Marissa Maglis
Timeframe
12 Weeks
Team Members
Four members, then split into pairs after key findings.
My Role
-
Contribution to research/redefining the problem
-
Contribution to concept development
-
Prototyping
-
Usability Testing
Tools
-
Figma
-
Adobe Illustrator
-
Premiere Pro
-
Balsamiq
-
Miro
Deliverables
User Experience Design
-
Context Mapping Methods
-
Research Visualisation Poster
-
Statement Cards
-
Storyboarding
-
Sketchnoting
-
Low, mid and high-fidelity prototypes
-
Interviews
-
System Usability Scale Questions
-
User Journey Mapping
-
Prototype Video
MAPO
An app that redefines museum navigation beyond the norm by deepening a personalised and playful experience.
The design utilises two digital technologies, an app and a Muse. The advanced technology Muse is a headset that measures your brain wave lengths using real-time feedback on a person's mental activity.
The Brief
The Problem
Research Objective
Discover
Define Problem
Research
Data
Design a digital experience with the Chau Chak Wing Museum at the University of Sydney with the theme, ‘the future-focused museum’.
How might Chau Chak Wing Museum use serendipity to future-proof the museum and create a stronger connection between visitors and objects?
To investigate what motivates people to engage playfully in museums. A deeper understanding of why and how people share meaningful experiences or create intimate/personalised bonds with a museum/place.
Background Research
Young adults feel as though museums are outdated and repetitive. The Chau Chak Museum at the University of Sydney plays a vital role in preserving and showcasing collective heritage and knowledge. The museum needs to take the opportunity to bring personalisation and embrace new technologies to leverage visitor engagement. Most museums rely on the same traditional presentation styles that are unengaging or monotonous such as structural layout, minimal interactivity and long descriptive texts.
Research Questions
Personal
What aspects of the display encourage deeper curiosity and enhance personal interest?
Motivational
How can serendipitous discoveries during the museum experience transform our perception of the world around us?
Bond
Do personal factors strengthen or cause a disconnect between the user and specific aspects of the museum?
Research Methods
As a team, we had to apply context-mapping methods to gain the desired information from our target users by developing sensitising exercises, make-and-say exercises, collaging, cognitive mapping and creating the ideal product. We aim to have participants reflect on past experiences and emotions, and how all of those factors impacted their daily activities.
-
Our 6 participants were young adults aged 20-21, who were currently enrolled in university or tafe and have been to a museum. Participants were also favoured due to their different cultural backgrounds, granting them the opportunity to gather unique cultural experiences and personal perspectives.
-
Students were chosen and given sensitising activities 7 days earlier to warm up for context mapping sessions.
-
Interview sessions included an interview transcript, collages and cognitive mapping with further follow-up questions.
-
Data analysis was accomplished through a combined statement card activity and categorisation to determine themes and insights.
Sensitising Exercise
Collaging, Cognitive Mapping & Creating a Product
Make & Say Exercise
Research Articles
"Collected memories bring together different conversations"
"You can't get personal than human emotion"
"Being alone makes it easier to immerse yourself in the experience"
Define
Key Findings
Understand User
Redefine Problem
Based on the analysis of data extracted from the user research methods conducted, we had to design a research visualisation and identify key insights. The result of our research aimed to address encouraging personalisation and serendipitous discoveries throughout the museum journey. These will hopefully continue to captivate users even in the post-visit stages of the user journey, creating a memorable museum experience.
“I dislike when exploring the museum feels forced”
The museum’s layout does not take into account the personalised context that is intriguing for visitors. Museums often find themselves having linear corridors, shuffling guests from one exhibit to the other.
The evidence from our study found that most participants agreed that current museums feel “constricted” and “methodical”.
Over the past few generations, museum experiences have been taken over by curators and marketers, ignoring visitor preferences, leading to museums that feel unnatural and controlled (Rodney, 2019). Currently, the role of users seems like a passive consumer.
“When experiences are personalised I find them more meaningful”
The findings of our study suggested that the majority of participants emphasised the fundamental capability of making a conscious effort to enhance sentimental value. From observation, there are clear consequences for a lack of curiosity, interaction and engagement. These negatively affect the deep and intimate bond between the user and the object. Museums themselves act as catalysts for personal dialogue.This is achieved through the collective memory of different cultures and social groups represented by exhibits (Dias & César, 2014). These memories are deeply personal and tailored both to the group, and the individual. When visitors are able to connect and see the emotional value of artifacts, they are more likely to be personally affected by their visit, leading to a more meaningful experience.
