Gallery X Mobile App Design
Project Overview
The product:
Gallery X is a fictional fine art gallery in a metropolitan area that showcases the work of regional fine artists. They seek to use a dedicated mobile app to support both their exhibiting artists and patrons.
Project duration:
July 2022 - October 2022, completed as part of the Google Career Certificate in User Experience Design.
The Problem:
Community members feel overwhelmed by the experience of visiting a fine art gallery, and artists need to make connections with patrons in order to sell their work.
The Goal:
Design an app that makes fine art more accessible and enhances the in-gallery experience by allowing patrons to learn more about artists and purchase prints of favorite works.
My Role:
Competitive audit, interviews, paper and digital wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, designing and conducting usability studies, accounting for accessibility.
Early Wireframing
Early wireframes for the welcome screen.
Early wireframes for the list of exhibiting artists.
Wireframing in Figma
As I moved into wireframing using Figma, I focused on the user flow of exploring artists, selecting an artwork, and
ordering a print.
Low-Fidelity Prototype
Using my digital wireframes I created a low-fidelity prototype. User flows I connected included selecting and ordering a print and using the QR code scanner to learn more about an artwork.
View the Gallery X low-fidelity prototype
Usability Studies
Usability Study #1 Findings:
1.Users struggled to identify the save icon.
2. The welcome page carousel visually competes with the buttons below.
3. The QR code scanner needs to be accessible from all screens.
Usability Study #2 Findings:
1.The flow of the sign in process was confusing.
2.The animation of the menu page is not consistent.
As I moved into creating mockups, I used feedback from the first usability study. I simplified the welcome greeting, expanded the navigation options in the bottom bar, and changed the location of the menu icon.
Key Mockups
High-Fidelity Prototype
The high-fidelity prototype offers clearer flows for browsing artworks and ordering prints, and signing in.
View the Gallery X High-fidelity prototype
Accessibility Considerations
Provided users with visual impairments access to audio guides for each work of art.
Offered information about physical accessibility and parking to make it easier for users with mobility challenges to plan a visit to the gallery.
Used icons and high-contrast color choices to make navigation through the app clear for all users.
Looking Forward
Impact:
The Gallery X app allows artists to connect with patrons in a new way, and facilitates the process of patrons selecting and ordering artwork. It supports artists by facilitating connections between artists and patrons, and makes art more accessible to the community.
Learning:
Designing the Gallery X app challenged me to think more deeply about accessibility, because the app is centered around visual art work and visiting a physical space.
Next Steps:
Conduct another usability study specifically focused on improving the accessibility of the app.