Audio Tour
01
About the Project
Audio Tour is an app that makes museum visits more exciting by letting users listen to audio stories about artefacts. But that's not all – you can also use the app to find out about fun events and art shows happening nearby. It's like having a personal guide for museums and a helpful event buddy, all in one app!
The Problem
Many museum-goers encounter challenges such as navigating queues, hiring guides, and adhering to a predetermined exploration path set by guides. Additionally, a number of visitors experience social anxiety and prefer independent exploration without interpersonal interactions.
The Goal
AudioTour not only assists users in discovering events and exhibitions in the vicinity but also provides audio descriptions of museum artifacts, enabling them to independently explore and engage with the exhibits.
My Responsibilities
Conducting interviews, creating persons, low fidelity prototypes, interactions, high fidelity prototypes, and conducting usability studies.
Design Process
02
User Research
I conducted a few interviews with friends, family members, and with some people who frequently visit museums which helped me understand the target audience.
Based on the research, I concluded that there is a wide range of target audiences from common citizens to foreigners visiting the museum to learn about different cultures.
Pain points
Hire a guide
Hiring a guide can be costly, and visitors may struggle to keep up or feel hesitant to ask questions. Visitors must follow the guide's schedule and complete the tour within a set time.
Less freedom
Visitors often like to roam around the museum and like to see things which grab their attention, this can be hindered if they have a guide. Visitors like to take their time while exploring the museum.
Language barriers
Foreigners find it difficult to understand the description as they are mostly written in the local language. Even if the visitors hire a guide it is hard for them to understand their language and the accent.
User Personas
Zareen is a student who needs to listen to audio descriptions of art because she is socially awkward and does not enjoy human interaction much
Joseph is an immigrant student who needs to listen to audio descriptions of art in his native language because he cannot understand/read descriptions in local language or can't understand the guide's explainations.
03
Ideation
User Flows
Joseph's user journey shows how the app can help someone enjoy and understand art & history.
Information Architechture
04
Design
Low Fidelity Design
High Fedility Design
05
Usability Testing
Two usability studies revealed key insights: In the low-fidelity prototype, participants desired audio speed controls and transcripts for descriptions. In the high-fidelity prototype, users wanted crowd density indicators on maps and a tab for controlling app-wide language settings.
Changes after Usability Testing:
06
Conclusion
In the AudioTour app, I used colour-coded icons on the museum's interactive map to show crowd density in real-time, helping users decide where to go based on crowd levels. I also highlighted text to sync with audio descriptions, so users could easily follow along with the narration or read instead if they preferred.
This case study reinforced my commitment to user-centred design and the importance of iterative improvements for impactful results. Moving forward, I’ll carry these insights into future projects, always refining my approach to balance aesthetics with usability.
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