Museum patrons as website users
Project (educational):
Develop a responsive extranet (CUG) and native app for patrons of the city’s art and science museums as an added benefit for donations of over $1500/year.
The problem:
Museums are losing their pull in the digital age. As a result, museum patronage is becoming less attractive. For corporations, the willingness to sponsor a museum exhibition or event has declined. Prospective patrons cannot see the benefits of museum patronage.
The goal:
Create user experience that makes museum patronage more attractive for individuals and corporate sponsorship executives by using “exclusive” content they can access via a closed user group (extranet) or dedicated app.
Personas
Art museum patron:
Amélie is an art lover who wants to feel accepted in the art world. But it is full of “gatekeepers” that won't let her in.
Corporate persona science museum:
Marcus is a corporate sponsorship executive who needs quick answers to his queries on exhibitions because he must justify his decisions towards his employer.
User pain points
Pain point "Information": Information on exhibitions is often written in a language that is difficult to understand.
Response: Present information in a readable, user-friendlier way.
Pain point "Communication": A potential patron needs more in-depth information when making a sponsoring decision. Curators do not see this as their job.
Response: Educational intent behind exhibitions must be brought more clearly to the forefront. Curators should be reachable.
Pain point "Value of patronage": The benefits of patronage are not obvious enough making decision-making difficult for patrons.
Response: List compelling reasons to become a patron ("Why...").
Pain point "Collaboration": Collaboration opportunities with the museum are not attractive enough.
Response: Emphasize exclusivity of access to “behind-the-scenes” information or other benefits like beating the queue ("VIP treatment").
Low fidelity prototype
On homepage user clicks on a segment that leads to an exhibition page which lists information in an at-a-glance fashion. More in-depth information by clicking on plus sign or curator (CTA). Top navigation entry changes color following feedback from peers that position within site hierarchy unclear.
Usability test results (moderated, remote, 2 participants)
Only select information accessible from homepage such as featured exhibitions. Information lower down in the site hierarchy seems inaccessible.
An advanced search function could be implemented as an alternative to top navigation.
For a very visual topic, there are not that many images. Visuals are an important part of decision-making. Patrons definitely need them.
Mock-ups
Usability test (moderated)
Two test persons were given the task to decide whether to sponsor an exhibition. A main issue was that information on the museum's permanent exhibition was missing. When checking whether a museum's values match with a corporate spronsor's values, permanent exhibition reveals more, certainly more than any marketing claims or a choice of the latest exhibitions.
