Dieu East Gallery is a small co-op art gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida. The gallery is entirely funded by the public and predominantly features lesser known and local artists with occasional off-season exhibits on loan from larger collections. The gallery targets budget-minded individuals who still wish to experience local and world artworks without breaking the bank.
The gallery has a low staff budget causing delays and long lines for visitors when checking in for the limited gallery tour slots. In addition tours are not currently accessible to persons who are visually or hearing impaired.
Design an app for Dieu East Gallery that allows visitors a faster way to check in to guided tours and an option to take self guided tours which are also accessible to those with impairments.
UX Designer performing app research and design for Dieu East Gallery for delivery to engineering.
Conducting interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility, and iterating on designs.
I conducted interviews and created empathy maps to understand the users I'm designing for and their needs. A primary user group identified through research was a mix of frequent gallery visitors with higher disposable income and infrequent visitors with tighter budgetary concerns.
This user group confirmed the appreciation for alternative check in but was overwhelmingly interested in the self-guided tour feature. Other user problems included accessibility concerns, preference for virtual tickets / passes, and preference to get the most of their visit compared to other gallery options.
Tara is an art student who needs up to date gallery information because she has to spend her limited income wisely.
Tara is a student attending Ringling College of Art and Design for their Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. She works small part-time jobs that pay cash between heavy stretches of school work. She uses her money primarily for art supplies and visiting creative avenues like concerts and art galleries. She has dyslexia which makes some text-heavy apps difficult depending on the customization allowed. She enjoys guided tours because it allows her to enjoy art without the difficulty of reading the small print on the art plaques. She prefers quiet galleries but does not mind crowds.
I've taken so many art tours I should probably get a job as a docent, but I'm too busy with school right now.
Jeph is an introvert who needs an app to skip the line because crowds cause him anxiety.
Jeph works remotely and recently moved to the area due to lower cost of living. He enjoys living here he feels that it is crowded and “somewhat behind in technology” in comparison to where is is from. He prefers to use apps that offer delivery or a way to skip a line and many businesses in this area do not have apps. He wants to emphasize he is not antisocial it's easier just to do things at his own pace. When he does venture out he tries to use his time efficiently and get as much done as possible. He has two pets at home and has to make sure his activities work for their needs as well.
I'm an introvert. I'd go to enjoy the art - not to socialize - and I prefer my own pace.
A competitive audit was performed on competitor and adjacent apps to provided direction on gaps and opportunities to address.
Click here to view an example competitive audit.
Based on the results of an affinity study, I completed an ideation exercise focusing on three goals:
Visitors don’t want to waste a lot of time waiting in line to check in for a tour to start.
Traditional tours are unable to accommodate visitors with visual or hearing impairments.
Visitors prefer to have self-paced access to the gallery’s core features.
Combining data from user research, competitive audits, and ideation goals quick sketches and draft iterations of each screen of the app on paper were used to execute a usability study.
All users commented that the button actions were vague
Some users wish they knew about the self-guided requirements in advance
Some users found the language convoluted
After extensive feedback about the terminology, brief descriptions were added before all buttons to better describe the type of tour and tour requirement options so there were no surprises on the next screen. The white background was replaced with a slightly tinted color to reduce eye strain as well.
The final high-fidelity prototype presented cleaner user flows for the tour check in process. It also enhanced accessibility and added additional information to help guide visitors.
Special care was taken to ensure that the entire app meets AAA Contrast (Enhanced) ratio of 7:1 for “regular” sized text and 4.5:1 for large scale text.
Buttons, toggles, and other mechanisms all meet the target size inputs of at least 44 by 44.
Website certified by DHS trusted testing program to 503 accessibility standards (AA) required for government and public service use.
When designing the app, our main focus was on providing an exceptional user experience for all users, regardless of the device they are using. We took great care to ensure that the app's areas are fully responsive and accessible across different screen sizes, including mobile devices, tablets, and standard computer screens. This means that users can access and utilize the app's functionality seamlessly, whether they prefer the native app or the web app. By prioritizing user-centered design, we aim to empower administrators with a consistent and efficient experience across multiple devices, enabling them to effectively manage and interact with the app's features.
While interviewing participants in user studies I was surprised to learn that even regular visitors to galleries and museums may not necessarily be familiar with the typical terminology of the industry and it is always best to use descriptive yet simple copy as much as possible.
The app makes Dieu East Gallery much more accessible to visitors and enables those with visual or hearing impairments to enjoy the exhibits equally where they may have been unable to do so before. The app also lays a strong visual and functional framework allowing for expansion of other features.
Conduct additional useability studies to ensure that all features of the gallery remain accessible to users.
Review the initial questionnaire taken about the app and consider adding more features that were highly desired such as discounts and virtual tickets or passes.
Continue to update the app as much as possible to keep it fresh and let visitors know the latest additions to the gallery.