2024

C:ontempo

An art museum website that houses contemporary art and brings attention to local, young, and upcoming artists.

Role

UI/UX Designer, Branding

Project Duration

9 weeks

Type of Project

UX Design Course Final

place video here

01. Discover & Define

Initial Thinking

Target Users

01. Artists looking to find inspiration

02. Young artists seeking a community

03. People interested in contemporary art

Research Methods

01. Qualitative research (user testing)

02. Quantitative research (survey)

03. Existing Systems

Competitive Analysis

Both modern and contemporary museum sites from the city were analyzed for comparison.

01.

Institute of Contemporary Art

Strengths

  1. Innovative Exhibitons

  2. Community Engagement

  3. Educational Programs

Weaknesses

  1. Funding Dependent

  2. Limited Collection

Opportunities

  1. Expanded Exhibitions

  2. Increased Collaboration

  3. Informational Tools

Threats

  1. Economic downturns

  2. Competition

02.

Barnes Foundation

Strengths

  1. Unique Display

  2. Educational Mission

  3. Community Events

Weaknesses

  1. Limited Focus

  2. Fund Dependance

  3. Controversies

Opportunities

  1. New Partnerships

  2. Updated Experiences

Threats

  1. Digital Age

  2. Economic Downturns

Requirements

Product

○ This website is the host for a contemporary museum.

○ Users can view the museum’s collection, read visiting information, visit the shop, book tickets for exhibits/events, and submit their own work.

User

○ Primary User: A person interested in art, between the ages of 15-29.

○ Satisfying database browsing, online booking, accessing information, and submitting.

Technical

○ Compatible across multiple screen sizes.

○ Young Artist Submissions can only be submitted on a PC, not on a tablet or mobile.

Business

○ Competitors: ICA, Barnes, AIC

○ To stand out, C:ONTEMPO creates a more community-driven experience

○ The museum and website are advertised through social media and outside posters.

Generative research and surveys indicate that contemporary museum websites often suffer from confusing navigation, poor mobile usability, and limited collection access. Surveyors, specifically those interested in art, wanted to contribute to museum collections. Designing an easily accessible website with an organized collection and features focused on showcasing young artists, creates a unique and community-driven experience.

45%

Exhibitions and Events

When asked “What is your primary reason for visiting a museum’s website?”, 45 percent of survey participants selected “To learn about upcoming exhibitions and events.” 25 percent selected “To explore the museum’s collection” These survey responses led to the app’s main two user personas and journeys.

60%

Frustration with Navigation

When asked “What current challenges or frustrations have you faced when using a museum website?”, 60 percent of survey participants selected “Website is difficult to navigate / Hard to find information.” This information led to prioritizing the website’s information architecture and a user-friendly design process.

User Personas

Persona 1

Gabriel Malabuyo

28 years old

Freelance Illustrator

Detail-oriented, Organized

Aspiration

“I’d like an experience that provides details and well-organized information on exhibitions before I make my purchase.”

User Environment

Spends a lot of time in his studio apartment working on illustrations

Sometimes enjoys working at his local cafes and libraries

Pain Points

Overanalyzes information

Wants to know every detail possible

Attitude

Pays close attention to detail

Takes a lot of time before making important decisions

End Goal

Browse Featured / Current Exhibitions

Purchase an exhibition ticket

Persona 2

Mahalie Dyer

45 years old

Middle School Teacher

Passionate, Eager

Aspiration

“As a teacher who wants to energize the classroom, I’d like to research contemporary art and incorporate my favorite pieces in this week’s lesson.”

User Environment

Does not a spend a large amount of time on technology other than tv or work related software

Works a 7-3 job; typically heads back to home to wind down after

Pain Points

Not very tech savvy

Struggles to add new elements to her lessons

Attitude

Often attends small social events downtown

Likes to “change-it-up” with her job

End Goal

Browse the collection and select a piece

Persona 3

Katie Purcell

19 years old

2D Animator

Extroverted, Community-Driven

Aspiration

“As a recent high-school graduate and aspiring animator, I want to find communities where artists can meet and showcase their work.”

