Exhibition Finder App Dublin
by Jocelyn Murray Boyne, Gayle O’Brien
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
The Problem The purpose of this report is to analyse the needs of visitors to art exhibitions in Dublin and to build a mobile application based on those needs. The problem that we initially identified relates to the task of discovering and locating art exhibitions in the city. Having shared similar personal experiences, our team members were in agreement that although there is a good deal of information available - both online and in print - in relation to upcoming or ongoing exhibitions in Dublin city centre, there is no dedicated digital source that pulls it all together in an succinct, appealing and user-friendly way. In this report we examine the extent of this issue through a series of research methods and propose an abstract prototype design based on this research.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Mobile applications We began our research by identifying existing mobile applications that aid the task of finding an exhibition, both in Dublin and other cities worldwide. Our findings were limited to a range of apps available to download from the App Store. We aimed to explore the features and functions of these. UI and navigational functions were explored, and insights gained. While we identified room for improvement in several mobile applications, a number of apps were found to adequately perform the task of sourcing an exhibition in a given city, particularly the UK’s Art Guide. The aesthetics appeal of different apps were noted, particularly the minimal use of colour and the use of white space to give the apps an easy to navigate, non-cluttered feel We came across a number of useful functions including: ●
Keeping a ‘wishlist’ or itinerary of places to visit
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Optional use of a ‘map’ view
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Customized access
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Detailed but concise information
These will be functions explored further when examining each individual app, and both considered and expanded upon during our design stage.
ART.WORLD ART.WORLD is a fun simple way to keep up to date with current exhibitions, covering more than 500 cities globally. The app is distinguishable by its simple basis for interaction, using an addictive swiping gesture. This is based on popular dating app Tinder, which boasts over 10 million users. By preventing rejected options from being revisited, Art World alleviates the stress of the selection process. Users are presented with simple, concise updates for the next 7 days, giving a primary focus on the “now’ of what is happening. The can click into each exhibition to view further information.
Key Features: ●
Pick a City: Choose your city & the app loads up all of the shows that are on or opening in the next 7 days
The layout of the app makes for very easy, intuitive navigation. Its
●
Right-swipe exhibitions you’d like to see, left swipe the ones you don’t.
clean, minimalist user interface allows for convenience & ease of
●
Click on the image for more information about a show
use. However by basing it on Tinder’s interface, the app does have
●
Click on the map icon to see your choices on a map. Alternatively, click the list icon to organize them that way. On the list side, slide the show left to mark it as
somewhat limited functionality. It is very popular in major worldwide
visited, or remove it from the list
cities such as London & New York, but has yet to be used in Dublin. ●
Your historical archive of shows you have been to is saved on the app
Artsy By partnering with major museums & art organizations, Artsy helps users to buy original works & interact with currently installed shows. Boasting over 60,000 works of art, it allows the user to browse what is happening in hundreds of galleries around the world. Artsy is notable for its high-quality images and far-reaching content. Due to its versatility, it can serve as anything from a casual browsing to a reference tool to an actual buying tool for collectors.
The clean, minimalist aesthetic allows for exceptional ease of browsing for exploring images, collections, and content. This visual,
Key Features: ●
favourites
browsing-centred experience focuses on images above all else, making it easy to get lost in the app. The user can navigate from artwork to artist to exhibit, pulling inspiration from discoveries.
Links “genes” between works of art, suggesting certain pieces based on
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Allows users to contact specialists in the art field via a message forum
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Explore tab covers the umbrella fields of fairs, auctions, artists, galleries, museums
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Customized Access: If a user creates a free Artsy account, his “favourites” (which can be marked at any point of discovery) are gathered in this tab
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Opening an image allows for placement onto a virtual gallery wall, which includes price and gallery contact
Art Guide Art Guide app is a comprehensive listing guide of the UK’s most important collections, and allows users to find whatever is closest to them. Navigation, from maps to listings is very intuitive. Even the loading screen is a work of art. Users can easily navigate to find world-class exhibitions, from top shows to hidden gems. It is a quick and easy way for those with an art pass to find out about benefit & discounts in specific galleries.
This app is very useful for those visiting exhibitions on a regular basis, providing detailed information about individual venues including contact details, opening times, prices and up to date
Key Features: ●
Search for exhibitions across across over 600 museums & galleries in the UK
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Check for National Art Pass benefits & discounts
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Create a wishlist of favourite exhibitions & places to visit. Set up alerts in your
information – plus directions using Google Maps. High resolution images complement a run-down of critical thought on images. The
wishlist to notify when an exhibition is coming to an end ●
app is well-built & engaging. A simplified mobile interface allows for easy access & browsing.
Provides listings of current major exhibitions, including a “popular” tab which provides a top ten list of all current exhibitions
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“Nearby” feature has capacity to identify where you are
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“Trip Planner” enables you to identify what is on in an area you are planning to visit.
iSpySculpture iSpy Sculpture is an easy-to-use guide to a selection of Dublin’s collection of public and semi-public sculptures. All sculptures are within a 1km radius of Dublin city centre, making it easy to plan a walking tour, or to check out a single work. Each sculpture has a Google Map reference & link for directions.
The app is very accessible and makes for easy browsing. All information except for maps is included in the app, which benefits tourists who may not use roaming data. The app has somewhat limited information as it only provides details for 50 works of art in the
Key Features:
city, and has not been updated since its release in 2011. However if
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Selection of 50 sculptures with photographs, details & background story
a decision was made to add more artworks, its simple design means
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Sculptures range from modern works by international artists to classical 19th century pieces
these will be easy to integrate into the app. The UI, although easy to navigate, is somewhat dated. Despite this, iSpySculpture provides concise yet informative details about a selection of Dublin’s sculptures and it is suitable for locals & tourists alike
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Sculptures sorted by area or full A to Z list for quick lookup
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Create your own sculpture trail with location awareness & directions to each sculpture
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Dublin digital sources In addition we investigated several digital services designed for the purpose of providing information on exhibitions in Dublin. These included specific gallery websites such as Gallery of Photography Ireland, IMMA.ie, and rhagallery.ie. Other sources of interest included websites like Totally Dublin.ie, The Irish Times website’s Culture section, and Dublin Gallery Weekend website and Map.
