Art-Clusive App Case Study
Description
As part of my Google UX Design certification, I created Art-Clusive, a mobile app designed to improve the museum and gallery experience for users with diverse accessibility needs. The goal was to design an inclusive guided tour app that helps visitors navigate exhibits on their terms, whether that’s through sensory-friendly settings, intuitive maps, or adjustable audio tours.
My Role
UX/UI Designer
Researcher
Visual Designer
Timeline
4 weeks
Google UX Design Certificate Capstone
Tools Used
Figma
Google Forms
Canva
Photoshop
The Problem
While many museums offer guided tours or audio headsets, these tools often fall short for visitors with disabilities. People with low vision may struggle to read text on walls. Those with sensory sensitivities find noisy, crowded galleries overwhelming. And wheelchair users often encounter poor signage or inaccessible routes. A one-size-fits-all approach just isn’t enough. Visitors require flexible and intuitive tools to shape their experience, and most current solutions fall short of meeting this need.
The Goal
Create an accessible mobile experience for gallery visitors
Design inclusive features that support users with varying needs
Offer flexibility in how visitors engage with guided content
Make navigation feel seamless and customizable
Research & Insights
I conducted both quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews to understand the barriers people face when visiting art galleries. Here’s what I learned:
40% of participants identified as having a disability or accessibility need
Most gallery-goers visited 1-3 times per year or not at all
Sensory overload and unclear navigation were major deterrents
50% had never used a guided tour app, but not due to a lack of interest
Customization was key: Users wanted control over pacing, skip options, and the ability to start anywhere
Survey Insights
1. Accessibility needs vary widely among visitors.
Many participants faced challenges that go beyond what standard accommodations offer. Low-vision users struggled with small plaques, sensory-sensitive visitors found the galleries overwhelming, and wheelchair users encountered navigation issues. A customizable approach is essential to meet these varied needs.
2. Many visitors prefer flexibility over structured tours.
Half of the participants hadn’t used guided tour apps because they preferred exploring at their own pace. Even those who used guided tours wanted more control, requesting the ability to skip stops, start tours at any point, and customize the pacing.
3. Sensory-friendly features are essential for some and beneficial for all.
Noise, lighting, and visual clutter made galleries difficult for many users, especially those with sensory sensitivities. Features like calming soundscapes, reduced visual distractions, and adjustable audio settings were highly requested across user groups.
4. Accessibility settings need to be more intuitive.
While 80% of users rated the accessibility settings 4 or 5 out of 5, many still struggled with customization. Overwhelming interfaces and a lack of clear guidance were common concerns. An onboarding flow and simplified “focus mode” were suggested to improve usability.
5. Interest in interactive digital content is growing.
Younger visitors demonstrated a strong interest in features such as augmented reality (AR), multimedia content, and social sharing. These digital tools provide new ways for audiences to engage with art, making galleries feel more inclusive and dynamic.
Through research and testing, several key motivators consistently emerged that shaped my design direction.
Key Motivators
Supporting Personalization & Customization – While accessibility features are valued, users want greater control over how they adjust the app to fit their needs. This includes options for visual cues, text size, contrast, audio tone, and playback speed, allowing for a fully personalized experience.
Encouraging Flexible Exploration - Many users prefer to move through galleries at their own pace rather than follow rigid tour paths. They want the freedom to skip stops, start tours at any point, and revisit artworks, ensuring the experience fits their interests and attention levels.
Creating a Sensory-Friendly Experience – Bright lights, noise, and overwhelming layouts can make traditional galleries difficult to enjoy. Users seek features like simplified visuals, calm soundscapes, and adaptable audio formats to create a more focused, comfortable environment.
Reducing Barriers to Access – Many users face physical, sensory, or logistical challenges when visiting galleries. They’re looking for tools that remove obstacles, whether through better navigation, remote access, or clear, accessible content, so that they can engage with art more comfortably both in person and virtually.
Expanding Digital Engagement - Younger and tech-savvy visitors are drawn to interactive digital features like AR, multimedia content, and social sharing. These tools offer dynamic ways to engage with exhibits, making art spaces feel more accessible and relevant to a wider audience.
