smART App
I took on this project as part of my Google UX Design Professional course, where the goal was to dive into the design process, understand the essentials of UX concepts, and get a grasp on the basics of UX research. I had a lot of fun working on this project over the course of 8 weeks, putting all that I learned into practice and creating my first-ever UX project.
Role: UX Designer and UX Researcher
Duration of Project: 8 weeks (September 2021 - October 2021)
Tools used: pen and paper, Figma
Project Overview
The Problem
Discovering art galleries and events, securing tickets, and embarking on a virtual tour can often involve juggling multiple platforms, detracting from the immersive art experience. Furthermore, many galleries and museums lack a centralized platform that enables users to curate their favorite pieces of art and delve deeper into the artists behind the exhibits.
The Goal
smART APP aimed to be an essential tool for anyone who loves art and wants to deepen their connection with the art world. I wanted smART App to allow users to explore local art scenes, uncover new artists, and gain virtual access to the art you adore. I wanted to create a platform that promotes art and make it more accessible to a wider audience, while also supporting the artists and local art communities that bring so much beauty and creativity into our lives
Research
To gain a deeper understanding of users and their unique needs, I conducted 1-on-1 remote interviews. Through my research, I identified two primary user groups: adults who visit art galleries and events once to three times a month for leisure, and those heavily invested in the art world such as artists and curators.
This research confirmed many of my initial assumptions about the needs of these user groups, but also uncovered previously unanticipated needs related to decision-making and information organization when it comes to choosing galleries and events to attend.
User Pain Points
Information
Mobile art applications often lack more information about art pieces and artists. Many users want more information about who the artists are and background information on art pieces.
Amount of platforms
Often when attending an art gallery/event it requires multiple platforms to find the gallery/event, purchase the ticket, research art and artists, and have an audio tour. Currently there is not one platform that users can do all of these tasks.
Functionality
Many user get frustrated trying to go through an audio tour on the device many museums and galleries provide due to the functions of the device not working properly. In addition many do not feel comfortable using a device that is shared with many people
Personas and User Journey Maps
Paper Wireframes
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My aimed to optimize the user experience by cultivating a layout that was simple and direct, thereby facilitating seamless navigation through the application. To achieve this, I tried to ensure that users could instantaneously comprehend the app's core purpose and functionality.
I tried to maintain visual clarity while remaining faithful to the app's underlying purpose of promoting local art and artists. Despite the paramount importance of ensuring that users could instantly grasp the app's functionality, I also sought to incorporate an array of engaging features, such as local art events, featured artists, and select artworks, to adhere to the app's mission of championing the local art community.
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Digital Wireframes
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With a view towards crafting a streamlined and user-friendly ticket purchasing experience, I aspired to minimize the number of steps involved and eliminate any potential for confusion. While it is worth noting that a supplementary page for order confirmation is set to be integrated in the future, my overarching objective was to fashion a checkout process that would be completed within a maximum of five pages.
In my quest to create an intuitive and streamlined pathway for users to access tickets and embark on a gallery tour, I endeavored to map out a clear-cut flow encompassing three primary stages: basic ticket information, detailed ticket information replete with an entry code and gallery tour button, and the gallery tour itself. My ultimate goal was to ensure that this process was characterized by minimalism, requiring the fewest number of steps possible and enabling users to enjoy the gallery's offerings faster.
Usability Testing: Findings
For this study, I recruited 5 people to test the low fidelity prototype. Participants were a range of incomes, races, occupations, and ages. Below are the top 3 key takeaway from this study.
#1
In light of participants' expressed desire for clarification regarding the selection of price adjustments for senior citizens and children, it became apparent that a crucial element in catering to user needs is the provision of inclusive options for applying such discounts. The salient insight gleaned from this feedback is that the availability of such options is paramount to ensuring that all users feel accommodated and are not subject to exclusion based on age.
#2
Participants expressed a desire for enhanced functionality in their ability to sift through and organize information pertaining to tickets, reviews, and galleries. As a result, a key insight gleaned from this feedback is the importance of affording users a more expansive array of sorting options that can facilitate the discovery and exploration of galleries, artworks, artists, and related information.
#3
In the course of participant feedback, it emerged that there was some degree of confusion surrounding the functionality of the back button in relation to navigating to related pages. Consequently, a salient insight garnered from this feedback is the imperative of ensuring that users are directed to the precise page they had previously accessed upon activating the back button.
Mockups
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In my endeavor to refine the design of the Tickets tab, I sought to take into consideration the crucial user need for flexibility in the purchasing of various group types, including seniors and children. Additionally, I placed emphasis on optimizing the design to effectively showcase key information, such as admission details, while simultaneously enhancing the visibility and prominence of essential buttons like the pay button.
In response to user feedback requesting greater functionality in searching and sorting through information, I implemented a comprehensive suite of tools, including a "Sort by" button and a search bar. These intuitive features were integrated across various pages, including the tickets, map, favorites, artist list, and art list pages, to enable users to effortlessly and efficiently explore and navigate through the app's vast array of content.
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