an immersive experience while exploring the different art galleries in the National Museum of Fine Arts Philippines.
Perform additional user research to identify any new areas of need.
