overview
The FINN Lab, a neuroscience research lab, is studying how differences in image perception can explain broader phenomena like mental health and politics.
To support this research, they partnered with my team at the DALI Lab to create a mobile “edutainment” app for the Hood Museum of Art. The app allows museum visitors to complete playful, Mad-Libs–style artwork interpretations, which are then used by researchers to analyze perception patterns.
my contributions
I contributed end-to-end design for all features within the app, encapsulating user research, visual design, and prototyping. I also contributed my own 2D graphic animations.
results
ArtLibs is available on the App Store with over 500 downloads, including many redownloads from Hood Museum visitors. Users report in feedback surveys that the app enhanced their museum experience and encouraged deeper engagement with the artwork.
downloads since release
of engaged users explored multiple atworks
opportunity
challenges
Consent
Users first need to provide their consent and demographic information to participate fully (with compensation).
Objectivity
Designs should record quantitative data from users, but should avoid using numbers or percentages as to not bias or influence users.
Clarity
Activity instructions should be as clear and concise as possible in order for users to produce accurate data for the researchers.
1.0 We mapped out the main user flow, detailing each step required by the study.
IMAGE
Guiding question
user research
competitive analysis
In order to understand existing user flows and features, we conducted research of 11 museum mobile apps, and 3 apps that had activity summary features. From our research, we gained a clearer understanding of existing design standards in place that we were able to translate to our iterations.
ideation
Museum map navigation
Interpretations and artwork ratings
Activity summary
design
Floor toggle
Artwork selection
Instructions button
animation graphics
How can we add more delight to the experience?
The study's "artwork personalities" are based on the concept of "listening personalities" from Spotify Wrapped 2022. A user's artwork personality is based on the quantitative data of artwork interpretations throughout their session, similar to how Spotify's listening personalities were based on a user's most listened songs and genres. This gives the FINN Lab four different interpretation styles to use in their research.
Initially, we envisioned the artwork personalities as static shape images. But in order to make them more fun and memorable for the user, I personally designed the personality shapes in Adobe Illustrator and then animated them in Adobe After Effects & Photoshop.
The Flexible Appreciator
You approach art with an open mind, revising your views as you learn more. Your thoughtful flexibility shows that shifting perspectives can be just as powerful as certainty.
The Cautious Observer
You take your time with art, observing details and absorbing subtleties before forming an opinion. By playing devil’s advocate, you make interpretation more thoughtful—and fun!
The Adaptable Connoisseur
You're quick to form opinions—and just as quick to revise them when new insights arise. Your adaptability reflects a deep engagement with art. Flexibility is your superpower!
The Decisive Critic
First impressions really matter to you — you tend to know exactly how you feel about a piece of art the moment you see it. You don’t spend time constructing elaborate narratives — your reactions are quick and instinctive. That’s a strength!
prototyping
After 6 weeks, we handed off the final prototype.
We completed our design process from end-to-end in six weeks, handing it off to our developers to complete development with the remaining 4 weeks of the term.
Below is a prototype of ArtLibs where you can simulate interpreting one of the artworks in the study. By ending the session, you can view a sample activity summary.
impact
"ArtLibs has been a great success over the last year, and we are so thankful to you and the whole team for the amazing job you did on it!" — Professor Emily Finn, Principal Investigator @ The FINN Lab
A few months after being released on the iOS App Store in fall 2024, ArtLibs received over 500 downloads from visitors at the Hood Museum, which exceeded their initial research goals. Around 60% of participants completed most or all pieces in the study, and the ages of users ranged from 18 to 88. The FINN Lab was thrilled with the results, mentioning that interpretation personality styles that we designed worked exactly as they had hypothesized, and that users really enjoyed them.
”We're seeing clear relationships between using the app (reinterpreting artwork) and people's enjoyment of art, with particularly strong effects when people were presented with interpretations from earlier visitors that were more semantically distinct from their own”
Testimonial 1
"I really liked the user interface of the app and the prompts. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start interpreting a piece of art, and the app helped guide that process"
— An ArtLibs user
final thoughts
My takeaways from the project
ArtLibs was my first large-scale product design project, and I am grateful to have learned so much from it and to have worked with such a wonderful team. We presented our project at Technigala, Dartmouth's quarterly tech showcase, at the end of the term.
What I learned:
Effective communication is everything
We communicated regularly with our clients at the FINN Lab to ensure that the project remained aligned with their goals (and they were amazing communicators!). This collaboration was key in addressing any challenges promptly and integrating feedback effectively throughout our design process.
Balancing client needs and user engagement
Designing an app that simultaneously met the research needs of the FINN Lab, while also maintaining an engaging and enjoyable user experience, required a lot of iteration and feedback. The balance between collecting accurate data and providing an enjoyable user experience was crucial.
Importance of thorough research
Our extensive research on existing museum apps helped us develop key features to incorporate into the app that would align with our user’s needs. Additionally, by sitting down and interviewing potential users face-to-face, I learned just how crucial thorough interviews are to clarify user needs.
Interdisciplinary collaboration
With multiple designers and developers in our team, we needed to have clear and consistent communication. Regular meetings and iterative feedback ensured that our designs were accurately translated into a polished product, and allowed us to quickly resolve any technical challenges.
What could've been improved:
Working under a tight timeline meant that we couldn’t run as many user tests as I would have liked in order to allow for timely development. Even so, the feedback we did gather highlighted key areas for improvement and showed me how much iterative testing shapes better designs. In future projects, I would prioritize multiple rounds of testing early on to ensure that every design decision is informed thoroughly by user needs.