Navigating the High Museum of Art
Master’s Thesis Project
2024-present
IP
The Problem
The High Museum of Art, located in Atlanta, GA, is the largest museum for visual art in the Southeastern United States. The original version of the High was designed by Richard Meier in 1983 featuring one building. In 2005, Renzo Piano designed three new buildings to add to the High. While these were created to be a seamless addition to Meier’s architectural design, they had created issues for visitors ability to navigate the museum.
How might we improve users’ experience with navigating between buildings and exhibits in the High Museum?
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Problem Statement
Research Questions
1
What is currently understood about the relationship between wayfinding and visitor engagement?
2
How do other museums go about guiding their visitors across exhibitions?
3
What does navigation look like for visitors at the High Museum?
4
What is the impact that current navigation tools have on visitor experience at the High Museum?
The Process
My two teammates and I (known as The Muse Collective) worked with the High Museum of Art to tackle this navigation problem. We approached this project in two phases: five months of research and four months of design.
September
Literature review
October
Literature Review
Comparative Analysis
November
Field Observation
Contextual Inquires
December
Contextual Inquiries
January
Interviews
Design Requirements
February
Coming soon
March
Coming soon
April
Coming soon
Literature Review
Key Findings
Museum Studies
Explorer related motivations are the common type of identity visitors inherit.
A visitors museum experience is multifaceted in the experiences offered.
Explored Navigation
Wireless digital audio guides are convenient but less human and spatial interaction.
RFID Wireless Communication guides offer room level navigation but screens are too small.
Touch Screen Navigation aren’t very portable.
Wayfinding
Effective wayfinding relies on a combination of clear environmental cues, cognitive strategies, and user-specific factors.
Wayfinding and Visitor Navigation
Interactive navigation can be helpful, but visually demanding.
Visibility is a large factor on visitors movement. If they can see more, they are more likely to explore those areas.
Visitors use large art pieces as landmark navigation points.
Goal
Understand navigation impact on museum visitors
Explore the relationship between way-finding and visitor engagement
41 paper and articles
Visitor Research
Museum Studies
Wayfinding
Tourism/ Leisure Research
Spatial orientation
Comparative Analysis
Key Findings
Phone application is the most common form of digital navigation assistance offered across all museums.
Tours are offered based on how visitors want to personalize their experiences.
Physical signage is also used to title areas by the type of art visible to visitors.
Goal
Explore active navigation methods from art museums of similar caliber to the High Museum of Art
11 comparable museums
Multi-building structure
Preferably has multiple floors
US focused but international accepted
Field Observations
Key Findings
Visitors are not well supported by physical navigation tools.
There is a disconnection between how visitors view the High and how it is presented to them through assistive tools.
There are different tools, primarily employees, that visitors use to help them navigate.
Visitors...
Prefer to roam and make decisions as they go
Sometimes have a positive experience navigating the High.
Sometimes come to the High with a plan of what to see.
Commonly struggle with beginning their navigation journey
Goal
To develop an understanding with how the High Museum is structured
To objectively view how visitors approach navigation naturally
4 Days observering
Elevator Spaces
Physical/Digital Signage Spaces
Points of Major Navigation Changes
Security Positioning Stations
Contextual Inquiry
Structure
Questions on your general art museum experience (15 minutes)
Tasks regarding navigating to specific exhibits (1.15 hrs)
Follow-up questions about their experience navigating the High Museum (30 minutes)
Interesting Findings
As participants navigate through the museum, they begin to rely less on the map and more from their memory.
Participants preferred to take the ramp or stairs over the elevator.
Exploratory visitors rarely use maps and are unaware of the full structure of the High (multi-building).
Goal
Observe how visitors navigate the museum when utilizing physical map and digital maps to better understand possible pain points.
So far...
3 pilots studies
2 new solo visitors
1 returning duo
3/8 completed studies
1 new duo
2 returning solo visitors
More coming soon...