We are getting closer to a final design

Design process, week 1

Where are we right now?

This week we have focused on getting closer to more refined final design, we have iterated through several designs (4!), and we feel that the fourth is one that we can stand by. We are very much aware that we will have to change our design in the upcoming weeks, but as of now this design feels very good. We landed on this design because it is something that our group has knowledge in, and that we strongly believe in. 

Design one

Our first design was the down to earth, doable design. The conventional design.

Here are some pictures of the design process:

Start page you chose language, then information about everything

Map of the museum, interactive

The first design was an application with information about the museum, the exhibitions, exhibits, and such. 

What we later took from this design is that we want to do an application with several of these functions, but the later designs also had things we took from them! 

Design two

Our second design, we went crazy. This design was intended to get us to think outside of the box, and try to see how far we could expand our product. So we decided to do a futuristic device that you borrowed at the museum. The design was a device which looked a lot like the Nintendo 3ds which projects a hologram. The hologram was intended to be interactive where you could see the exhibits in extra context. This product was intended so that tourists do not have to wait for a tour guide in order to learn more about the exhibits, but instead the device was multi language compatible, so tourists could learn what they wanted about the exhibits they found extra interesting. The device also showed the way around the museum, with hologram arrows pointing the way to different exhibits.

Here is an image of the design process:

Design three

After we had made these two designs, we did a third (and second to final) design. This design, we tried to stray away from hand held devices, and we decided to make displays around the museum. These displays had extra information about the exhibits in every language, and also works as a substitute for tour guides. In these displays there would also be information about the museum as a whole (such as a maps and current information). What this design did not have was a way to attract tourists, it only helps them once they get there - not getting them there!

Picture of the design process:

Fourth and final 

So, after we had these three designs, all with very valid ideas - which all would make the tourist experience a lot better - we tried to combine them, and take the best from each design to land on some final design. What we decide upon was a web based application with several functions that both benefit tourists, but also non-tourists. Our product is amazingly easy to expand upon, and hence it is not 100% directed at tourists, but, there are several functions in it which would make the tourist experience better. 

First, it is available in every language, which makes the application a lot easier to navigate with. Second, it has the function to check where you currently are, and send you updated information on how to get to the museum (it takes your location, and uses an application similar to "Res i stockholm", to show you exactly how to get to the museum). No longer will it be difficult to get to the museum! 

Third, once you are at the museum, it has information about every exhibit, in every language! So that if you feel that something is extra interesting, you can read up on it even more that ever before. This makes it so that people who are not interested in going on guided tours will not miss out on any information.

Fourth, there is an interactive map of the museum, so you can easily navigate around, without having to talk to some museum host every time. 

But these are not all the functions, there will be several others that will attract more people. For example, we have an idea of implementing some sort of gamification, because research shows that people will be more interested in attending museums. The first idea we had was that some exhibits had a quiz about them - this enables people to learn about the exhibits, so that you get all correct answers on the quizzes! 

Here is a picture of our first (final) design:

Target group

As we have previously mentioned, our main target group is tech savvy tourists. What we mean by tech savvy is that they are well enough updated with todays technology to own a smartphone and know how to use applications. 

So how does our product target these tech savvy tourists? Well, first of it is available in every language, so that no matter which languages you speak, you can get the same information as everybody else. Second, it gets tourists to the museum with the updated stream of information, you can easily get the application to check your current location using GPS, and it will show you exactly where to go to the closest communication, and where to go from there (for example, go 300m to the odenplan subway, take the subway to t-centralen, switch to the red line towards Mörby, get off at universitetet and walk this way (shows a map)). This will get even more tourists to the museum.

While interviewing tourists at the NRM, the subjects found that there was not enough information about the exhibits, and that they would want to know more. They also said that the exhibits were outdated and felt old - they would prefer some sort of a modern interaction.  This application enables both of those things - one function where you get extended information about the exhibits in your language, and secondly some sort of ramification that will get people to interact with the exhibits. 

As previously mentioned, an application like this can be extended upon as much as possible, and going deeper in the design process we will definitely figure out even more functions that would further benefit tourists, which will be added on as we get there.

Citronfest out!