Designing Accessible Experiences
-
![Museum Image]()
Problem
Museum websites can be overwhelming and many users find it difficult to find relevant visitor information or to purchase tickets.
-
![Website Screenshot]()
Research
Competitive audits and user research demonstrated missed opportunities for sharing important information and converting sales.
-
![Wirefreames]()
Plan
Initial planning centered on the goal of developing an app that would inform potential visitors while mirroring the experience of exploring a museum.
-
![User Flows]()
Design
A seamless ticketing flow and an engaging itinerary builder would provide users with all of the planning tools needed to ensure a great visit.
-
![Mockups]()
Iterate
User testing and iteration resulted in a prototype that is visually engaging, encourages collaboration, and meets diverse user needs.
Case Study: The Museum App
Creating a user-centered, engaging mobile app that invites exploration, collaboration, and learning.
CONTEXT
While many museums use a website to share information with prospective visitors, few provide engaging flows or resources to enhance the user experience. Through competitive research, I identified the following key pain points: confusing museum maps, complicated ticket purchasing, lack of trip-planning features, and difficulty accessing event and accessibility information. This project aimed to design an app that would make discovering exhibits, planning visits, and exploring museum spaces more accessible, engaging, and user-centered.
GOALS
Design an app that simplifies trip planning, museum exploration, and ticket purchasing.
Create interactive, easy-to-use features that accommodate a variety of visitor needs.
Ensure accessibility, clear navigation, and engaging exploration options.
PROCESS
User Research
Conducted user interviews to identify motivations and frustrations with current museum apps.
Developed three personas:
Parents: Need to schedule, plan, and budget family visits.
Regular Visitors: Want updated information about events and options to invite friends.
Tourists: Need fast, affordable ticketing, planning tools, and accessibility information.
Storyboard and Journey Mapping
Mapped typical user journeys to identify points of confusion or friction.
Storyboarded ideal scenarios for planning, visiting, and discovering exhibits.
Competitive Audit
Analyzed museum apps and noted common UX pain points: overwhelming content, poor interactivity, unclear ticketing systems. (See Report).
Design and Prototyping
Created low-fidelity sketches, hand-drawn wireframes, and digital wireframes.
Focused on designing an Itinerary Builder allowing users to select and organize exhibits they want to visit.
Built a functional low-fidelity prototype for usability testing (Test Prototype).
Usability Testing and Iteration
Conducted usability study with participants across target demographics.
Key insights:
Need for sharing and collaboration features for group planning.
Language and icons required improvements for clarity.
Museum exploration features needed better structure to avoid overwhelming users.
Major changes post-study:
Enabled users to invite friends when starting an itinerary.
Redesigned the Visit Button to guide users through trip planning instead of direct ticketing.
Added a Categories Page as the launch point for museum exploration to reduce user overload.
OUTCOMES
Improved clarity and confidence in trip planning by reorganizing ticketing and visitor information.
Enhanced collaboration options for groups and visitors interested in inviting friends.
More engaging discovery experience with categorized exploration paths.
Created a prototype showcasing a user-centered approach that emphasizes ease, flexibility, and accessibility.
REFLECTION
This project highlighted the importance of balancing engagement with usability. Visitors want to explore museum offerings online, but they also need clear guidance to plan efficiently and feel confident about their trip. Designing flexible paths (through itinerary building and categorization) reinforced my understanding that great UX empowers users without overwhelming them, a principle especially critical in large information ecosystems like museums.