Sheethal Jacob

Client Project

Children's Museum

Improving customer satisfaction for newly introduced cloud services to enhance the overall user experience and increase customer loyalty.

Service Design

UX Design

Summary

This project was a part of 14 week class, facilitated by Tony Bynum. Our team’s focus was on redesigning the welcome entrance of the museum. Drawing inspiration from concepts outlined in the museum’s masterplan, the ask was to transform the entrance into a space that reflects the museum's vision and values. Through a combination of different research and design methods, we were able to identify the pain points and create solution areas that would improve the overall visitor experience.

Tools & Methods

Methods: Ethnographic study, Interviews, Secondary research, Journey mapping, Success metrics

Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Mural

Team

Sheethal Jacob

Arundhuti Bhattacharya

Mariana Andrade

Shreya Mathur

Zubair Bhaidani

My Role

By applying concepts from ‘Analysis and Synthesis’, our team critically examined the current entrance and identified opportunities for improvement. Some of the methods use in this process was primary & secondary research, analysis and synthesis of data, ideation and metrics of success for the potential implementation

Duration

September 2024 - December 2024

Research

Ethnographic Study
Primary & Secondary Research
Key Findings

Analysis

Sense making - Insights
Journey Map

Synthesis

How Might We's
Ideation

Realisation

Design Strategy
Success Metrics

Planning & Research

Design Process

In this class we followed the human centred process is often illustrated as the 4-square model, which is also aligned with the double diamond problem solving approach.

We started in the research quadrant trying to 'understand' the 'real' facts about the museum through primary and secondary research methods.

Then we moved into 'understanding' the 'abstract' information by the analysis of all the data we found.

Then we started figuring out what is possible by 'making' with the 'abstract' through synthesis.

The last quadrant focuses on realisation of those ideas by 'making' with the 'real' ideas.

Project Goal

Create an intuitive, efficient and memorable entrance into a safe children-led space.

Research Methodology

Observations

Current signage caters to adults and oftentimes making it harder for the kids to navigate

Congestion during peak days leads to long queues and obstruction of visitor flow

Museum board wants to use technology to enhance and not negatively impact experience

Poor wayfinding and unclear ticketing information complicate parent logistics while supervising children.

The tone of play & exploratory learning is set from the get-go

Museum board wants to create an engaging & seamless experience for parents as well as kids

Selected Design Approach

We chose focus on the importance of a child leading their experience, ensuring that the entrance not only captivates young visitors, but also make the parent's journey seamless

Analysis

Journey Map

Through the initial research we were able to define the key journey phases as Discovery of the museum, Arrival at the museum, Check-in at the museum, the Museum experience, and the Post-visit experience

Key Insights

We analyised the data and tracked the insights and challenges to each of the journey phases to understand the pain points experienced in the different phases

Discovery

Customers usually find about the museum through word-of-mouth and social media presence.

Visitors have difficulty in finding clear information about details such as hours, ticketing, directions, and policies before their visit.

Arrival

Many visitors face confusion about where to go first at the entrance due to misaligned touchpoints (coat room, cafe, front desk).

Lack of visible signage from the parking lot to the entrance and existing museum signage is not kid friendly.

Check-In

Disengaged kids at the check-in lead to disruptive behaviour during the check in process.

Digital tickets or membership cards are cumbersome due to the poor network connectivity.

Museum

Members currently do not experience a notable difference in treatment compared to regular visitors.

Congestion during peak days leads to long queues and obstruction of visitor flow.

Post-Visit

Visitors often miss out on special events due to lack of awareness or insufficient motivation to attend.

Current donation opportunities lack visibility and a personalized touch, leading to missed contributions from visitors.

Synthesis

Insight 1

Membership Value Gap

Members currently do not experience a notable difference in treatment compared to regular visitors, which reduces the perceived value of their membership. Without meaningful, exclusive benefits, members may feel their loyalty is unrecognized, making it harder to justify renewal or recommend the membership to others.

How might we create distinctive and exclusive experiences for members that highlight their value and strengthen their connection to the museum?

Insight 2

Entry Process Friction

Unclear signage and entrance procedures often adds stress and uncertainty for parents and children alike. This leads to children being disruptive during the check-in process, which causes inefficient movement and delays, making both the visitors and staff feel frustrated, especially during peak times.

How might we streamline the entrance process to improve clarity and reduce wait times, during peak hours, without significantly increasing operational costs? How might we design interactive elements at the entrance to engage children during check-in, without creating additional staffing demands?

