Boosting Visitor Experience with Mobile AR in Miniature Art Museums
I've always had a strong passion for crafting creative projects that bring joy to people through immersive technology. To further my learning and skills in AR/VR, I seized the opportunity to combine this interest with my love for creating miniature art dollhouses.
Currently, visitor experiences in miniature art museums face challenges in engaging people to explore deeply and clearly, often resulting in reactions limited to "Wow! This is cool!" To address this question, I've identified the potential of Pocket World to slow people down and help people explore how artifacts are created, their stories behind, and the detail-oriented nature.
TIMELINE
Sep 2021 - Nov 2021 (3 Months)
ROLE
User Experience Designer
TEAM (2 Members)
UX Designer *1 (Me :))
UX Researcher *1
RESPONSIBILITY
User Research • Wireframing Prototyping • Usability Testing
AR Development (MAKAR Platform)
Visitors at Miniature Art Dollhouses Museum
How might we make visitor experience in miniature art museum more interactive and engaging to enhance their learning? Visitors often encounter difficulties exploring the intricate details of miniature art dollhouses due to their small scale and the limited angles and height of the exhibition space.
I created an AR application with three distinct features, incorporating various interactive elements, designed to enhance visitor’s learning in museum by allowing them to directly play and manipulate miniature dollhouses.
Due to restricted viewing angles, fragile displays, and a lack of interactive experience, it's difficult for visitors to deeply appreciate the details and comprehend the story behind the miniature arts.
The spark for this project came from my growing curiosity about how technology can transform the museum experience. As I explored the rise of AR, VR, and other immersive technologies in museums, I saw how they were enhancing learning and engagement, making art more accessible in unexpected ways. One project, "A Virtual Door to Vincent Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles," particularly stood out, showing how powerful virtual experiences could be in allowing people to interact with iconic art in ways that felt deeply personal. Yet, as I dug deeper, I realized that similar innovations were lacking when it came to miniature art. This gap in the market presented a unique opportunity to dive in, refine my interaction design skills, and experiment with how technology could help visitors connect with miniature art on a more meaningful level.
Vincent Van Gogh's Bedroom in Arles (AR Project)
Enhance Interaction and Immersion Experience
Address Viewing Angle Limitations and Promote Accessibility
Ensure Seamless Integration with Physical Display Setup
Foster consistent self-monitoring/ regulation with increased levels of efficiency
Inspire motivation to initiate task focus promptly by using the Pomodoro Technique
Encourage structured task execution and proactive planning through organization and prioritization
Cultivate confidence in decision-making skills while scheduling work activities
Pocket PALM
Manual Control: Hands-On Interaction
Pocket PALM employs marker-based AR to perform operations, allowing users to manually zoom in or rotate the AR models for a closer look at the mini art on their mobile.
Pocket MEGA
360° Exploration: Walk Around and See
Utilizing spatial augmented reality (SAR), users can view virtual models projected onto any physical platform using their mobile devices. They can physically approach or walk around the virtual dollhouses in a 360° manner, breaking the limitations of the viewing angles in the museum setting.
Gulliver World
Immersive Perspective: 1st-Person View
Imagining themselves stepping inside the dollhouses, users are immersed in the world of miniature art from a first-person perspective. This feature brings the art to life, blending the virtual and real worlds to provide a deeper, more personal connection with the artwork.
Pocket PALM
4.51/5.0
High Usability Score
Users found Pocket PALM's 'rotate' and 'zoom-in' functions intuitive, earning the highest usability score.
Pocket MEGA
4.09/5.0
Helpfulness
Spatial AR feature offers users a helpful means to 'get close to' exhibits, for a deeper learning of details and overcoming physical space limits.
Gulliver World
4.69/5.0
High Engagement &
Self-Motivation
Not only enhanced engagement but also encouraged visitors to spend more time exploring the exhibits, resulting in a more memorable experience.
Many factors, from restricted viewing angles to fragile displays, limit how visitors interact with and appreciate miniature art, making it crucial to explore solutions that enhance their experience. I conducted research at Taiwanese Miniature Art Museum to dive into the pain points behind.
1-on-1 interviews to understand visitors' challenges, and learning outcomes when engaging with miniature art
Gathering quantitative insights on visitor satisfaction, feelings, preferences, and frustrations
Capturing real-time interactions, noting patterns in how they navigated exhibits and engaged with the artwork
Analyzing existing research on museum engagement, AR/VR, and spatial interaction to inform my design approach
Desire for Interaction
Limited Artwork Retention
Of participants expressed a desire to ‘Play’ with the dollhouses to view them from various angles.
Many participants found passive viewing insufficient to appreciate the intricate details of miniature art, revealing a gap between traditional displays and the desire for interactive engagement.
Of participants were unable to pick one of the most impressive artworks and explain or recall it in detail.
Despite seeing remarkable pieces, most visitors struggled to form lasting connections, highlighting the need for more engaging, memorable experiences beyond passive display.
Short Attention Span
Positive Reception of AR
Of participants spent less than 30 seconds at each display.
This suggests that traditional viewing methods, which primarily rely on passive observation, may not be enough to sustain visitors' interest or foster a deeper connection with the exhibits.
Of participants expressed positive feedback regarding their previous experiences with adopting augmented reality (AR) technology in museum settings.
AR can transform the museum experience by adding interactive elements that engage visitors. The positive reception highlights a growing enthusiasm for digital innovations, showing AR's potential to enhance visits.
I used sketches to solidify ideas and draw out how I wanted the interactions to work, and also used them to communicate with my teammate.
Since I didn't collaborate with the museum, I lacked access to the actual artwork needed to construct my prototype, resulting in a less realistic prototype that didn't seamlessly integrate into real-world settings. While striving to explore a diverse range of interaction types to optimize outcomes, I encountered difficulty in validating design decisions without direct user involvement in the design process, leading to much uncertainty in the entire design process.
Originally aiming to participate in an innovative XR competition in Taiwan, I utilized their XR development platform, MAKAR, that allows users to create AR/VR products without requiring complex coding skills, streamlining my development process and making it more intuitive and engaging.
1. The trending and coolest technology isn't necessarily lead to the best solution.
In this project, the central challenge lies in choosing the right technology, amid the appeal of AR and VR. Through this journey, I've learned that the trendiest technology doesn't always lead to the best solution, underscoring the pivotal role of designers in shaping technology interactions. As a result, prioritizing user understanding and comprehensive testing are essential for optimizing design outcomes.
2. Research is to make my design more persuasive, effective and valid.
This marks my long-term project, focused on conducting comprehensive research to validate my design decisions. While I may have not dedicated sufficient time to iterating on solutions, I've diligently conducted user testing to gauge public perception of my products.
Get in touch to collaborate or just to talk.
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