PIXTION | Event Management
Mobile Application/ iOS
Increasing Engagment & Accessibility in Galleries & Museums
My Role: Lead Product Designer
Timeline: 8 Weeks
Tools: Figma, Miro, Adobe Create Suite, Zoom Recorder
Overview
With a background in Visual Arts, including international exhibitions, & experience as a curator & programming director, a significant gap was identified between cultural institutions and their audiences. This realization inspired the development of a solution to bridge the divide between galleries, museums, artists, & visitors. To address this challenge, a mobile application was conceptualized to assist users in discovering upcoming exhibitions, encouraging attendance, and fostering deeper engagement within the art community.
This case study outlines the design thinking process and creating an event-based mobile application as a targeted solution.
The Problem
The rapid pace of programming driven by technology has left galleries & museums struggling to engage audiences effectively, resulting in art spaces that feel unwelcoming and overlooked as people increasingly choose to experience art online rather than in person.
“We were so focused on programs that the audience's reaction was secondary."
“Galleries must educate their audience due to the rapid pace of contemporary art and art movements.” Charles Castle, Museum’s Associate Director
SOLUTION
MESSAGING & DISCUSSION FEATURES
Send invitations to others for upcoming exhibitions
Share insights and experiences from exhibitions you’ve attended
Upload pictures to your story to highlight your visits
Leave reviews and participate in discussions through the dedicated comment section
MAP & LOCATION LISTING
Ability to save venues on your map
Track places you visited by the color coding.
CATEGORY & FILTERING OPTIONS
Enables users to customize their search for art exhibitions by applying filters based on criteria such as artist, era, art form, and other preferences.
My Role & Design Process
Led the design process as the sole UX and UI Designer for this 16-week project, with responsibilities including:
Conducting Research, user research, and interviews to gather insights and validate designs through usability testing.
Developing the app's information architecture to define its content and functionality clearly.
Creating branding and UI designs to establish a cohesive and engaging visual identity.
Executing the end-to-end design process, from concept ideation and sketching to building and testing wireframes and interactive prototypes.
Research
The research explores the transformative impact of experiencing art on individuals and communities. By examining the cognitive, emotional, and social benefits, this study highlights how engaging with art enhances creativity, fosters connection, and promotes personal and cultural growth. Understanding why seeing art is beneficial provides valuable insights into the role it plays in enriching lives and building stronger, more empathetic communities.
Why Seeing Art is Beneficial
More Creative
Visiting a museum will make you more creative! Help to see life from another perspective.
Releases Dopamine
Looking at and analyzing artwork releases dopamine in the brain - the falling-in-love hormone makes you giddy and content!
Makes you Happier
According to a UK study in 2013, 'Museums improve people's happiness and perception of good health, even after other factors that might be influencing them are accounted for.
Decrease Stress
Studies have shown that viewing art in a museum can decrease cortisol, the stress hormone.
“Artists and art institutions are considered to be thought-provoking ambassadors of cultural education.”
Museumnext
Heuristic & Competitors Analysis
This analysis examines the features of various apps such as Facebook (event information and social interaction), Eventbrite (event booking and details), Instagram (messaging), and Yelp (reviewing and sharing). It also references the Nielsen Norman Group's 10 heuristic principles, focusing on:
Visibility of System Status: Ensuring ease of use and clear communication.
Aesthetic and Minimalist Design: Prioritizing a minimal and elegant design is especially important for an art-related app.
Consistency and Standards: Maintaining a consistent user experience to avoid confusion.
Recognition Rather Than Recall: Designing familiar elements like the map, calendar, and messaging system.
The comparison also highlights shortcomings in Curate LA, such as the lack of calendar integration, difficulty in finding exhibitions, and absence of notifications or search categories. These insights guide the design of a more user-friendly, aesthetically pleasing, & functional app.
Users
A diverse group of users aged 25-55 were identified through the research process and were selected for this case study.
General Public: Individuals who view art as a source of entertainment and seek more information about exhibitions.
Professionals: Artists, critics, gallery owners, curators, and others working within the art industry.
Academics: Scholars and educators in the field of art who require in-depth information and analysis.
User Survey
How familiar are you with the art world?
Not Familiar/ Professional
How often do you attend an art exhibition in a gallery or museum?
Once or several times a week, once or twice a month, once every two to three months, and twice a year, I don't go to the galleries.
