Experience design · AR concept · 2023

Make the exhibit the centre of the experience.

An AR museum guide can add context to an object, but it can also pull attention away from it. I designed a self-guided journey that makes stories easy to discover and deeper interaction optional.

ROLE & OWNERSHIP

I led visitor research, mapped the end-to-end journey, designed the interaction model and visual prototype, and tested the key flows with 10 prospective visitors. Roy and Mike supported development.

SCOPE

Concept prototype · AR glasses · Museum visit

THE CHALLENGE

Museum AR

Visitors move between physical objects, labels and digital information. Requiring them to learn a new interface at every exhibit would make the technology the focus of the visit. The design question was where an AR layer genuinely improves understanding, and when it should get out of the way.

01 / Discover

Research in the museum context

Field research, comparative patterns and visitor input

I combined museum field visits, a review of existing AR experiences, survey responses and visitor interviews. The evidence pointed toward three useful needs: accessible exhibit context, an understandable way to discover it, and the freedom to choose how deeply to explore.

What changed: The visitor journey mattered more than the novelty of an overlay. I mapped collection and onboarding through scanning, reading, optional play and return of the glasses, then kept exhibit discovery as the primary path.

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02 / Define

Define the visitor journey

Opportunity mapping and prioritisation

I prioritised a simple scan-to-story flow. Language selection supports more visitors without turning into a detour; collections and a scavenger hunt offer depth for people who want it. The trade-off was deliberately limiting on-screen content so the physical object stayed visible.

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03 / Develop

Prototype the interaction

Early layouts and navigation

Low-fidelity sketches tested hierarchy and navigation before I moved into a high-fidelity AR prototype. The resulting screens connect scanning, exhibit context, language options, saved discoveries and the optional hunt into one continuous visit.

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04 / Deliver

The proposed experience

Exhibit stories, language and optional discovery

The proposed AR screens make the exhibit story the default destination. A visitor can change language, save an object to a collection or try the hunt without losing the route back to the physical display.

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05 / Validate

Test the flow

Formative evaluation

I used a Unity prototype in formative sessions with 10 prospective visitors. I observed whether participants understood scanning, navigation and the return path, then used their questions to refine instructions and feedback. This small concept test informed iteration; it does not establish production engagement or museum attendance.

WHAT THIS WORK ESTABLISHED

A direction grounded in the work.

The next proof point is whether visitors learn more in a real gallery. A pilot should test recognition reliability, onboarding time and recall of the exhibit story.