The Challenge
Design a cross-platform utility website for a public museum to advertise exhibitions and events, provide museum information to patrons, and enable patrons to schedule visits.
2 weeks - 1 Designer
The Why
I imagined Rosewood as a modern, community-focused art space that values accessibility, creativity, and connection. This project allowed me to explore how thoughtful design can enhance the way people engage with art and cultural spaces online.
The How
This website design provides clear exhibit details, highlights upcoming events, and offers streamlined visit planning tools with ticket purchasing to showcase how thoughtful design can enhance cultural engagement.
The Solution
This website design provides clear exhibit details, highlights upcoming events, and offers streamlined visit planning tools with ticket purchasing to showcase how thoughtful design can enhance engagement.
Research
The Users
The target audience were those who enjoy cultural events, local art exhibitions, and educational opportunities. Adults 25-60 years-old. Many are parents, educators, or casual art lovers looking for accessible ways to plan visits or attend museum events. I created a user persona named Jasmine, a 32-year-old graphic designer who visits museums for both personal enjoyment and professional inspiration. Designing with her in mind helped me prioritize clean visuals, intuitive navigation, and clear event information to create a seamless and visually engaging experience.
User Journey Map
To better understand the user experience when scheduling a museum visit, I created a user journey map. This helped me visualize the steps a user takes, from discovering the site to booking a ticket. While also identifying key emotions and pain points.
I was able to identify the need for fast navigation, clear exhibition previews, and a smooth booking process which guided my design decisions during ideation.
Design, Test, Iterate
My goal of the site map was to clearly organize content to ensure an intuitive user experience. It helped define how users will move through key sections like Exhibitions, Events, and Museum info. By mapping out the hierarchy, I aimed to reduce friction, highlight priority content, and support a seamless flow from discovery to action.
Homepage
Usability Testing
I conducted a usability study on the Redwood Museum website to identify areas where users struggled while planning a visit and purchasing tickets. Findings from this led to design improvements that simplified navigation, improved clarity, and built trust in the ticketing process.
Insights
Plan Your Visit page & select buy ticket
Some users commented the the ‘Buy Tickets Here’ button was “random.”
A Participant mentioned they felt the writing on the tabs under the visitors guides could be shortened.
“I feel a back button would be necessary here, what if people just want to review info then return to where they were and not buy tickets next?”
“I liked the admission prices laid out clearly before I even clicked, buy."
Checkout to confirmation page
Participants made a great point, I did not include a separate confirmation page initially
“Wait. There is no confirmation page, will there be one?”
Participants found the descriptive text, on added confirmation page, regarding an email to be sent to be a good idea.
Homepage prototype on different platforms
Interact with the prototype
Final Takeaways
Working on the Rosewood Museum project helped me understand the importance of thoughtful structure and clear navigation in creating an engaging user experience. I used strategies like building a site map and establishing a visual hierarchy to help users easily explore exhibits, events, and plan visits. These design decisions not only support a seamless online journey but also help users feel confident and prepared when planning their trip to the museum. I also focused on making the design cross-platform, ensuring the site is just as user-friendly on mobile as it is desktop, so users could plan their visit at home or on the go.