Insight 3

Tech-Driven Entry Bottleneck

The lack of reliable Wi-Fi at the entrance and manual check-in slows down the ticket scanning process, especially if real-time verification is required. This leads to increased check-in times, longer queues, and diminished visit quality.

How might we implement an offline solution or signal boost that allows members to access digital tickets easily, without requiring extensive infrastructure changes? How might we implement preferential treatment for members at the entrance, such as priority check-in or exclusive access, while maintaining smooth entry flow for all visitors?

Insight 4

Missed Extend Opportunity

The museum currently lacks ways to provide visitors with meaningful keepsakes after their visit. This limits opportunities to extend the museum experience. It leaves the visitors without lasting connections or memories tied to their time at the museum.

How might we help visitors preserve their memories and deepen their connection with the museum beyond their visit?

Challenge

Without clear cues to navigate the space, visitors and members experience greater frustration their first touchpoint with the museum. This create a difficult obstacle for future positive interactions and reinforces lasting confusion

Realisation

Chosen Design Strategy

Embracing digital tech solutions can significantly enhance operational efficiency and visitor experienc. This intervention involves implementing various digital technologies to streamline processes, engage visitors, and improve visitor/member interaction.

Benefits

Cost Savings: This solution has a higher initial capital but will lead to reduced costs in the future

Operational Efficiency: Digital support reduces manual effort in areas like membership management, freeing up staff time for other initiatives

Enhanced Visitor Engagement: Digital interventions creates more interactive and immersive experiences, potentially increasing visitor satisfaction and return rates

Accessibility: Virtual and digital offerings make the museum's content accessible to a wider audience, including those who may not be able to visit in person

Concept 1

Uplifting Member Experience

RFID bracelet express entry, and exhibit access

Reserved parking spaces are clearly marked and managed on-site

Members receive early notifications for event bookings

Enhancing the existing perks and experiential benefits for the members will boos their confidence on the value of memberships by giving them preference for special events, entrance ticketing and similar benefits. For the user, exploring these opportunity space reduces time and stress during check-in and parking, provides special access to exclusive opportunities and events and simplifies the visit experience with an all-in-one RFID bracelet.

Concept 2

Simplifying Wayfinding

Magical Roots Tree with touchable elements

Stepping Stones and color-coded “lead with your feet” paths

Dynamic and real-time adaptive signage for visitor flow cues

By exploring these opportunity spaces, visitors can intuitively navigate the museum, while also also engaging the students early which leads to an less stressful experience for the parents and makes the entrance experience fun and memorable.

Concept 3

Enriching Welcome Entrance

Digital kiosks to scan tickets or RFID bracelets

Digital signage displays live updates about events

Express lanes are for app-based ticket holders or members

For the user, exploring these opportunity space speeds up the check-in process with intuitive self-service options, providing clear updates about current and upcoming museum activities and simplifying access for members with RFID bracelets and express lanes.

Concept 4

Enhancing Brand Experience

Personalized emails and exclusive difussion channels

Visitors opt into an email preference, selecting updates type

Receive real-time notifications about upcoming events

For the user, exploring these opportunity space provides a streamlined way to stay updated on events and promotions, prepares families for visits with helpful tips and reminders and encourages ongoing support through donation recognition and appeals. This will further foster and improve the relational connection with the museum

Success Metrics

Measuring outcomes demonstrates the impact of our solutions, highlighting how they improve visitor experiences and strengthen their connection with the museum.

Check-In Time

Reduce average check-in time during peak hours through the implementation of self-check kiosks, RFID systems, and express lanes for app-based ticket holders.

Target: 40% within six months of implementation.

Interactive Entrance Elements

Create an "Entrance Engagement Score (EES)" to measure time spent interacting with particular elements (e.g., signage, "Magical Roots", digital kiosks for children)

Target: 4.0 average engagement score, tracked monthly.

Client Feedback

"Anchoring your solutions in the universal theme of play was a fantastic choice. It resonates with the museum's purpose while providing a broad air cover the solutions" - Vice President of Programs, Children's Museum

There are interventions that are low hanging fruits, that don't require startup costs. This makes implementation easier and can happen in steps.
Metrics and measurable targets are a good way to learn if these interventions will help and if they should be continued
Expanding membership experience is important and the interventions following that was well received.

End Thesis

By addressing unclear check-ins, limited engagement for children and members, and the need for a cohesive digital tool like KCM’s app, we can transform the museum experience into one that is seamless, interactive, and deeply engaging. These solutions will not only improve efficiency but also strengthen visitor satisfaction, boost member loyalty, and create a lasting connection to the museum’s brand.

Still Curious?

Contact

Storyteller based in Chicago