Dublin’s gallery websites provide detailed information about current and forthcoming exhibitions. A number of these websites are notable for their aesthetic & navigational elements. The use of white space, particularly that used in the Gallery of Photography’s website, makes for a less cluttered layout and easier navigation. While dedicated, individual gallery websites are effective, finding exhibitions in multiple galleries makes for a cumbersome task. A google search for exhibitions in Dublin brings to the fore only those shows taking place in the most prominent & well-known galleries in the city. Lesser known galleries inevitably get less exposure.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Dublin digital sources Totally Dublin is a highly distributed free-sheet, covering all aspects of the city’s culture. Totally Dublin’s website provides an arts & culture section dedicated to discussion. The website also features an event listings page. This is not refined to art listings but covers all events. Navigation is complicated as events are organised by date, rather than type. Much desirable information is listed - location, brief description, cost, ending date. There is also an option to click into map view. However information is limited, and there is not an option or hyperlink to view more about a particular exhibition or event. Visit Dublin’s website contains a ‘What’s On’ section which provides for all events in Dublin. These are searchable by date and event type. Unlike Totally Dublin, the user has the option to search by date and by type - ‘art & exhibitions’. Information provided consists of the event name, image, ending date and distance from the user’s current location. The user also has an option to view more details or to pin the event to their personalised map. This website is similar to Dublin Event Guide, which focuses on the promotion of free events in the city. Listings of free events are available on the website every week. The site’s weekly newsletter has got over 24,000 subscribers. In general, access to exhibitions and galleries in Dublin is free of charge so this a number of exhibitions frequently appear on this website. Although more often read in its printed form, in the Culture section of the Irish Times website contains is a number of pages dedicated to discussion of Irish art, not unlike those that feature in Totally Dublin. Reference is made to current events and exhibitions in these discussions, but this is by no means a comprehensive listing.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Dublin digital sources Dublin Gallery Map’s website introduces a printable map featuring 28 Dublin galleries and exhibition listings. The map offers a trail that users can follow in order to discover different galleries in the city. It is available free of charge in selected galleries, tourist offices and hotels, although upon visiting a number of galleries in the city, we found a notable shortage in availability. The map is also available online via a downloadable link. It is easy to navigate through the city using this map and distances are accurately measured. However the bulkiness of the map makes it clumsy to transport and store. The map is updated twice yearly, which can lead to outdated information.
Dublin Gallery Map have expanded beyond their map feature to launch Dublin Gallery Weekend, a visual arts festival, which included over 60 special events which took place in 30 galleries in the city during a weekend last September.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Interviews The next stage of our research was carried out through a series of interviews.We decided that in order to design something useful we needed to find out firstly, who is visiting art exhibitions in Dublin, how they find out about these exhibitions, their experience of this task and their attitudes to the task itself. We also wanted to gain insight into how and why Dublin galleries choose certain methods to promote their exhibitions and which ones they find most effective for generating footfall. Interviews were carried out in four galleries in Dublin city: The RHA Gallery, Gallery of Photography Ireland, The Douglas Hyde Gallery and The National Gallery of Ireland. To approach the interview process we designed sets of questions for four general visitor ‘types’ or as yet fully undefined personas that we expected to encounter on our visits. These were: ●
The Dublin local, interested in art
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The tourist
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The art student
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The gallery staff member
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Interviews The following is a summary of some sample questions that we composed for each of our predicted visitor ‘types’ and the answers we received.
Questions for : The Dublin local
Sample answers :
1.
How often do you attend art exhibitions?
1.
‘ ..two to three times per month depending on what’s on..’
2.
What made you choose to visit this exhibition?
2.
‘I’m a big fan of Bob Dylan..’ (Gallery of Photography’s current
3.
How did you find out about it?
4.
What sources do you use to find exhibitions in Dublin?
5.
What do you like about these sources?
6.
Do they have any shortcomings?
7.
How do you think the task of finding an exhibition to visit could be made easier?
8.
exhibition) 3.
‘..the gallery’s mailing list..’ , ‘..saw the event on Facebook..’
4.
‘..on the specific gallery websites..Google searches..’, ‘walk in off the street..’, ‘Facebook..Totally Dublin magazine..friends..’
5.
regularly of opening and closing dates..don’t miss out’ 6.
‘No central, dedicated source for exhibitions to keep track of everything you want to see..lots of information but your have to really search...’
Is it important for you to keep track of exhibitions that you have visited? If so, how do you do this?
‘Walk in approach is spontaneous and fun..’, ‘Facebook reminds you
7.
‘..more advertising..or some kind of unified mailing list?’
8.
‘I would keep the exhibition leaflet if I enjoyed the show itself as a momento..or buy a postcard if one was available..’
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Interviews We suspected that there was a good possibility we may encounter an art or design student between the ages of 20 to 35 as a visitor type. We prepared the following extra questions should this be the case.
Questions for : The Dublin local / art student
Sample answers :
1.
What apps do you use most often?
1.
‘Instagram and Pinterest’, ‘Whatsapp, Facebook and Google Maps..’
2.
What functional or aesthetic qualities do they have that you
2.
‘I’d be lost without Facebook’s notifications to remind me of events etc.’, ‘..a simple function that uses minimal, tasteful graphics..’, ‘the
like? 3.
functionality has to be immediately obvious or I lose interest..’, ‘If an
Do you take note of things that you see at exhibitions? If so,
app has a very useful function I would favour reliability over aesthetics.’
what do you use to do this? E.g. phone camera, notepad etc.
3.
‘..usually take photos with my phone camera..might later post them to Instagram..’, ‘make notes in my phone..’, ‘..wait til’ I get home to make notes in a spreadsheet.’
