Menu
The Contemporary Art Gallery was struggling with low attendance rates and a lack of visitor satisfaction, as highlighted by less-than-glowing Google reviews. Guests expressed feeling unwelcome and intimidated, struggling to connect with contemporary art and understand the exhibitions. The gallery’s in-person and online experiences needed an overhaul to address these issues.
The challenge was to transform the gallery into a vibrant, inviting space that fosters meaningful connections with contemporary art. This required revamping the physical layout, introducing innovative digital tools, and ensuring the gallery was accessible and welcoming to all.
• Audit and Heuristic Review: The design process began with a comprehensive audit and heuristic review of the gallery’s in-person experience and online presence. This process involved evaluating the gallery’s physical layout, including signage, accessibility, and visitor flow. Additionally, the team assessed the gallery’s online platform to identify usability issues, information architecture challenges, and opportunities for improvement in communicating the gallery’s offerings and events.
• Discovery and Insight: Through interviews with staff and analysis of visitor data, our design team gained a deeper understanding of the gallery’s audience and their needs. We developed personas and journey maps to pinpoint the areas most in need of improvement.
One major initiative involved creating an interactive digital system to replace outdated paper pamphlets. This system offered visitors easy access to information about the artwork and exhibitions, improving their overall experience.
An interactive map was suggested to guide visitors through the gallery with ease. It would provide detailed insights into each artwork, including images, artist information, and accessibility options.
New accessibility features, such as text-to-speech and larger print, were recommended to be integrated into the digital system and gallery design to ensure an inclusive experience for all visitors.
The design team’s observations and suggestions were well-received by the gallery staff. The staff incorporated elements of the proposal into the gallery experience, which led to significant improvements.
As a result, the gallery experienced an increase in visitors and a higher rating on platforms like Google Reviews.