Statements Cards
%20-%20Frame%201.jpg)
As a team, we grouped the key themes and insights to visually organise, plan priorities and understand users' motivations, goals, or pain points. It was a valuable tool for a user-centric design and foster user empathy for storytelling.
Ideate
Potential devices
Find solution from insights
Concept Development
Storyboarding
In summary, the user would stand on a red mat and it would display holographic images where the users hand signals would control the information. As well as being voice active instead of a user reading the text.
The user answers questions in an app to personalise the museum experience and suggest exhibits that the user might like to see. The person can write their feelings and opinions of each display experience.
Storyboarding was an effective decision decided by our team to visually understand how our concepts interact between the user and our service/product. It was used to evaluate 3 early iterations and concepts from our participant sessions and feedback was conducted on further improving our idea from our fellow peers.
Sketch Noting
As a team, we had chosen the personalisation questionnaire design solution as it had received numerous positive feedback and praise for a realistic approach from the design brief. After storyboarding we reflected on implementing Muse from our research with an idea to add a futuristic developing technology. By enabling the use of a Muse the individual can assess and reflect on their personal journey into identifying their true emotions or discover self-identity in what they had enjoyed or didn't in the museum.
Rapid Prototyping
Wireframe
High-Fidelity Prototype
Integrated Testing
Iterations
In the early stages of the design, development was suitable to test how users could comprehend the navigation and understand the product. This way it can be easier to iterate and can find or solve major problems earlier. Usability testing was done in a controlled environment with interviews and using the System Usability Scale questions which further lead to iterations.
Iteration 1 - Low Fidelity
For the first round of testing, many users had positive feedback for the innovation of our design idea. The low-fidelity prototype was a success as the majority quickly understood the tasks at hand.
However, the feedback was necessary and helpful for the suggestion in rearranging the layout in some areas of the screen such as positioning with text or buttons.
Iteration 2 - Mid Fidelity
For the second round of testing, many users had concerns about the brain vs emotion screen results being too simple. As a team, we were discussing from the feedback to add more information on the screen but to limit the complexity of viewing for the users. Although users were happy with more than half of the screens with the positioning and were suggestion possible to change the UX writing. E.g instead of "Brain vs Emotion" it would be "Facts vs Thoughts" for a clearer understanding.
Iteration 3 - High Fidelity
Evaluate
Synthesise
For the third round of testing, this was ultimately the highest percentage of users who were highly satisfied with the design layout with 95% of participants had enjoyed the design solution. There were little changes in the next iteration such as coloured backgrounds however we listened to our users and decided to keep the majority of the layout.
Usability Testing
An average SUS score of 89 rated an excellent response in effectiveness, efficiency and overall ease of use for the final product.
Final Prototype - Main Screens
Start Screen
"Memorable and Memorising." The screen asks the user to connect to the Muse headset before entering the Chau Chak Wing Museum to start their journey
Personalise Guide Screen
If users are lost or curious to find where they are next headed the app will guide the user. The red(likes) and blue(dislike) dots mean the user had already visited that section and entered their opinions.
Comment Zoom
Users have the freedom to write down their opinions and feelings about the exhibit in detail using text, drawing and/or emojis.
Discovery Screen
At the end of their museum journey users can select an exhibit to view and compare their written versus brain activity results.
Self Reflection Screen
As users scroll further down the screen, they can view more of their mental processes of perception or state to create what the Muse headset had recorded.
Self Comparision Screen
Users had written text of their emotions and opinions during each exhibit. Users can scroll through the images of the artifacts with the written comments next to them to reflect on their museum experience and compare their thoughts versus their mental state by Muse.
User Journey Mapping
A user journey map was necessary to describe and present the important steps of the experience with a single visual summation.
A 2-3 minute video was also conducted to explain how our prototype had worked.
Experience and Service Design
The reason why we had chosen these digital technologies of an app and Muse is a user-friendly and convenient way to analyse users' emotions. It benefits the user by allowing individuality in users customising their own personal journey.
Transforms perception and interaction by broadening and deepening the users' understanding of their own emotions and their personal navigation narrative.