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Interviews Due to the timing of one of our research trips (late morning, midweek) a majority of the visitors we encountered on that occasion were tourists.
Questions for : The tourist 1.
How did you come to visit this gallery today?
2.
When you travel to foreign cities do you research what to do there before you leave or when you arrive?
Sample answers : 1.
‘..passing by’ (Gallery of Photography), ‘Google search for things to do in Dublin’ (National Gallery), ‘..passed by on a tour..’ (Douglas Hyde)
2.
‘..usually both..’, ‘..research a little at home and more when I get there.’
3.
‘Tripadvisor!’, ‘..ask friends who have already travelled to the place..’,
3.
What sources do you use to research?
4.
What do you like about these sources?
5.
What apps do you use most while on holiday?
6.
How do you find navigating around Dublin? Easy? Difficult?
7.
Do you think that there is enough information to know what
5.
‘Google Maps and Trip Advisor..’
exhibitions are going on or upcoming in Dublin?
6.
‘Dublin is small and easily navigable..’, ‘..things are not well signposted
‘Google searches when I arrive’, ‘You find the most interesting things by
8.
chance.’ 4.
‘Tripadvisor's review section..seeing the opinions of my nationality of a foreign place..’
in Dublin..I usually can’t read the street signs..need the phone GPS..’
How do you experience the task of finding this information? 7.
‘Information is out there but disorganised..too many sources..’
8.
‘Tricky..can take a lot of different kinds of searches’
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Interviews To gain a contrasting perspective for our research to that of the visitor, we carried out interviews with the gallery managers of Gallery of Photography Ireland, The Library Project, Dublin and The Irish Georgian Society gallery space on South William Street.
Questions for : The gallery staff member 1.
How do you promote your exhibitions?
2.
What methods do you find most effective?
3.
Why do you think this is the case?
4.
Can you describe your most regular type of visitor?
5.
How do visitors to Dublin come across your gallery?
6.
How do you collect visitor feedback? Is it helpful?
7.
How do you think that the promotion of galleries and exhibitions in Dublin could be improved?
Sample answers : 1.
‘Local magazines,, newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, entertainment.ie..’ (Library Project, Dublin), ‘The mailing list, Culture Fox, own website..’ (GOP Ireland), ‘Irish Arts Review website, radio.. rely on exhibiting artists to promote their own shows..’ (Irish Georgian Society)
2.
Mailing lists, gallery websites and social media pages (unanimous)
3.
‘For small galleries mailing lists are essential because they build a community of regular visitors around the gallery’, ‘Older visitors search the gallery website to see what’s on..for younger ones its social media.’
4.
‘Can vary from locals to tourists depending on the time of year’
5.
‘Google or the Dublin Gallery Map at tourist information centres’
6.
‘Visitor feedback is welcomed and essential to our work’ (unanimous)
7.
‘Hailo for exhibitions?’, ‘a better, more interactive gallery map’
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Findings & analysis : Interviews During our research trips we encountered the visitor types that we were expecting to meet and our expectations that each type experiences the problem previously outlined to some degree was confirmed. However, we found that there are several factors at play when it comes to these visitors and their attitudes to and day to day use of mobile applications and digital sources to aid the task in question.The most prominent of these factors is age. Dublin locals aged approximately forty years and up claimed to find out about exhibitions primarily through gallery mailing lists that they had been on for several years, newspaper articles or dropping in from the street to their favourite galleries. Only 50% of this age group owned smartphones. In general those that did own smartphones would not connect the task of finding an exhibition with a mobile application. Visitors aged between twenty and thirty five years old had discovered the exhibition they were visiting on Facebook either through the friends recommendations feature or the gallery’s Facebook page. 90% of this age group owned smartphones and use apps regularly such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. For both age groups visiting a gallery was regarded as a social activity, whether they visit with friends or alone all interviewees stated that they would be likely to share their experience with friends in some form. Both groups relied heavily on the recommendations of friends.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Findings & analysis : Interviews Interviewees in this age group, in particular those who happened to be art students, were also on the mailing list of several galleries but were more likely to check and read these emails on their phone while on the go. Despite being Dublin locals they claimed to use the Google Maps app regularly when it came to pinpointing the exact location of exhibitions in the city. Visitors to Dublin that we encountered on our research trips were quite savvy when it came to mobile applications and regularly used digital sources for their research both before leaving home and upon arriving at their travel destination. Almost all tourists interviewed, ranging in age from twenty five to forty, owned smartphones and had used Tripadvisor to source things to do in Dublin along with the Google Maps app to navigate the city. Most stated that when traveling they prefer to discover things to see and do by chance and would use an application that facilitated this ‘spur of the moment’ approach. During the course of our interview sessions it became clear that despite the prevalence of this problem, only a certain demographic of visitor would be inclined to use a mobile application for the task of sourcing an exhibition in Dublin, namely Dublin locals and tourists aged between twenty and thirty five years old. It was also instantly evident that this task was closely linked to general social inclinations and social media. It was also noted that regular gallery goers of this age group in particular were well practised in the use of mobile apps and due to their interest in art and design were the most likely of all app users to appreciate and expect a dynamic, well considered visual experience and functionality from any mobile application they may download.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Findings & analysis : Interviews Equally we discovered that the size of the gallery plays a major role in determining the methods of promotion used. Small scale galleries, particularly the ones whose staff we interviewed, have built a substantial community of visitors and gallery members of all ages around their mailing lists and in more recent years their social media pages. The race for visitors between publicly funded galleries in Dublin was discovered to be a highly competitive one. However, t was suggested by several gallery staff members that a unified and dedicated ‘gallery / exhibition finding’ source that integrated a reliable, accurate navigation system and concise, useful information would be very helpful to small institutions, particularly those located in areas of less regular people traffic. The added feature of a review section was suggested by our team during the interview session. This was very much welcomed and it was suggested that this could be presented digitally in real time to create a more contemporary, conversational experience for potential visitors.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Findings & analysis : Interviews Using the Affinity Diagram method, we organised our interview feedback into several main themes: Galleries mentioned, Visitor research methods, Navigation, Visitor Profile, Gallery promotion, Reasons for visits, Tracking what you see, Criticisms, and Suggestions. These themes may be viewed in the Affinity Diagram (Fig.1) and are summarised below.