Personas
Location: Urban
Accessibility Need: Low vision (difficulty reading plaques)
Goals: Easily access artwork descriptions via large text and audio options; move at her own pace.
Pain Points: Struggles with small text and dim lighting; often gets lost in large museums; finds settings overwhelming without guidance.
How Art-Clusive Helps: Text resizing, high-contrast modes, audio descriptions, onboarding tutorial, and interactive maps.
Location: Suburban
Accessibility Need: Sensory processing disorder (sensitivity to noise and crowds)
Goals: Explore calmly at his own pace without feeling overstimulated.
Pain Points: Crowds, bright lighting, noisy environments, and cluttered layouts.
How Art-Clusive Helps: Focus mode, calming soundscapes, adjustable audio guides, skip and jump tour features.
Location: Rural
Accessibility Need: Wheelchair user; limited stamina for long visits
Goals: Identify accessible routes and rest areas easily.
Pain Points: Unclear mobility paths, limited seating, confusing app interfaces.
How Art-Clusive Helps: Interactive accessible maps, rest area indicators, simple large-button navigation, virtual tours for remote access.
Location: Urban
Accessibility Need: None (values inclusivity and digital engagement)
Goals: Engage with art through interactive technology and share experiences.
Pain Points: Traditional gallery visits feel static; lack of AR or personalized content.
How Art-Clusive Helps: AR-enhanced features, multimedia content, social sharing, bookmarking, personalized tour recommendations.
Design
The final Art-Clusive design emphasizes accessibility, personalization, and flexibility, allowing users to customize their art experience fully. Each solution directly addresses challenges identified through research and testing.
Design Flow 1: Accessibility Onboarding
First-time users are guided through key accessibility preferences, ensuring the app feels comfortable and personalized from the start.
Design Flow 2: Guided & Custom Tour Selection
Users can choose curated tours or create their own experience, with the ability to pause, skip, or jump between exhibits.
Map Features
QR Feature
Design System
Key Takeaways
This project was a valuable opportunity to design an experience that centers accessibility from the ground up. Rather than treating inclusive features as optional add-ons, I worked to build a system where customization and flexibility are core to the user experience. Too often, digital products unintentionally exclude people by assuming a single “normal” way of interacting. Art-Clusive challenged me to think beyond standard patterns and design for a broader range of needs, perspectives, and preferences.
Designing for accessibility requires layered thinking.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned was how accessibility needs to be embedded throughout the entire experience, not just in settings. From onboarding to tour creation, I prioritized ways for users to customize their engagement with art, whether through visual adjustments, route planning, or real-time audio controls. Accessibility isn’t a single feature; it’s a system-wide approach that supports diverse user needs at every stage.
Customization helps reduce barriers.
Many users shared that standard gallery visits often feel rigid or overwhelming. By allowing visitors to create personalized tours and adjust accessibility settings on the go, Art-Clusive provides a flexible experience that accommodates different comfort levels, attention spans, and physical abilities.
Balancing flexibility and simplicity is key.
Throughout this project, I had to make intentional decisions about how much control to offer without creating overwhelming interfaces. Features like the Quick Accessibility Settings allowed me to surface the most common adjustments upfront while still offering deeper customization when needed.
Research directly shaped my design decisions.
The insights gathered from user surveys and interviews were central to how I prioritized features. Every design choice, from map wayfinding to customizable routes, was directly informed by the real barriers users face in traditional museum spaces.
Accessibility is a good design for everyone.
While some features were designed to meet specific accessibility needs, many of these solutions also enhanced the experience for all users. Designing with inclusion in mind not only opens the door for more visitors but also ultimately creates a better, more thoughtful product for everyone.
Moving forward, my focus is on creating a responsive website to complement the app experience. The goal is to extend accessibility beyond mobile, offering flexible ways for users to explore exhibits, plan visits, and engage with content from any device. Like the app, the website will be grounded in user feedback, prioritizing intuitive navigation, inclusive features, and visual clarity across all screen sizes. This next phase presents an opportunity further to evolve Art-Clusive into a fully accessible, cross-platform experience.