A self-guide app for a contemporary art gallery
An art gallery in Cluj-Napoca was planning a temporary exhibition. They wanted visitors to explore independently without relying on scheduled tours or tiny wall placards. I conducted user research to understand gallery visitor frustrations, ran ideation sessions with stakeholders and users, then moved into wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing. Unfortunately, the gallery event was canceled before launch.
Client
The Art Museum of Cluj-Napoca
Role
Product Designer
Responsabilities
Research, Wireframing, Prototyping, Testing
Timeline
Q1 2023
Art galleries can be intimidating. You walk in, see something on a wall, and you're supposed to have a reaction. But without context contemporary art often feels hard to understand. Our solution was that each artwork in Vernissage has a dedicated page with both audio and text descriptions. Visitors can play the audio while taking in the piece at their own pace, or read through the details if they prefer. The pages also include information about the artist, the style, the historical context, and connections to other works in the exhibition.
Wall placards are set in small type, mounted at awkward heights, and positioned so a few people reading them block the entire piece. In crowded galleries, you either crane over someone's shoulder or skip the context entirely. Our solution was a scan functionality that lets users point their camera at any artwork from whatever distance. The system automatically detects which piece they're looking at and takes them directly to the detail page. No hunting through menus, no matching numbers to labels.
Visitors often feel lost in galleries, unsure where to start or how to find specific pieces they came to see. Our solution was an interactive map showing the full gallery layout with every artwork marked. Users can tap on any piece to see its location, making it easy to find exactly what they're looking for.
Sometimes visitors want to explore before they arrive, or find a specific piece they heard about. Our solution was a database search engine containing all artworks, artists, and collections in the gallery. Users can search by keyword or browse using filters like medium, style, period, or artist. The interface was designed to be simple and user-friendly, letting people quickly find what they're looking for or discover something new.