Social media widely used by galleries to promote their exhibitions. Galleries also promote through their own websites and mailing lists, as well as printed newsletters & online
Galleries most regularly mentioned tended to be larger and widely known e.g. IMMA, Douglas Hyde, National Gallery
Online searches proved popular for visitor research,, in particular gallery websites, as well as travel website companies such as Tripadvisor & Lonely Planet. Printed newsletters & newspapers were often mentioned - The Irish Times was especially well regarded by users. Word of mouth and personal recommendations were also a primary way of getting information
Fig. 1
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Findings & analysis : Interviews Google maps was frequently mentioned as the best way to navigate Dublin, especially by visitors to the city. Lack of street signs caused caused difficulty for visitors trying to locate galleries in the city without a digital source. Dublin Gallery Map was cited as as a good way to locate galleries
There is no central source to find out about exhibitions in the city information is scattered & can be difficult to find. A number of respondents reported missing out on exhibitions, only hearing about them after they had ended. Lesser known galleries are getting a lot less visits by tourists due to a lack of advertising. Exhibitions are often found by chance
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Survey In order to gain further insight into what we suspected would be our main user groups we designed a survey primarily directed at the visitor type aged between 20 to 35 interested in art and design. We also targeted current and former art students from NCAD. At this point we sought to gain insight from user groups that are very familiar with the task of sourcing exhibitions in Dublin and discover their preconceptions of mobile applications and their experiences of interacting with them.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Survey
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research Research : Survey Findings
////////////////////////
//////////////////////// Respondents had an enthusiastic response, with
92%
enjoyment and a love of art being the
Of respondents attend exhibitions in the city
different. A desire to see new works and new
predominant reasons for visiting. Respondents also see exhibitions as a “break from the norm�, a way to meet new people and do something
exhibitions was prevalent
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research Research : Survey Findings
85% plan exhibitions in advance
● ● ●
All own a smartphone
82% have had trouble finding exhibitions in Dublin
Every respondent was found to own a smartphone, which they use on a daily bases Visits to exhibitions in the city tend to be planned in advance. Just four respondents report visiting on the spur of the moment Despite this planning, the majority of respondents who are resident in Dublin have encountered difficulties in finding an exhibition to suit their interests
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research Research : Survey Findings
//////////////////////// Respondents visit most often with... Exhibitions are viewed primarily as a social occasion. Respondents were most likely to visit with friends. There was also an expectation of social interaction at the gallery itself, as a way to meet new people and share experiences
Friends Family
Alone
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research : Survey Findings 100% How users find out about exhibitions “You can communicate & interact with like minded people on a gallery page”
75%
“Usually pure luck” “They do the hard work” “I can see who is going and get reminders”
50%
Social media was the most popular way to find out about art exhibitions in the 25%
city. Almost 90% of students use this method. This was largely due to:
0% Social media
Gallery newsletters
Online searches
Local magazines
●
Notifications/reminders
●
The extent of information available
●
Seeing that peers were attending.
Gallery newsletters and local magazines were not as favoured, with respondents preferring to rely on word of mouth, recommendations and interaction with peers.
Word of mouth
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Research Research : Survey Findings Favourite mobile applications among respondents “Great for inspiration” “Lots of visuals”
24
“Easy to navigate” “Help me to get contact with people”
18
“Visually stimulating” “Clean layout”
When asked to to name their their three favourite apps, Instagram
12
was largely the most popular. Other apps frequently mentioned were notable for their focus on social interaction. Users were drawn to clean
6
user interface, ease of use and interaction, and stimulating imagery 0
Snapchat
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Findings & analysis : Survey Visiting exhibitions is a popular activity among the art student population. We identified a number of factors that influence an individual’s decision to attend. The majority of respondents visit for enjoyment and entertainment. Other reasons cited include learning opportunities, exploration and the opportunity to see things outside their usual experience. Recommendations are highly regarded in the art world and were found to be one of the strongest factors that motivate people to attend. Respondents are much more likely to attend an event when it has generated a lot of interest online. They were much more likely to visit an exhibition with their peers or family than alone. These spaces are experienced as a place to visit with friends and to meet new people. Among respondents, social media was by far the most popular way to find out about exhibitions. Seeing an event that a friend or esteemed peer was attending was also a primary driver to attend. Facebook was highly regarded for its notification system, as it sends an alert to a user when an event they have shown interest in is to take place. However respondents noted that potential events were often skimmed over and missed due to the magnitude of information available on the social network. Other online sources most often included email newsletters from various galleries, and websites including Le Cool, Totally Dublin as well as gallery websites. Respondents pay attention to public advertising and gallery newsletters, albeit to a much lesser extent. With the plethora of information available online and the limited information these hard copies can contain, they tend to be regarded as a less valuable source.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Findings & analysis : Survey All respondents own and use a smartphone on a daily basis. Participation and communication was the primary reason for using and downloading apps, with intent messaging based Whatsapp, visiting messaging Snapchat and social network Facebook ranking highly. Sharing and viewing opinions and images with others was of high importance to respondents. They were also admired for their navigational functions, ease of use and clean layouts. The use of the application Instagram was massively popular among respondents. Since this app is generated towards image sharing it is a natural platform for the art world. Users admired both its visual stimulation and its engaging element, as your posts can be responded to and admired.
It was evident from the research that there is no collective way of finding out about ongoing exhibitions in the city. Visits were often found by chance. Although social media does a lot of good as a way of finding out about exhibitions, artists and galleries, it does so in a frustratingly scattered way. Exhibitions can be missed and get lost in the field. Exhibitions do not have categories. One must wonder how visitors to the city can locate exhibitions in the city if those familiar in the city have trouble. Users identified a need for more information about specific exhibitions, as well as greater circulation. Respondents also expressed a desire to meet new people, to be in discussion with similar interests. All of these needs can be enhanced through the development of an app which encourages social interaction and debate about artworks in the city.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Personas Our research findings allowed us to determine the users that we will cater for in our design process. The three main user personas that we have chosen for our app are as follows:
Richard, 32: The young, inner Dublin city local and a huge fan of all things related to art and design.
