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MUSE: A B2C app that will revolutionize the museum visit by providing an easy navigation system and promoting immersive engagement for the visitors.
TIMELINE
Sep 2023 - Dec 2023
4 months
TEAM
Ziyang (Leo) Lei ← I’m here
Luis Gurerro
Snow Guo
Lin Shen
DELIVERABLE
Culture probe ← I’m here
Survey study
Persona
Flow chart ← I’m here
Low-fidelity ← I’m here
User enactment ← I’m here
3D modelling ← I’m here
High-fidelity ← I’m here
SKILLS
Product management
Prototype
Interaction design
3D modeling
3D rendering
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Rhino3D
Enscape
Miro
Executive Summary
Problem
Traditional museum visits lack interactive navigation and personalized guides, relying on static maps, leading to lost or missing significant exhibits. The absence of real-time interaction creates a disconnect between visitors and artworks, while post-visit experiences remain static, contributing to a lasting sense of disconnection.
Solution
MUSE , an app revolutionizes the museum visiting experience with IoT sensors for smooth navigation and engaging touring via 3D maps and RFID tech. As visitors near the artwork, sensors detect devices, revealing interactive content on the art appreciation page. A post-visit summary will be created after the tour based on time spent on each art piece.
Motivation
This project originates from our own experiences in school museums (UMMA), where we faced challenges such as navigating multiple floors and the inconvenience of crowding around to read small text descriptions next to artworks.
Initial Problem Statement
"How can we enhance the touring experience for UMMA visitors by assisting them in discovering the right destinations and suggesting engaging activities throughout their visit?"
MAIN FEATURES
Real-Time Navigation
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Establishing RFID/IoT sensor connection
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Pinpointing current location
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Navigating the final destination
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Wayfinding with a real-time location system
Interactive Art Appreciation
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Exploring the 3D interactive sculpture
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Browsing the detailed artwork description
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Engaging with the artwork story through audio.
Muse Wrapped:
Your Visit in Review
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Sending the summary through the notification center
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Sharing the summary on social media
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Sending after the visitor leaves the museum
RESEARCH PROCESS
Research Method
Cultural Probe
We chose cultural probes as our main research method to uncover valuable insights into visitors' unguided experiences. We learned that visitors face challenges in navigating complex routes and deciphering unclear maps. At the same time, it is also observed that descriptions are often either too small or too lengthy, but they enjoy interactivity in the museum.
Insight #1
Visitors face challenges navigating complex routes and deciphering unclear maps
“When I tried to visit the 'Hear Me Now' exhibition, I had a hard time finding it because the names on the map were inconsistent with those inside the gallery.”
Insight #2
Visitors desire more interactive elements and a stronger representation of thematic content.
“Most exhibits in the museum do not allow touching. I feel that if there were more interactive elements, it would make the overall experience more profound and engaging.”
Insight #3
Some visitors use their phones to search for information because descriptions are either too small or too lengthy.
“Whenever I want to read the descriptions, I need to walk up close to them, and the text is usually very small. I can't view the descriptions and the exhibits at the same time.”
Insight #4
Visitors tend to forget the names and specific details of the exhibits after their visits.
“After visiting the exhibition once, I wanted to share photos of the exhibits with my friend, but I forgot to take pictures. It took me a long time to find that particular exhibit online.”
Research Method
Survey Study
Pairing a survey with the Cultural Probe allows us to reinforce qualitative insights with quantitative data, which is particularly valuable for comprehending visitor habits and behaviors. We collected data on various aspects, including visitor demographics, circulation patterns, visitation behaviors, and perceptions of the museum experience.
Objective #1
👣
Understand the visitor's journey
Objective #3
🎨
Identify challenges in art interaction
Objective #2
📱
Assess apps & digital enhancements
Objective #4
👀
Evaluate common activities
Among the 31 responses we collected, we found out
of respondents have utilized a museum’s app
of respondents prefers to have interactive exhibits
of respondents expect to have clear info & guide
In Conclusion:
Many visitors desire museums to offer interactive media to enrich their experiences, and there is a pressing need for clearer navigation to avoid missing exhibitions.
Persona
We concentrated on understanding Amy's expectations before she visited an art museum and her typical activities during the visit, including chatting with friends, capturing photographs, reading descriptive texts for some artworks, and appreciating various artworks.
Following the insights gained from our primary research, we have reframed our problem statement.
"How might we enrich the UMMA touring experience for visitors by seamlessly aligning with their natural visit habits?"
DESIGN PROCESS
Site Map
Based on our Design Strategy, we have identified the scope of our product and created three different user flows to address and alleviate pain points experienced by users throughout their entire museum visit.
Flow Chart Sketch
Lo-Fi Prototype
Based on the site map, we roughly sketched ideas for the main home, indoor navigation, art appreciation, and after-visit overview. These are the first-round rough sketches, and we will refine our designs in the subsequent User Enactment phase to address any deficiencies.
Home
Page
Gallery
Wayfinding
Indoor
Navigation Map 1
Indoor
Navigation Map 2
Art
Appreciation
After-Visit
Summary
User Enactment
We tested our paper prototype with two user enactment scenarios, assessing indoor navigation using a 3D-rendered model and simulating art pieces with perfume bottles.
Areas for Improvement
Improve Navigation System
📍
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Draw inspiration from Google Maps
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Align with user mental model
Enhance User Engagment
🎴
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Introducing interactivity with 3D art pieces
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3D models, audio, descriptions
Include
Visit History
📖
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Users desire a browsing history feature in the app.
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Enables easy backtracking
HIGH FIDELITY
Hi Fi
Home Screen
As visitors enter, our system uses RFID readers to detect nearby mobile devices. Each unique tag connects with our spotlight sensor for information exchange via the IoT cloud.
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Hi Fi
Indoor Navigation
With the 3D oblique view map, users can easily find their destination. We used RFID sensors for accurate indoor wayfinding, bypassing reliance on outdoor-focused GPS.
Hi Fi
Art Appreciation
When visitors approach a certain artwork, RFID sensors update real-time art info on the app, providing users with audio, text, and 3D models for interactive engagement on mobile devices.
Hi Fi
After Visit Summary
The MUSE creates a personalized post-visit summary based on users' art preferences and time spent, which can be shared on social media.
Style Guide
Our design mirrors UMMA's visual identity by using purple as the primary color and yellow for accents, directly inspired by UMMA's official website. The color choice contributes to a clean, friendly, and welcoming user interface, closely tied to UMMA's brand.
Next Step
After showcasing Muse to UX professionals, we received commendations for its user-focused design and identified key areas for improvement. Our next steps include refining user engagement metrics and moving beyond just time spent per art piece.
Muse's potential extends to business applications, notably aiding art curators in tailoring exhibitions to visitor preferences. Its success at UMMA could position it as a model for other art museums, demonstrating our commitment to innovative, user-centered design solutions.
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