Rethinking how kids interact with museums by turning screen time into a fun, educational scavenger hunt.
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TIMELINE
Spring 2023 (15 weeks)
ROLE
UX researcher
Product designer
SKILLS
UX Research
UX/UI Design
Visual Design
User Testing
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
I was set loose in my Interaction Design II: Mobile class and allowed to dive deep into an independent project that resonated with my interests.
With my little cousin in mind, I wanted to address the issue of “iPad kids”. The pattern of young children looking down at their screens instead of interacting with their surroundings inspired me to pursue this project, and I wanted to focus specifically on the museum space.
Background
Screen media is both good and bad for children
While excessive reliance on screens raises concerns about potential harm to cognitive growth, screens can also serve as tools for learning when used thoughtfully. Striking a balance is key—leveraging the educational potential of screen media while mitigating its risks to support healthy development.
“Excessive screen media usage in children can have both positive and negative impacts on their development... [but] ...screens have the potential to enhance education and learning.”
Sudheer Kumar Muppalla et al.
PROBLEM
How might we fully engage children in a space meant for learning?
While museums offer rich opportunities for learning, many children approach museum exhibits as mere entertainment or distractions, missing the deeper educational value and opportunities for active learning, instead opting to stay glued to their phones.
SOLUTION
Turning screen time into discovery time
A scavenger hunt mobile app that, ironically enough, aims to help kids interact with their surroundings. Built with the Boston Museum of Science in mind, kids can pursue a mobile-based scavenger hunt while still taking away new information from (but not limited to!) exhibits. If a kid is going to be on their phone the entire time, you might as well put them on an app that makes them look up once in a while!
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Context
How and when do kids decide to learn?
My goal was to understand what motivates kids to engage with museums and learn, particularly those who often struggle to stay focused during visits.
Research
7 user interviews
Conducted with 4 kids, 2 parents, and 1 middle school science teacher to understand their motivations and interactions with interactive educational content, such as museum exhibits and learning apps.
Competitive analysis & secondary research
To investigate effective educational techniques, how children engage with educational tools, and the success factors of interactive learning platforms in museum settings.
2 expert interviews
With an Exhibit Content Developer at the Museum of Science, and a Designer at RLMG, a digital design studio specializing in interactive installations for public spaces, to gain insights into educational content development.
Exhibits seem interesting on paper but failed to engage children in real life
Although museums provide interactive exhibits, there is a gap in how these experiences capture and sustain kids' attention, making it difficult for them to fully connect with the educational content.
Research takeaways
Reimagining active engagement
Aiming to revolutionize how children engage with museum exhibits, Ology transforms the learning experience by guiding them through interactive scavenger hunts that highlight key exhibits and educational content.
The solution
Engagement requires more than just interaction
Simply interacting with exhibits isn’t enough; children need to forge a personal connection
and see relevance to truly engage and retain information.
Imagining solutions that guide engagement
I synthesized my research into two main requirements:
The app transforms passive screen time into an active, educational scavenger hunt, guiding children through exhibits while ensuring they engage meaningfully with the content.
The app must provide a guided framework that helps children navigate the museum without feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from the learning experience.
(1)
(2)
Design Exploration
Exhibits often miss the mark
Children frequently see museum exhibits as mere entertainment rather than educational tools, revealing a critical gap between exhibit design and meaningful engagement, especially when designing a space to work for children of all ages.
Guided exploration enhances learning
Providing structured activities (like scavenger hunts!) can help children engage more deeply with exhibits, making the educational content more accessible and interesting, and discouraging superficial engagement.
MY APPROACH
(1)
Research
User Interviews
Expert interviews
Competitive analysis
Secondary research
User stories
Personas
(2)
Design
Rapid iteration
Storyboards
Sketching/Lo-fi prototypes
User feedback
Interactive prototypes
(3)
Evaluate
Usability testing
Task completion rate
USER PERSONAS
BROAD EXPLORATION & RAPID ITERATION
Putting it to the test
Using refined lo-fi wireframes, I built prototypes of main flows to be tested with stakeholders. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive; however, I discovered some important opportunities for improvement. For example, one parent pointed out that there was nothing stopping their kid from exiting the app and opening another game app to play. Overcoming these challenges became a large part of my project.
“I want [my kid] to enjoy the museum, but also learn something valuable. If the app can guide them while keeping it fun, it’s a win for both of us.”
Parent of an 8-year-old
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Hunt the MoS’ newest exhibit!
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Hi Davy!
Let’s get learning
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