User Environment

Spends most of her day on her phone and laptop making art

Uploads videos of her animations to Tik Tok and Instagram

Pain Points

Feels lonely post-grad

Struggles to find new opportunities

Attitude

Enjoys going out to community events

Takes a leadership role in social settings

End Goal

Submit a video for a 2D Animation temporary gallery and film-screening

User Flows

02. Explore & Ideate

Prototyping and Testing

Beginning with card sorting, paper testing, and low-fidelity screens, I received feedback on the first stages of my website. Three medium-fidelity journeys were designed for user testing.

Journey 01. Purchasing a ticket for an exhibition

Journey 02. Searching in the Collection

Journey 03. Submitting work to the Young Artist Gallery

User Testing

Journey 01.

Insight

○ The user hesitates between “What’s On” and “Our Collection” before clicking “What’s On" and finding the exhibitions

○ The user quickly navigates through purchasing process and lands at the end screen, noting some confusion on the option of a membership.

Impact

○ “What’s On” & “Our Collection” need to have clearer distinctions, particularly regarding the difference between student, temporary, and permanent exhibits & collections.

○ Memberships should be marketed more on both exhibition and booking screens.

Journey 02.

Insight

○ The user is curious about what 'Art' entails after landing on the Collection page. She asks whether the pieces shown are only part of permanent collections or if the database includes everything.

○ The user searches for a filter tab before searching a keyword

Impact

○ Include a feature or filter that separates past and present artwork in the museum’s collection.

○ Add a collection filter to the page to improve user experience.

Journey 03.

Insight

○ The user quickly selects “Submit Work”, but notes confusion about the wording and button placement.

○ The user selects an open event but asks about where he can locate a description about the event duration and where he can locate past participant’s work.

Impact

○ Remove the “Submit Work” button and replace it with a “Young Artists” tab, similar to "Our Collection" and "What’s On." This will reduce confusion while highlighting both young artists' involvement and the promotion of membership.

○ Memberships should be marketed more on both exhibition and booking screens.

03. Visual Identity

Visual Language

Artwork as a Focal Point

Contempo’s website features a structured grid layout with rectangular image containers, creating a clean and minimalist design that allows the artwork to remain the focal point without competing with a specific color palette or language.

The grid system is designed for responsiveness across multiple screen sizes. Whether a user is searching for information on their PC, or navigating the museum on their phone, the experience remains functional and visually cohesive.

Screen Compatibility

The grid system is designed for responsiveness across multiple screen sizes. Whether a user is searching for information on their PC, or navigating the museum on their phone, the experience remains functional and visually cohesive.

04. Reflection

Project Takeaways

User-Centered Design

User research and feedback played an important role throughout the entire design process. Considering the diversity of potential museum visitors, three user personas with different ages, art-related goals, and levels of tech-savviness were created. The user testing process involved maintaining communication with testers ranging from 20 to 60 years old, ensuring a design that was intuitive, engaging, and tailored to meet the needs of all users.

Clear Information Architecture

Initial survey respondents expressed frustration with navigating the museum websites they currently use. Feedback revealed that users often struggle to find exhibit details, special opportunities, and specific artwork within collections. With these issues in mind, Contempo prioritizes a clear, well-organized layout, featuring creative, but straightforward categorization, ensuring users can easily access the information they search for most frequently.

Community Engagement

Contempo aims to deliver an experience unique from other local art museums. By including a “Young Artist” feature, the website not only gives users a chance to view artwork, but to include their own as well. This interactive element encourages community engagement and invites a wider audience of users.

This project focused on creating a design that provides a more flexible user environment while exploring a wider target audience. Working within a classroom setting allowed me to implement more effective in-person testing and card sorting techniques. This design process showcased my ability to maintain consistent and productive communication with users, further developing my skills in user experience design.

Final Notes