"It’s confusing to differentiate between the collection as a database and as an exhibition."
This project addressed the challenges users face when navigating the National Museum's website, particularly the confusion between the collection as a searchable database and as an exhibition. By rethinking the information architecture, we aimed to create a seamless, user-friendly experience tailored to diverse visitor needs and expectations.
Introduction and Purpose
This project focused on improving the information architecture of the National Museum's website. With a vast digital collection of over 50,000 artworks and objects, the website has massive potential but also significant challenges in its current structure and presentation.
Our task was to analyze the existing structure and propose a solution to make it easier for users to navigate and engage with the museum's content. The goal was to create a logical, user-friendly information structure that enhances accessibility while maintaining strategic alignment with user needs.
Through research, prototyping, and testing, we aimed to deliver a solution that is both strategically sound and visually appealing. The new structure was developed with a user-centered approach, ensuring it reflected real user needs and addressed current pain points.
Information architecture is crucial to how users interact with and perceive digital systems. For the National Museum, organizing such an extensive collection in a clear and intuitive way is essential for creating a seamless user experience. This project not only aimed to improve the navigation but also to make the collection more accessible to a broad audience.
For us, as interaction design students, this project was a valuable exercise in tackling complex information challenges. It allowed us to apply design methodologies in a real-world context, gaining insight into how user-centered design can transform digital platforms into intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable experiences.
Research and Insights
Field Study
We began with a field study at the National Museum to observe and identify common visitor groups, which informed the creation of personas. The three most prominent groups were:
• Art students
• Elderly art enthusiasts
• Tourists
Media Coverage
The National Museum is widely visited, with a 23% increase in summer attendance between 2023 and 2024. Visitors are a mix of locals and tourists, and the museum attracts both first-time and seasoned art lovers. Insights from exhibitions like "Sylkvasse sting" by Britta Marakatt-Labba highlighted the museum’s efforts to cater to diverse audiences.
Reviews
We reviewed TripAdvisor feedback, focusing on 1-star and 5-star reviews post-2022 reopening. While negative reviews mentioned unclear dress codes, positive ones frequently highlighted "Skrik" by Edvard Munch as a standout experience.
Personas
Personas were created to represent the key user groups:
Art Student
Engaged and detail-oriented, seeking specific works for study.
Elderly Art Enthusiast
Prefers intuitive navigation to explore collections.
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Tourist
Requires multilingual support and clear navigation for planning visits.
Mid-project, we added a persona for first-time visitors with minimal art interest, ensuring broader inclusivity.
User Journeys
We mapped out user journeys for each persona, detailing their goals, touchpoints, emotions, and challenges. This helped us identify specific pain points and opportunities to optimize both content strategy and visual design.
This process highlighted the need for clearer navigation and intuitive filtering, ensuring users can access key information effortlessly.
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Prototyping
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
We developed wireframes focusing on:
• Streamlined layouts for core pages (e.g., Home, The Collection, Tickets)
• Clear differentiation between the collection as a database and as an exhibition
• Highlighted filters for intuitive exploration
High-Fidelity Prototype
The final prototype incorporated:
• Consistent visual hierarchy, drawing inspiration from leading museums like The Louvre
• A unified navbar to reduce navigation confusion
• Dedicated sections for “Must-See Artworks” and personalized recommendations for first-time visitors
Try out the prototype here:
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Accessibility and Design System
We ensured the design adhered to accessibility standards, including contrast checks and consistent use of the Inter font family. The design system defined:
• Primary and secondary colors for clear content segmentation.
• Reusable components like CTAs, menus, and filters, ensuring scalability.
Conclusion and Reflection
This project provided valuable insights into the importance of clear information architecture in creating a user-friendly digital experience. By focusing on user needs and behaviors, we identified pain points and developed solutions that bridged gaps in navigation, accessibility, and content organization
Working on a platform with such an extensive collection challenged us to balance simplicity with comprehensiveness, ensuring all user groups were represented. This experience reinforced the value of iterative design and validated the effectiveness of user testing in shaping impactful solutions.
Ultimately, the new structure transforms the National Museum’s website into a more intuitive, inclusive, and engaging platform, aligning with both user expectations and the museum’s mission of accessibility.