Muse

Map

A smartphone screen displaying an app with the text 'Welcome to Musemap' and an 'Enter' button. The background features a museum setting with digital art installations and silhouettes of people observing the exhibits.

UI/UX

INTRODUCTION AND GOAL

Musemap reimagines the art gallery experience, making it a delight instead of a maze. From seniors in wheelchairs to parents with strollers to art connoisseurs with limited time, my objective was inclusivity and personalization from the ground up.

RESEARCH PHASE

User Observations: Conversations with wheelchair users, educators, and casual museum-goers exposed the most glaring friction points: confusing signage, minimal accessibility features, and a lack of curated recommendations.

Competitive Analysis: Museums’ existing apps often proved non-intuitive and rarely addressed mobility needs or personal interest mapping.

User persona for a 38-year-old freelancer named Maria, who has disabilities. She seeks accessibility-friendly features in galleries, desires tactile experiences, and feels welcomed in inclusive spaces. Frustrations include inaccessible routes and limited accessibility features. Summary mentions her use of a wheelchair and barriers she faces, suggesting an app could improve her experience.
Persona profile for a 34-year-old named Emma, a graphic designer and aspiring art historian. Includes her personal details, objectives, frustrations, and a summary of her goals. Photo of a smiling woman is included.
Persona profile for 'James,' a casual visitor and tourist. The profile includes a photo of a man wearing a red beanie, age 40, an accountant with a business school education, and single. Objectives include finding must-see exhibits and having a straightforward gallery experience. Frustrations include being overwhelmed by large galleries, navigation difficulties, and limited access to concise exhibit explanations. The summary highlights James's need for an app to streamline his gallery visits with highlighted exhibits and easy navigation tools.
Profile persona of a 39-year-old educator and parent named Sarah, who went to art school, has two children, and is described with objectives like creating engaging gallery experiences, frustrations including the lack of interactive activities, and a summary of her challenges managing group visits.

IDEATION PHASE

Complex flowchart with colored nodes and connecting lines representing a process. Green circles indicate decision points, red circles signal interruptions. Yellow rectangles denote steps or actions. Blue diamonds may represent decision markers. Arrows connect these elements, illustrating the flow of the process from start to end, branching off into multiple paths.

My wireframes placed a laser focus on “step-free” routes, dynamic highlights, and persona-driven content categories, shifting the visit from guesswork to intuitive discovery.

DESIGN PHASE

Accessible Layout: High contrast text, tactile iconography, and large tap targets ensured universal ease of use.

Interactive Elements: AR-enabled self-guided tours, location-based tips, and curated “top picks” breathed new life into gallery browsing.

Hand-drawn wireframe of a website layout with a navigation bar, a featured collection section, three numbered content blocks, and an FAQ section at the bottom.
Wireframe sketch of a webpage layout with a header and three content columns labeled 'Coll 1,' 'Coll 2,' and 'Coll 3.'
Hand-drawn webpage wireframe with sections labeled 'My Info and Games,' 'My Artwork,' and 'Next Events.' Includes placeholders for images and text.
Mobile app screen displaying an art event called ZGen ART happening on January 1, 2025, at Art Gallery, 1 High Street. An image of a mural with multiple people and a cartoon character in the center is at the top. "Reserve Your Spot" button and lorem ipsum text are also present.
Mobile app login screen with email and password fields, sign-in button, and options for Google sign-in and account creation.

FINAL PRODUCT AND OUTCOME

Reduced Drop-offs: Visitors navigated exhibits with confidence, staying in-app longer.

Accessibility Triumph: Multi-round user tests proved near-perfect success rates for tasks across different ability levels.

Enriched Visitor Feedback: Families praised the app’s streamlined routing and engaging educational tidbits.

CONCLUSION

Musemap shows how removing physical and informational barriers can elevate an art gallery visit, turning it into a personalized, inclusive, and truly memorable experience.