Orlagh, 22: The fine art student in her final year at NCAD.
Alexandra, 35: The native Parisian visiting Dublin for the weekend.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Personas Richard, 32
Pain Points: ●
Bio: Richard is an inner Dublin city local. He is middle class, well educated, and a huge fan of art and design. He regularly attends art exhibitions both in Dublin and abroad on occasion. He is interested in cultural events and prefers to spend his spare time and money on experiences rather than trivial things. He is passionate about creativity and and inspired by
● ● ● ●
the works of art that he witnesses.
Having to use multiple sources to find exhibitions Finding specific types of exhibitions Pinpointing and then physically finding galleries Receiving late notifications (could be an hour before) Having to use multiple sources to review exhibitions
Goals: Current behavior: Richard uses Facebook to follow Dublin gallery pages and uses the event RSVP feature of the application to keep track of events he’s attending. He likes the notification feature of the application as it reminds him of upcoming exhibitions that he plans to attend. Richard often browses the websites of his favourite galleries, which he has bookmarked on his phone and laptop. He sometimes likes going straight to the source when looking for exhibitions to attend. Richard often asks his friends for recommendations and discusses exhibitions they have seen together at a later date.
● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Avoid complex navigation Find exhibitions quickly Locate galleries easily Document experiences Share information with other like minded people Find recommendations Receive reminders in advance
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Scenario : Finding an exhibition It’s a Thursday evening after work and Richard is planning for the weekend ahead. He wants to find an exhibition close to his home to visit on Saturday. Richard recently heard about the EFD app from a close friend who recommended it because of its easy to use nature and efficiency. While at home, he downloads the app on his iPhone 6 from the App Store and opens it. He is presented with a signup page. He signs up using his Facebook account details. Now signed up, he has access to the main features of the app. After signing up, he is presented with a homepage which is a geographic representation of his current location in map form. It shows his current position and exhibitions that are close to this position. At the bottom of the screen is a navigation bar consisting of 4 tabs. Each tab has an icon to differentiate them. Richard notices an exhibition North of his current position. Above the exhibition building icon on the map is the distance between him and the exhibition. The distance reads as 10 km. He taps on the exhibition and the application then loads a new page. The page contains information about the exhibition, such as opening times, closing date and a general summary. The exhibition in question is located at The Douglas Hyde Gallery. Liking what he has read in the summary, Richard adds the exhibition to his ‘WishList’ by tapping on the heart icon on the exhibition page. By doing this, the system will now send notifications to Richard regarding the exhibition, such as when the exhibition closing date is near. Satisfied with his choice, he closes the application. He plans to attend the exhibition after lunch this Saturday, which is the unveiling of the exhibition.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Scenario : Specific exhibition search Richard is looking for a specific exhibition that a friend recommended to him. He opens the EFD app and the home page loads. He sees exhibitions in close proximity to him, but wants to perform a more refined search. He taps on the search tab located at the bottom right corner of the navigation bar, at the bottom of the screen. A new page is loaded and displayed on the screen. He scrolls down the A-Z list and finds the exhibition he is looking for under “D”. He taps on the exhibition and a new page is loaded. On the exhibition page, he reads the summary and then adds it to his WishList. Before closing the application, he taps on the ‘WishList’ tab to the right of the home button. A new page is loaded, which consists of all the exhibitions that Richard has added to his ‘WishList’. He sees the exhibition he just added among the list but notices that an exhibition he ‘WishListed’ earlier in the month is highlighted in red at the top of the list. This indicates that this exhibition’s closing date is approaching. Richard decides to attend this exhibition ahead of the one he just WishListed, as the closing date for that one is still a few weeks away. Satisfied with his search and wish list check, he closes the application.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Personas Orlagh, 22
Pain Points: ●
Bio: Orlagh is a 22 year old fine art student in her final year at NCAD. She regularly attends exhibitions to find inspiration for her studio work, and for the social aspect as she is very involved in the art community in Dublin. She and her fellow students are encouraged to attend exhibitions as often as possible especially during the research stage of their final projects, due in May.
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Having to use multiple sources to find exhibitions Finding specific types of exhibitions Pinpointing and then physically finding galleries Receiving late notifications (could be an hour before) Having to use multiple sources to review exhibitions
Goals: Current behavior: Orlagh often uses Facebook to find out about upcoming exhibitions. She trusts the recommendations of her friends and peers, especially fellow students and those within the art community. As a result, viewing the events her friends are planning on attending is very important to her. New exhibitions and new learning opportunities. Orlagh is young and familiar with the majority of popular social media apps such as Instagram and Pinterest. She also browses various websites such as Totally Dublin.ie and lecool Dublin to find information about exhibitions but experiences this system as disorganised and slightly frustrating.
