NCMA Connect Project by qhvo

Contents Introduction Section 1: Design Concept Personas + Scenario Task Flow

Section 2: Prototypes QR Code Signage NCMA Connect App Interactive Map

Section 3: Design Process Appendix

Introduction The NCMA offers experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds, including exhibitions, workshops, films, concerts, online educational resources (NCMA Learn), guided tours, and community spaces. The mission of the NCMA is to inspire creative experience by connecting the diverse communities of North Carolina to cultural and natural resources. Currently, wayfinding within the museum depends on paper maps and dispersed signage. The West Building has some interactive activities through screens and QR codes. To create a more inclusive and enaging experience for visitors, we propose an improvisation of wayfinding, simplified access to educational resources, and a method of encouraging visitor participation within the space. Our objective is to increase engagement, awareness of collections, strengthen community and enhance overall visitor experience for youth populations (ages 13-30).

Design Concept The NCMA Connect brand uses vibrant colors and playful, legible typefaces to create inclusive and energetic products that capture the attention of our target audience of ages 13+. The current and proposed user journeys are mapped with a focus on how the touchpoints of an interactive map, mobile application, and QR code system can aid the visitors in having an enhanced experience at the NCMA. Based on our user journeys and personas, we sketched task analyses for our three touchpoints with the user’s needs at the forefront of our design decisions.

Personas

Brand Guidelines

Header Text:

Temeraire

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Body Text: Omnes

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Current User Journey

Proposed User Journey

NCMA Connect Application The NCMA Connect application gives museum visitors an immersive and participatory experience by centralizing tools that aid in learning, wayfinding, and connection with other visitors. The application is designed to develop stronger interest and engagement from visitors, specifically teenagers and young adults. Users are able to navigate throughout the museum, find specific pieces within the collections, and have digitally enhanced learning through collection based featured images and audio tours. One aspect of the museum experience that is highly valued by youth populations is participatory experiences. In conjunction with the QR signage, the Connect section of the app incentivises exploring the museum and promotes a deeper understanding of artwork and a voice for the diverse perspectives of the NCMA community.

Task Analysis

QR Code Signage The QR code would be positioned below specific collection descriptions. Visitors will be able to interact with the QR code by opening the NCMA Connect app to the “Connect” page and scanning the code within the app, or if scanned with any phone’s camera app the user will be directed to the NCMA Connect web browser. After scanning the QR code the user will be shown the prompt listed next to the QR code that they can answer and share with others.

Task Analysis

Interactive Map In efforts to simplify navigation within the museum, the interactive map at the entrance of the museum could help visitors visualize and be better informed of the space in the West building. The map would show users the layout of the building and the location of important spaces such as the cafe, bathrooms, as well the location and description of the collections.

Task Analysis

Prototypes Our design solutions include an interactive map, an application for the museum, and a QR code system for the “Connect” section of the application. This section contains high fidelity mockups of our touchpoints and details how the features within our touchpoint systems relate to the user journey and goals.

NCMA Connect App The NCMA Connect App is divided into three main sections: Learn, Explore, and Connect. The Learn section provides additional information about each of the collections of art housed in the West Building at the NCMA. This includes feature highlights of artwork with descriptions, an audio tour for each collection, and personalized directions to each collection. Users have the ability to save specific artworks for easy access in a “Saves” album within the app. The Explore section of the app is designed for personal wayfinding through collections in the museum. Users can search specific collections and artworks within the Explore section, as well as see their location within the museum space. The Connect section of the application builds on participatory experiences that currently exist in the museum that ask visitors to submit responses online through a QR code. We developed more of these QR code question prompts located throughout the museum to encourage exploration and engagement, in conjunction with a section within the app to scan and participate. Users are able to view previously scanned QR code chat rooms for 24 hours after they scan to see updates throughout the day from other NCMA visitors. The application is also browser and web-friendly.

QR Code Signage The QR code signage works alongside the NCMA Connect app to further the connection between visitors and art as well as each other. By placing the QR codes and prompts beneath collection descriptions, it allows the visitor to contemplate how the question relates to the artwork displayed. Visitors are able to scan the QR code by using the “Connect” portion of the NCMA Connect app, or by using their camera app which will redirect them to the NCMA Connect web browser where they are able to answer the prompt and are given the option to download the app.

QR Code Signage

Interactive Map

Interactive Map The interactive map has three main features. The first one is to provide information and location of the permanent collections at the NCMA West building. This feature could help the visitors learn more about each collection in order to make their decision of where to visit first in the museum. The second one is the search feature which can assist the users to find an artwork or to show recommendations based on many different art categories at the museum. The last feature is the QR code and the instructions on how to use it which enhances the user experience with more interactive and engaging activities at the museum.

Design Process Our design process for these touchpoints include a serie of ideations, iterations, and revisions. This section includes our earlier process work that ultimately led to our final design solutions.

NCMA Connect App

QR Code Signage

Interactive Map