How do you usually hear about an art event/ art exhibition? (select all that apply)
News Letter, Word of mouth/Friends, Social Media, e.g., Facebook, Instagram, etc., Online applications that aggregate art events, e.g., Curate LA, The artist/artists/ curator, Search Engine.
What factors influenced your decision to attend?
The artist/artists, Type/category of art /movement, Exhibition writeup (conceptual statement), Educational purposes, Recreational activity, e.g., Family outing, dating, etc., Location of the venue, e.g., LACMA, Getty, etc., Start and end day of the exhibition, Open hours of the gallery/ museum, Friends /family that are attending, You have been there before.
How often do you attend an art exhibition in a gallery or museum?
What factors influenced your decision to attend?
How do you usually hear about an art event/ art exhibition?
Would you like to share your review and feedback about the exhibition you visited?
Current Way
How people choose an art Event
Instagram
Overwhelming content. People miss exhibitions and have to track so many accounts.
Curate LA & Sea Saw
Not everyone knows about them. It has few features and is not easy to share with friends or comment on shows. It's curated and selective.
Facebook
Some people only use FB for its events; it's outdated, and you will miss exhibitions.
Newsletter
It's not fun to receive so many emails!
Google Search
It's vast and hard to find land track exhibitions. Sometimes, you don't even know what to search.
Interviews Affinity Map
Out of 57 survey respondents, 25 expressed interest in interviews, and 10 were successfully interviewed.
I hate the current gap between People of Color and our community and how they are hidden. You have to text 1:1 to learn who is attending these kinds of shows!
I feel they don’t include community even in programming, the shows don’t match daily life.
Review/Rating Platform
I want to be able to comment or read a review after seeing a show. I have to text my friends or watch out for their Instagram Stories to read others' comments about the show before attending a show.
Community
Categories
I wish I could just search for a show based on an art medium, movement, or even time period.
The other day, I wanted to see a sound art show, but it was hard to find a massive Google search, and the one I found was for last year.
Ah, commuting is a huge thing. I wish I could easily know if the venue is ADA accessible, has parking, or is close to public transportation.
Commute & location
Persona
Azin
Personality: Educator, serious, and eager to learn new things.
Demographic: 35 years, Iranian American, living in Oakland.
Goal: Don't miss art shows that are good.
Pain Point: It's time-consuming to learn about art shows that you really like.
Desired Feature: Accessible info about the shows.
Sholeh
Personality: Work hard, Sense of humor, Immigrant
Demographic: 41 years old, who lives in Berkeley.
Goal: Knowing which art venue is accessible to visit.
Pain Point: its traffic, & there is no parking.
Desired Feature: Commute information & ADA accessibility.
Kevin
Personality: Work hard, Sense of humor, immigrant
Demographics: 27, Architect, Expoter, Serious and logical
Goal: Attending Exhibitions by their category
Pain Point: It is hard to find any specific information online
Desired Feature: Ability to choose art by category
Empathy Map
HEARING
It's really tough to find information, especially for people of color. They've often hidden away with zero marketing efforts. It's frustrating, isn't it?
SEEING
I use Instagram, texting, and email subscriptions to find information. Still, I end up missing many exhibitions and shows. When I travel, the show is not what I expected.
SAYING
It seems word of mouth is the only reliable way. I keep missing exhibitions and shows, and sometimes, when I do travel to see a show, it's not what I expected.
FEELING
I am feeling unseen, unsupported, and overwhelmed. It’s frustrating to go to a show with no parking. I don’t have enough info to go to a show, and I'm disrespected. Seems the galleries don’t care enough.
DOING
I'm subscribing to galleries and museums and scrolling on Instagram to get more connected to the community.
GAIN
I am always looking for a way to be informed. Find shows easily. Connect with people who went or are going to the shows. I want to get information about the show based on any category I like.
PAIN
It's tough to access information, find reviews, and discover community-driven shows. I feel unsupported and frustrated. Even with Instagram and gallery subscriptions, I miss out on exhibitions and face disappointment when traveling to shows.
Key Challenges Identified
Limited Platform Availability: Only two platforms currently provide art enthusiasts the ability to locate ongoing exhibitions on a map or follow specific galleries and museums, leaving significant gaps in accessibility.