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Wants to access all information in one place (application?) Avoid complex UI’s Find exhibitions quickly Find specific exhibitions Share information with others Receive reminders in advance Find recommendations Discover new learning opportunities
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Scenario : Research an exhibition Orlagh is looking for a new exhibition to attend. She heard about a new exhibition in Dublin from a peer. Curious, she is looking for information about it. She knows it is being held in The National Gallery of Photography. Orlagh is already signed up to the EFD app. She opens the app and is presented with a home page in the form of a map. A regular user of the app, she taps on the search tab and scrolls down the list to find the exhibition in question. She finds it quickly and taps on it. She is brought to a new page that contains information about the exhibition. She reads the summary and likes what she reads. It intrigues her and she thinks there may be some useful research opportunities for her final project. She adds the exhibition to her ‘WishList’ by tapping on the heart icon. An alert displays on the screen to confirm that it has been successfully added. The alert then disappears. Still on the same page, she taps on the small list of friends who have attended the exhibition. A new page with a list of her friends who have attended the exhibition is loaded and displayed. Before closing the application, she goes back to her WishList and taps on the exhibition once again. She then taps on the reviews feed within the exhibition page, which takes her to a list of reviews on a new page. She reads some of the reviews and decides that she will attend the exhibition based on the information she’s obtained. Its sounds interesting, 10 of her friends have attended it and the reviews are favourable. Satisfied, she closes the application.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Scenario : Wider map search Orlagh is at home, on the outskirts of the city centre. She is looking for a new exhibition to attend. She opens the EFD app and is recognised as a returning user. The homepage is loaded in map form. There is only one exhibition showing on the map in relation to her current position. Wanting to see a wider range of what’s available to attend, she zooms out of the current map view by pinching the screen. The new, larger scaled map shows a lot more exhibitions within the general city. The closest one to her current position is 23 km away. The map shows that 25 friends have attended this gallery. She taps on the icon and a new page is loaded and displayed to the screen. The icon in question represents IMMA. Now on the gallery page, Orlagh can see the current ongoing exhibitions at IMMA in list form. She scrolls down the list of exhibitions and taps on the second one because it says that 12 friends have attended it (the highest on the list). The exhibition page is then loaded and displayed. Orlagh reads the summary available and then decides to add the exhibition to her WishList for future reference. The system alerts her that the exhibition has been successfully added. Satisfied with her search, she closes the application.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Personas Alexandra, 35 Bio: Alexandra is a chef from Paris. She is planning to visit to Dublin for a weekend to see her sister who lives there with her Irish husband. She has a reasonable grasp of English. As a chef, Alexandra is interested in cultural events. While food is a big passion of hers, she has a strong appreciation for Art and visits many galleries back home during her time off.
Pain Points: ● ● ● ● ● ●
Information is scattered Pinpointing gallery locations can be difficult Physical maps aren’t always easy to read Directions can be be misinterpreted Too many digital research sources Exhibitions not well signposted
Goals: Current behavior: Alexandra likes to research things to do before she goes on holiday, or when visiting somewhere new. She often uses Google searches for this. Her favourite app for travel is TripAdvisor. She particularly likes the review feature of the application. While Alexandra likes to be well informed before traveling, she realises that it’s important to explore as well and discover things to do once she arrives in a new place. She isn’t hesitant to ask at the hotel reception desk for information or directions but relies heavily on the Google Maps app on her phone, as the GPS tracking allows her to see where she is even if she can’t decode the foreign street names.
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Find things to do in Dublin Find exhibitions efficiently Locate galleries Navigate the city Avoid becoming lost Find reputable reviews and recommendations Share personal experiences
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Scenario : Navigating from hotel to exhibition Alexandra has just finished visiting her sister in Meath while on a visit to Ireland from Paris. She planned in advance to spend the last 2 days of her trip in Dublin. She booked a single room in a Dublin City Centre hotel for Friday and Saturday. She is flying home on Sunday and wants to experience some Irish culture before she leaves for home. As a big fan of art, Alexandra asks the receptionist at the front desk about where are the best galleries to visit in Dublin and if she knows of any good exhibitions that are currently ongoing. The receptionist hands her a brochure and some leaflets but also suggests that she should download the new EFD app. She informs her that it was only released a few months ago, but that is has received really positive reviews and other guests of the hotel have informed her that it aided their experience greatly. Alexandra takes her recommendation on board and decides to download the app onto her iPhone 5s while unpacking in her hotel room. She opens the app and signs up by providing the necessary details required. Once signed up, she is presented with a home page in the form of a map. She immediately likes the visual aid. She notices an exhibition close to her. It has a 6 km indication above it. Happy with the distance between her and it, she taps on the exhibition and is brought to a new page where the information for the exhibition is displayed. The summary convinces her to attend the exhibition, it sounds interesting. She taps on the heart symbol to add it to her ‘WishList’. She then taps on the home icon and is brought back to the original map view she first saw. With her phone in hand, Alexandra leaves her hotel room and begins to follow the map to the exhibition. As she leaves the hotel and turns right, the distance between her and the exhibition decreases. Happy that she’s going the right way, she keeps walking towards the gallery, checking the map every so often to ensure that she’s on the right track. After 15 minutes of walking, she reaches her destination. Satisfied, she closes the application.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Scenario : Review an exhibition Having successfully navigated her way from her hotel to IMMA, Alexandra attended an exhibition within IMMA and now wants to review it so that others can hopefully make more informed decisions. She sits down on a bench within the grounds and then reopens the EFD app. The system recognises her as a returning user. Alexandra taps on the WishList tab, located at the bottom of the screen along the navigation bar. Her list of exhibitions marked as ‘WishListed’ is displayed. She taps on the exhibition she attended. The exhibition page is loaded and displayed. On this page, she sees a section for reviews, which contains a list of the latest reviews provided by users. She taps on the review feed and a new page is loaded. She scrolls down the feed and sees reviews for the exhibition she just visited. Wanting to contribute, she taps on the “write a review” box above the feed and a new page is loaded. On this page, she writes a review for the exhibition, filling in the necessary details required. Alexandra took a few photos while at the exhibition and wants to add one of them to her review. She taps on the camera icon within the “write a review” page and is brought to her photo album on her iPhone 5s. She taps on the photo she wants to add and is brought back to the review she is currently writing. She reads over her review before submitting it. Once submitted, the application responds by displaying an alert to the screen, which informs her that her review has been successfully submitted. The alert disappears and she is then brought back to the list of reviews for the exhibition, with her review now at the top of the list as the latest review. She taps on the home button and is brought back to the homepage. Satisfied with her review, she closes the application and walks back to the hotel where she thanks the receptionist for her recommendation.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Analysis : Features needed From a collective analysis of our research findings we defined the user needs that we must identify in our app if we are to address the problem effectively. We have proceeded to translate these needs into the following key features we will include in our application.
