Using Augmented
Reality to Improve the
Art Museum Experience
Case Study by Sam Kwok
UX Designer | 2023
Try Out The AR Experience
Use your device’s camera to scan the QR code.
Press on the link that pops up after scanning successfully.
To comply with my non-disclosure agreement, I have changed some of the quantitative data and omitted some information in this case study. All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of The Louvre AR.
SKILLS
UX Design
User Testing
Wireframing
Prototyping
TEAM
Me
(UX Researcher) Joe Formica
MY ROLE
UX Designer collaborating with UX Researcher to create and update AR Experience for The Louvre Museum that will cater to all museum visitors.
Project Overview
The Louvre, one of the most famous art museums in the world, wants to create a better experience for their guests.
They have received positive feedback about visitors who have joined group or private tours, but are looking for ways to improve the experience for individuals who are visiting by themselves or with friends.
Current Solution
And why it isn't working....
Many works of art have QR codes that a visitor can scan that will pull up a detailed article about the piece,
...but visitors have complained that the articles are too long, detailed, and difficult to follow while observing the art.
My challenge was to prototype an Augmented Reality App to help create a better experience for visitors.
Understanding Our Users
"I enjoy going to the museum, but I often leave feeling like I didn't appreciate the art as much as I could have.
I don't need to be an expert, I just don't want to feel like I missed out on anything."
Expert Interview
Next, Joe interviewed Lena Carroll, a tour guide at The Museum of Natural History in New York City. She talked about some of the key topics she generally includes in her tours.
These are a few key insights from the interview with Lena that helped me narrow down the content included in my solution.
Little facts for the general audience
Techniques used by Leonardo DaVinci
Based on our user insights and interviews, I decided to focus on these call-outs and facts in my solution.
Thought Provoking
A face recognition software once claimed that the portrait of ‘Mona Lisa’ is : 83% happy, 9% disgusted, 6% fearful, and 2% angry.
Interesting
Pablo Picasso was questioned as a suspect when Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911.
Leaving guests with something to think about
Audience Reaction
Since the painting first arrived at the Louvre in 1815, ‘Mona Lisa’ has received plenty of love letters and flowers from admirers. She even has her own mailbox.
Exploring users’ feelings and thoughts of the painting
Artist Technique
Leonardo Da Vinci used more than thirty layers of paint on the Mona Lisa, some of which were thinner than a strand of human hair.
Sketches Solutions
I sketched out different versions of what these features and callouts might look like in Augmented reality. In a timed sprint, I sketched several versions of each callout.
The initial sketch shows small but informative bubbles around Mona Lisa where users can simply navigate back and forth little unknown facts.
The second sketch shows the same information, but instead of navigating with buttons, you can navigate by tilting mobile devices at different angles.
The last sketch shows bite-size facts by zooming in on different features of Mona Lisa’s face.
Evidently, I opted for the first sketch due to the fact that it is easily accessible for all audiences compared to the other ideas without compromising on the details.
Prototyping in AR
Using Zapworks, I created a prototype of my final solution
Users can start the AR experience by tapping on ‘The Button’.
It was also named ‘The Button’ to allow users to assume the app’s light-heartedness.
I wanted users to easily navigate through the fun facts so that users can focus on the material rather than spend time to figure out how the AR experience works.
With the ‘Back’ button, users can reread a fact they’ve quickly glanced over or if they’ve noticed something about the painting and wanted to compare the facts.
Add additional facts and possibly opinions and theories.
Next Steps
Categorize facts into a few genres such as techniques, history, story behind the art, and more.
Add a function to take notes. This would be especially useful for users to jot down their thoughts and feelings .
What I’ve Learned
AR is still a fairly new technology that is being adopted at a high rate. The most rewarding experience is when I find a way to help people learn or give any sort of value. In this case, turning large text documents into digestible bite-sized fun facts help people appreciate the art more. It caters to a broader audience and introduces intricacies that users may never find out.
Going forward I believe this is the route I’ll venture towards in my UX Design journey. To simplify as much as possible, the complicated ideas.
Thank you for getting to the end! I hope you learned something new about me or the project. I have other projects you can check out.
Contact me if you want to collaborate together!