Artifact is a conceptual mobile and AR application designed to make museum visits more engaging. By scanning the art on display, users can view information that goes beyond the traditional wall label, delivered in a more playful and interactive way. It aims to lower barriers to entry, making museums feel more approachable for those who find art hard to understand. For museums, this ultimately means drawing in a wider audience and encouraging broader participation.
As the solo designer, I led the entire design process, from research synthesis and storyboarding to prototyping and user testing, to explore how technology can support more meaningful, self-guided art experiences.
MY ROLE
Sole Designer
MY CONTRIBUTIONS
Strategy, UX/UI Design
The Problem
Museum visitors often struggle to connect with the art in front of them, lacking the context or guidance to engage in a meaningful way.
The Solution
Artifact is a mobile-first app that helps museum visitors engage more deeply by scanning artworks to access clear, contextual information in the moment.
Finding the Gaps, Defining the Vision
Through conversations with museum goers of various age groups and museum staff, I uncovered key reasons why visitors often feel hesitant or disengaged. A common theme: many people feel lost or disconnected during visits, lacking the context or guidance needed to meaningfully engage with the art. This insight helped shape Artifact’s core goal of making on-site learning more seamless and engaging.
I first mapped the full visitor journey—starting from discovering Artifact through the museum website or an email, using the app during their visit, and staying connected after they leave. This helped me define the product’s key features and shape how people would naturally interact with Artifact over time.
Once that core experience was clear, I explored how AR glasses could offer a more immersive version. The visitor journey became a foundation for this, and the app and site also help visitors discover and get started with the AR option.
A Mobile-First Experience
The Artifact mobile app supports in-the-moment engagement and learning in a museum setting. During onboarding, the user gets a glimpse to the app’s core purpose of discovering art through scanning. From there, they’re prompted to select a participating museum via search. This sets the context for their visit and prepares the interface for location-specific content.
The user can view the ongoing exhibits and artwork list even before visiting the museum, helping them decide what to prioritize or explore based on their interests. This lightweight preview allows for optional planning while keeping the core experience rooted in on-site exploration.
In the gallery, users simply scan an artwork to unlock details in real time. The app pulls up rich contextual information: artist background, medium, historical relevance, and more. A dedicated artwork page allows the user to dive deeper into the work, and save favorites for later.
Extending the Experience with AR
For a more immersive option, visitors can rent AR glasses during their museum visit at select locations. The glasses recognize artworks in real time, providing contextual information, creating a seamless, hands-free learning experience without breaking the flow of observation. To personalize the experience, users can also select a virtual docent, each with a distinct personality and focus area, tailoring the narration style and insights to match their interests.
The virtual docent shares stories about each artwork as users explore, with the option to interact through voice, text, or a combination of both depending on preference.
What's Next for Artifact?
Looking ahead, Artifact could become a more personalized and intuitive guide. While the current experience already includes interactive audio narration, future versions might expand this with features like voice-activated suggestions and AI-generated artist voices to deepen emotional and historical context. Users could ask questions such as “Where can I see more artwork like Rothko’s?” and be directed to related exhibits. The AR experience could also support in-museum navigation, helping users find specific artworks or galleries. These are just a few early ideas that point to Artifact’s broader potential to make museum visits more engaging and accessible.
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