Login with Facebook Due to the importance of social media and the desire to see what events friends are attending to our user’s, we decided that this application would be best experienced through a ‘Login with Facebook’ feature. While a user may log in separately from their Facebook account they will be unable to access the social feature of the app discussed below. Navigation Navigation applications were the most prominent used by gallery visitors such as Google Maps and Trip Advisor as well as the Dublin Bus App and printed maps such as The Dublin Gallery Map. It was suggested by the curator and manager of The Library Project that the most useful and appealing feature of an exhibition finding app for the city would be a map function that alerted the user to the closest exhibition to them the moment that they open the application on their phone. These exhibitions would be located at the large galleries of Dublin but could also provide smaller, lesser known galleries with a great deal of exposure. We think that this would be a suitable feature for our app as our findings indicate that all interviewees, Dublin locals and tourists alike, are more inclined to visit an exhibition on the ‘spur of the moment’ or on a ‘semi-planned’ basis. Those that use apps prefer simple, clear and convenient functionality and visuals that we think could be provided by a GPS, map based feature.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Analysis : Features needed Concise information Many visitors felt that there was a great deal of information available on exhibitions in Dublin but no dedicated source (application or website) that consolidates this information in a clear, concise and user friendly way. This would include exhibition opening and closing dates and a short piece about the artist and work on show. Long lists of information were identified by most as unappealing in an app. Gallery staff pointed to the large amount of time that they must dedicate towards a number of equally varied promotion methods when advertising a new show. While such a facility is clearly needed, visitors often said that they ‘like to go to the source’, in other words specific gallery or artist web pages to discover more information about the exhibitions that they are interested in. We believe that this preference should also be catered for in our application in the form of links to gallery or artist’s websites and social media pages. Wish-list (keep track of what you’re interested in) Another common problem that visitors experience with the wealth of scattered information and sources currently available is the struggle to easily keep track of the exhibitions that they are interested in seeing. We therefore think that a ‘Wish-list’ feature would be helpful for our users. Once an exhibition has been visited the user may swipe right on it in their WishList to send it to their personal Archive of exhibitions seen. They are also invited to review the exhibition in the process. Reminders / Alerts In conjunction with the ‘Wish-list’ feature, many visitors stated that the most useful feature of Facebook (and the most common event and exhibition
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Analysis : Features needed sourcing method for visitors between the ages of 25 to 35) are the notifications and alerts. A wide variety of promotion methods used by galleries means that gallery goers receive a vast amount of information from all sides but many interviewees stated that they have often missed an exhibition closing date by as little as a day because they couldn’t remember the source that they had heard about it from. Archive of exhibitions visited In addition to collecting some form of photographic memento from an exhibition for the purposes of sharing it later with friends, it was discovered that the vast majority of visitors are inclined to collect brochures, leaflets, postcards or posters from exhibitions that they enjoy. Therefor we decided that an archive feature would be of use to our users who wish to collate the exhibitions that they have visited in a concise and clear list form rather than having their travels and experiences erased from their user profile once removed from their WishList. Social networking (Login with Facebook) Visitors used a variety of research methods ranging from apps like Tripadvisor and travel blogs to local magazines and newspapers and Google searches for specific gallery websites. Social networking sites were the most dominant sources used by visitors aged 25 to 35 who often referred to Facebook’s events section where they can mark an interest in an event, rely on Facebook for updates on it and to keep track of all the events that their friends are attending. This Facebook feature was also admired by visitors that stated they would trust a friend’s recommendation on an exhibition above any other source. As a result we think that a Login with Facebook feature would be highly important for our app and would cater to those visitors, most often the 25 to 35 year old age bracket, already inclined towards the regular use of applications for this task.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Analysis : Features needed Recommendations / Review section Reviews and recommendations as application features were mainly referred to in the interview process by tourists to the city. These visitors paid close attention to the review section on Trip Advisor when it came to deciding what to do in Dublin. Gallery staff, in particular those at small galleries such as Gallery of Photography Ireland, also regard visitor feedback and reviews on travel websites as highly useful to their work and to their methods of promotion and exhibition design. It was decided by our team that this review section should be presented to the user in the form of a real time list alongside exhibition information on the exhibition page. Access to phone camera The feature of Trip Advisor that allows users to upload their own photos of hotels or restaurants etc. to be viewed by others alongside the ‘professional’ photos taken of these establishment was also considered. It was clear that visitors enjoyed photographing exhibitions on their phones (when permitted by galleries) and sharing them with friends. We decided that visitor photo sharing should be an extension of the ‘review’ feature. Clear, simple UI Every visitor interviewed that used applications regularly stated that the most appealing aspect of an app is clear, straightforward functionality with a simple, minimal interface. Apps referenced included Google maps, Hailo, TripAdvisor and Facebook. All of which we shall take note of and use as references during the design process.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Design Principles As a result of the research we conducted, insights gathered and personas drawn up as a result of our findings, these are the design principles we agreed on: ●
A clearly identifiable, easy to use navigation bar based on users’
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previous experiences with apps ●
Consistent layout structures across all pages (nav bar always on
against! (reduce effort on user’s end) ●
the bottom, symbols link to new pages) ●
Use of universally understood symbols/icons (e.g. house symbol
User efficiency is key: the application should work for them, not
Simple defined function of application (finding and locating exhibitions).
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Remain aesthetically pleasing to please our users, most of
for home button)
whom are interested in art and design, without compromising
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Minimal use of text where possible
functionality.