Insufficient Information and Awareness: There is a notable lack of centralized information about art galleries, exhibitions, and methods to discover specific types of art or artists, making it difficult for users to stay informed.
Lack of Connection and Interaction: No dedicated space exists for users to share thoughts, reviews, or discussions about exhibitions, resulting in missed opportunities for engagement and exchange of ideas.
Missed Expectations: Many users report missing exhibitions or experiencing disappointment after traveling to a show that did not meet their expectations due to limited or unclear information beforehand.
How Might We
bridge the gap between the general public, art institutions, and artists by creating an accessible and engaging space where art lovers can exchange thoughts and experiences about art events.
Site Map
Flow Map
This flow map presented significant challenges due to its complexity, requiring careful consideration of various user scenarios to ensure the design was intuitive, efficient, and better aligned with user needs.
Ideation
To evaluate the effectiveness of the flow map, ideation brought the process to life by exploring diverse user scenarios. Careful analysis identified areas for refinement, ensuring the flow was intuitive, efficient, and well-aligned with user needs.
Guerrilla Testing & Key Findings
Clarity in Messaging and Reviews: Users indicated that the messaging and review features required greater clarity to enhance usability.
Improved Bookmark Functionality: The bookmark page needed to be more intuitive, better organized, and practical for user interaction.
Navigation Challenges: The paper sketch format, with its limited details, posed difficulties for users when navigating and exploring the application.
Filtering and Discovery: The filtering feature, particularly the ability to find exhibitions based on specific shows, successfully sparked curiosity & encouraged users to explore.
Wireframes
After analyzing the overall flow based on the guerilla test, wireframes were developed to accurately test and refine the user journey, ensuring a more seamless and intuitive experience.
Usability Testing 01
User testing revealed challenges with overwhelming options, unclear navigation, and accessibility issues, highlighting the need for a more intuitive and inclusive design.
User 1: The abundance of options at once was overwhelming.
User 2: The categories dominated the entire page, making it hard to focus.
User 3: It wasn’t intuitive enough and lacked clear guidance for some tasks.
User 4: The buttons are too small and difficult to click accurately. Also, "Art Exhibitions" should be broadened to "Art Events" for inclusivity—what if I want to attend a performance?
User 5: Some of the text is too small and hard to read.
Branding Overview
Brand Attributes:
Elegance: A sophisticated approach that resonates with refined aesthetics.
Intellect: Encouraging thoughtful exploration and deeper understanding of art.
Cultured: Reflecting an appreciation for diverse art forms, histories, and perspectives.
Explorer: Embodying curiosity and discovery, inviting users to uncover new artistic experiences.
Connection: Building bridges between individuals, cultures, and ideas through the power of art.
Brand Personality:
This brand embodies a cultured and explorative spirit, serving as a guide that connects individuals through shared art experiences. It encourages curiosity, cultural education, and meaningful connections while maintaining a tone of sophistication and accessibility.
Product Name: Pixtion
Pixel: The fundamental element of an image, representing the building blocks of art.
Vision: A forward-thinking approach to expanding thought-provoking experiences and embracing cultural education.
Mission Statement:
To improve engagement & accessibility to art exhibitions, enabling audiences to explore, discover, & connect with art in a way that inspires curiosity & expands cultural awareness.
Moodboard
High Fidelity
Usability Testing 02
After implementing these changes, another round of user testing was conducted. The feedback was positive, with users finding the app easier to navigate and more aligned with their needs. The improvements in the messaging and review sections were particularly well-received, making the app more interactive and engaging. The refined filtering options also emerged as a favorite feature, allowing users to discover exhibitions tailored to their interests.
User 1: The messaging should include information about mutual friends or followers.
User 2: The exhibition info button should be more intuitive.
User 3: Some buttons, like the bookmark and calendar, need to be larger.
User 4: This is exciting—finally!
User 5: I love being able to write about the exhibition and read others' comments before attending!
This case study provided an opportunity to deeply immerse in the design thinking process, from research and ideation to testing and iteration. It reinforced the critical role of user feedback in shaping design decisions while underscoring the impact of clear, intuitive design on enhancing user engagement. The project resulted in a solution that not only addresses users' practical needs, such as adding to calendars or sharing reviews but also strengthens the connection between art institutions and their audiences, fostering a richer, more meaningful experience.
Takeaway of PIXTION Case Study
