For this project, I created a museum scavenger hunt app called Raiders of the Archives. The app is intended to be used by museum curators to engage and educate visitors about museum exhibits so they have fun and want to return. In addition, I added features to aid school teachers in providing an entertaining way for students to learn, while at the same time keeping track of their work and progress.
Define the Problem
How can people be entertained and engaged in learning while visiting a museum? Furthermore, how can certain artifacts be showcased using modern technology?
Understand
Before I started in on designing the app, I completed a competitive analysis of apps currently on the market. I focused on answering the following three questions of the apps I reviewed.
First, what is the company selling?
Second, what are they communicating through their product?
Third, what are they missing in their messaging, product and overall offering?
Competitive Analysis
From this point, I created a business requirements document to define S.M.A.R.T goals to aim for while creating and launching the app.
Observe
To further my understanding of the needs and goals of potential users, I conducted research by completing in-depth user interviews. I used the information I gathered to create an affinity app.
POV
Next, I created user personas to prepare and develop a foundation to reference as I started designing the scavenger hunt app.
Ideate
Then I developed user journeys, task analysis, and user flows. These became the starting point for the sitemap.
User Journeys
Task Analysis
User Flows
Prototype
Building from the previously created materials, I started developing the low fidelity prototype sketches and then wire-framing.
Test
The next step of my process was to create a clickable prototype and perform usability tests with potential users. The following documents were created to outline and support the usability testing (click to view):
Test Results - Rainbow Sheet, Affinity Map
ITERATION
Based on user comments and pain points, I had several redesigns. This is the evolution of those designs. One of the biggest differences is I simplified the app by taking out the game invitations and the study hall. I would like to eventually bring them back, but for the purposes of a simplified product, they needed to be put on hold for now.
STYLE GUIDE
Final Prototype
Next Steps
Improvements to be made:
- Bring back the game invitation feature so teachers can invite students to play the games they have created.
- The navigation could be improved to allow other feature to be launched without having them hidden in the hamburger button.
New hypothesis & testing process:
- Would users, specifically teachers & students, appreciate a "study" feature that has flashcards to help them learn more about artifacts? To test this, I would conduct user research from these specific groups of people and ask them what they would consider valuable additions to the app.
How will user testing evolve as the application is improved?
- Testing would begin to focus more on the addition of features. These would start as mid-fidelity prototypes and then be tested by users for input. I might use a preference test at this stage to further understand the users wants and goals. The designs would then evolve to high fidelity.
What is the timeline for improvement and implementation?
- Iteration is a continuous process, but for the plans currently laid out, it would another 4 - 6 months. During that time, user testing would be done to discover pain points and designs would go through the necessary iterations for improvement.