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Provide the user with choice (customisation) - e.g. map/list view, search options
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Use of visual aids (map, profile pictures)
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Consistent colours schemes across pages (familiarity)
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Use of vibrant colours (fits with art theme)
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User input is optional, not forced on them (reviews)
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Components Functional elements ● ● ●
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Map, GPS tracking function (using iOS hardware). Estimate distance of user from closest exhibition. WishList function: Add exhibitions to WishList and receive updates/notifications to device e.g. ‘Closing date is fast approaching’, ‘Venue change’ etc. Archive function: Add exhibitions attended to your Archive list. Keep track of and remember what you have seen. Search function: Use the Search function to find specific exhibitions that you have heard about or others that you haven’t come across on the map. Write and submit a review of an exhibition to the real time review section on that exhibition page. Home
WishList
Archive
Search
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Components Data elements ● ● ● ●
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User’s username, password and email address linked to their Facebook profile. User’s location using location tracking (GPS) iOS hardware. Galleries in Dublin, their location, website link and current or upcoming exhibitions. Exhibition information: images, exhibition press release/description, opening and closing dates, location within gallery, artist info etc. User’s list of Facebook friends (especially those using the Exhibition Finder App). Store reviews input by Facebook friends and other user on each exhibition. Access to user’s phone camera roll to facilitate uploading photos to reviews.
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Store exhibitions that user has added to their WishList database within the App. Store exhibitions that user has archived to the user’s ‘Archive’ database within the App.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Abstract Prototype: Flow 1 Existing user opens app to check what’s on close by.
Clicks on building highlighted, views exhibition page.
Taps WishList symbol.
Distance away of closest exhibition
Wishlisted symbol and message appears on screen to confirm user’s action. Gallery phone & website links
‘You Are Here’
Taps on list of FB friends. Displays list of user’s Facebook friends who have attended and archived this show.
Home page that loads once an existing user opens the app on their phone. A map that locates the user as an orange dot on the map and displays what is on close to them.
Exhibition page containing title of the exhibition, exhibition info, info on the gallery hosting it, a real time review section, list of Facebook friends who have wishlisted it, an ‘Archive’ and ‘Wishlist’ button.
List of FB friends who Archived (attended) this show
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Abstract Prototype: Flow 2 This screen flow describes the user who has found an exhibition using the app on a spur of the moment. When they have read the exhibition information they drop in as they are close by. Once there they choose to write a new review and submit it. Existing user opens app to check what’s on close by.
Taps on building highlighted, views exhibition page.
Taps on review section to view real time reviews.
List of previous reviews by user’s Facebook friends and other users
Taps on ‘Write a review’, is brought to a review input page.
Tap camera symbol to add photo
Chooses to add a photo stored in their phone to the review.
Choose photo from phone’s camera roll
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Abstract Prototype: Flow 2 The user has now successfully submitted a review and upon returning to the exhibition page, chooses to add it to their archive of shows attended. Finishes review and taps ‘Submit’.
Image is now attached
User’s review is added to the list of real time reviews.
A pop-up appears to confirm this submission.
Temporary notification. This will disappear when user taps anywhere on screen
User taps back to exhibition page.
User’s review now viewable on top of review listings
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Abstract Prototype: Flow 3 In this screen flow the user has received an alert update on an exhibition that they have previously WishListed from Exhibition Finder App in the form of a banner on their phone. User swipes right and is brought to their WishList where they see the exhibition is ending soon. Once they have visited the show the user swipes right to send it from their WishList to their Archive. They are invited to review it first which they choose to do. User receives banner alert on their phone. Event ending soon is highlighted red Events are organized in order of date
Swipes right and is brought to their WishList.
Swipes right on show to send it from WishList to Archive.
User accepts invitation to review the show. Slide right to mark attended and add to ‘Archive’
Tap to review
1 New WishList notification
Option to swipe left to delete from list
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Abstract Prototype: Flow 3 User is brought to a review input page.
User completes review and taps ‘Submit’.
The App confirms the user’s submission with a pop-up.
App returns the user to their WishList which now contains one less exhibition.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Abstract Prototype: Flow 4 The user opens the App which immediately locates them on the map on Dublin. The user wishes to see a wider view of Dublin and exhibitions that may be a little further away so they choose to zoom out of the Home screen map. Now they can see more exhibitions around them they tap on the gallery building highlighted that the greatest number of Facebook friends have WishListed. Once tapped on the App generates a list of the exhibitions on in that gallery along with the amount of the user’s friends that have WishListed each. User zooms out of map to see more exhibitions.
No. of Facebook friends who added exhibition to WishList or Archive
User taps on a gallery with several exhibitions on inside. They display in list form.
Exhibitions arranged by those ending soonest
User selects one show to view more information on.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
POP Demonstration We have also included an interactive prototype of flows to demonstrate how our mobile application would work in practice. In this demonstration the user receives a notification advising that an event the user has ‘WishListed’ is ending soon. The user has visited this event already and chooses to write a review. A photo is added to this review. The user returns to her WishList.The event she attended has now been removed. The user then views the search tab, before going to the homescreen of the app, which consists of a close range map. The user sees an exhibition is showing by a highlighted gallery nearby. By clicking on this gallery, the user is brought to the main exhibition page. She checks which of her friends are attending and chooses to ‘WishList’ the event. The user receives confirmation that the event has been ‘WishListed’ and the ‘WishList’ icon changes shade to pink. She then returns to the homepage and zooms out to view galleries in the wider area. A gallery that 25 of her friends are attending catches her eye and she taps it. This gallery is showing a number of exhibitions. The user browses these in list form. She selects one, and after reading the details chooses to ‘WishList’ it.
Exhibition Finder App, Dublin
Conclusion Our research informs us that both Dublin locals and tourists would benefit from a dedicated source for art exhibitions in Dublin that presents information clearly and concisely in a user friendly, visually appealing way. We have chosen a Dublin local as our primary user because we believe that there is both a need and desire for a social application that serves the art community. This niche market will also benefit from and enjoy the simple functionality of this app along with the GPS tracking and map features which communicate simply and effectively the proximity of the nearest exhibition to them in a visually appealing way. We have chosen a tourist as a secondary user as we are convinced that they too will benefit from these main features, while perhaps in practise relying more on the GPS function than the social network aspect of the application. Through our extensive research in the area, we are confident that our proposed mobile application will assist art fans in locating a wide variety of art exhibitions in galleries and studios throughout Dublin, and will make for a very well rounded gallery experience for visitors to the city.