Guggenheim Connections App
Experience Design & Interactive Systems
Goal:
Bridge connections between visitors, physical space, and interactive technology to help non-traditional art lovers feel more comfortable navigating the Guggenheim Museum and engaging with contemporary art.
This project consists of three parts: an app, a website, and a physical artifact.
Skills Involved
UX/UI design
Audience research
Wayfinding strategy
Creative ideation
Prototyping
Visual communication
Part 1: The App
This project proposes an IKEA-inspired wayfinding system that helps visitors navigate the entire museum while tracking what they’ve seen. Using foot patterns and QR codes, it recommends related artworks, nearby exhibitions, and museums. After the visit, users can revisit the app to vote, connect, and explore personalized suggestions.
Part 2: The Website
This concept offers an easier way to explore museum collections and browse artworks before visiting. It provides an overview of the current exhibition, previews upcoming ones, and includes a visit-planning template to help visitors navigate and understand the space in advance.
Part 3: The Artifact
This idea introduces an incentive at the top of the museum, offering a fully immersive space for visitors to reflect on the entire collection. Guests can take home a magazine or a mini painting featuring a QR code that connects to more information about the works.
Process
Designed a mobile app for museum navigation, artwork interaction, and post-visit recommendations; developed a website to explore collections, upcoming exhibitions, and visit planning tools; and created a take-home artifact to foster reflection and community through QR-enabled content. Each component was guided by persona development, style boards, and iterative concept refinement.
Style Board
App and Website Wireframes
App Rough Draft
Persona Card
App Storyboard
App Rough Draft
Video Walkthrough
Learnings
Gained deeper insight into how thoughtful experience design can reduce barriers in unfamiliar environments, strengthen engagement before and after a visit, and foster meaningful connections between people, spaces, and art.
Note Bene
Throughout this project I learned about the effect of experience design and its ability to connect people and places in numerous ways. Seeing the end of this project I can clearly see that there are multifaceted ways to bring people together and ease the navigation of a foreign space.