Research Findings
During the research phase, I conducted competitive analysis with three other art gallery & museum mobile app experience and held 5 interviews with potential or existing users of such services.
Competitive Analysis
The three competitors researched in the audit was Walt Disney Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, and St. Louis Public Library. They all had the similarity of having a digital (or virtual) experience of an art gallery or a museum. However Walt Disney Museum's app provided me with many insights since it was a large corporation and their app was meant to be used when the user is experiencing the displays & installments both virtually and physically.
Walt Disney Family Museum
+ Simple & easy to use
+ Multiple languages available
+ Search installments' serial number on the app
+ Information and audio tours are organized by chapters
- No closed caption available for audio tours
- Serial code formats are series of number which can be a hassle to find & type.
St. Louis Public Library
+ Straightforward user flow
+ Audio tracks include subtitles (Text-to-speech)
- Requires library card or account to use
- No other language available other than English
- Poor image quality
Art Institute of Chicago
+ List of features and arts the user can expect
+ Search art work's serial code for more information
+ Multiple languages available
- Cannot listen to the audio book and view the subtitles spontaneously
- No option to further explore about the art
- Limited number of language available
Interviews
Through online communities, I was able gather 5 interviewees with different background and experiences with art galleries and their apps. The interviews were held virtually through Zoom or Discord, which lasted around 30 minutes each session. The interviewees were asked questions of past experiences with similar applications, frequency of using the any art gallery apps, frequency of visiting galleries physically, and any pain points or enjoyable moments of physical & virtual art gallery visits.
What did they say?
Non-native English speakers mentioned that they often had trouble fully comprehending the meaning of the installment even with a tour guide or audio tour.
Those who often visit the galleries use the virtual experience as a substitution of the physical experience. It helps them decide if the current exhibition is interesting for them to go see it in-person.
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