Go Gallery
(mobile)

Executive Summary

Go Gallery is a mobile application designed to make art accessible to everyone, with a special focus on users with disabilities. The app bridges the gap between art enthusiasts and masterpieces by providing audio guides for every artwork, nearby museum discovery with distance information, and comprehensive artist and artwork details. This project demonstrates how thoughtful, inclusive design can remove barriers and enhance cultural exploration for all users.

The Challenge

Problem Statement

Art gallery and museum applications often overlook accessibility needs, creating barriers for people with disabilities who want to explore and learn about art. Additionally, art enthusiasts struggle to find comprehensive information about artworks and nearby museums in one centralized, accessible platform.

Key Problems Identified

1. Accessibility Barriers: Existing art apps primarily rely on visual content, making it difficult for users with visual impairments to fully engage with artwork information

2. Fragmented Information: Users must visit multiple platforms to find artwork details, artist information, and museum locations

3. Limited Audio Support: Most apps lack audio narration features, excluding users who prefer or require auditory learning

4. Museum Discovery: Finding nearby museums and understanding their distance requires switching between multiple apps

Research Goals

• Understand the needs of users with disabilities when accessing art content

• Identify pain points in existing art discovery applications

• Discover what features would make art more accessible and engaging

• Learn how users currently find and visit museums

Research & Discovery

User Research Methods

• Empathy Mapping: Understanding user feelings, thoughts, actions, and pain points

• Journey Mapping: Mapping the current experience of discovering and learning about art

• Persona Development: Creating a detailed user persona to guide design decisions

Design Process

Ideation & Brainstorming

After analyzing user research, I identified core features that would address user pain points:

Must-Have Features:

1. Audio guide for every artwork

2. Detailed artwork and artist information

3. Nearby museum discovery with distance

4. Easy navigation and accessible design

5. Personal collections and favorites

6. Artist following and discovery

Nice-to-Have Features:

• Social features (likes, shares)

• User profiles

• Multiple language support

User Flows

Primary User Flow: Discovering Art with Audio Guide

1. User opens app → Sees featured artworks on home screen

2. User taps on artwork → Views artwork detail page

3. User taps "Play Audio" button → Listens to narrated artwork information

4. User can like, share, or save to favorites

5. User sees museum location and distance

Secondary User Flow: Finding Nearby Museums

1. User navigates to Museums section

2. App shows nearby museums on map

3. User sees distance from current location

4. User can tap museum for more details

Design Decisions

Visual Design Philosophy

Dark Theme Choice I chose a dark theme for several strategic reasons:

• Content Focus: Dark backgrounds make colorful artworks stand out, creating a gallery-like atmosphere where art takes center stage

• Reduced Eye Strain: Especially important for users who spend extended time browsing

• Modern Aesthetic: Aligns with contemporary design trends and user preferences

• Elegance: Creates a sophisticated, museum-like ambiance

Accessibility-First Design

Audio Guide Implementation

• Prominent "Play Audio" button on every artwork detail page

• Clear visual indicators for audio playback

• Simple controls: play/pause functionality

• Audio content includes artwork description, artist bio, historical context, and cultural significance

Typography & Readability

• Selected clear, readable fonts with good contrast

• Adequate text sizing for accessibility

• Proper line spacing and paragraph breaks

• High contrast between text and background

Component Design

Created reusable components:

• Buttons: Consistent style with clear states (default, hover, active, disabled)

• Cards: Artwork and artist cards with uniform sizing

• Icons: Simple, recognizable iconography

• Audio Controls: Intuitive play/pause buttons

Primary: Dark backgrounds

Accent: Blue tones for interactive elements and CTAs

Text: White 

Prototyping & Testing

Interactive Prototype

Created a fully interactive prototype in Figma featuring:

• Page-to-page navigation with transitions

• Interactive buttons and controls

• Audio button interactions

• Scrolling behaviors

• Micro-animations for enhanced UX

Component Variants & Interactions

Developed component systems including:

• Button states (default, hover, pressed)

• Navigation bar states

• Audio control states

Key Interactions Implemented

1. Onboarding Flow: Smooth transitions between welcome screens

2. Authentication: Login/signup with password visibility toggle

3. Navigation: Bottom navigation bar with active state indicators

4. Audio Controls: Tap to play/pause audio guides

5. Like & Save: Heart icon animation for favorites

6. Scroll Interactions: Smooth scrolling through artwork grids

7. Artist Following: Follow/unfollow toggle