Enhancing Exploration: Artlens AR App at the Cleveland Museum of Art

An augmented reality iPad app that allows visitors to personalize their museum experience, creating custom tours and accessing interactive information about artworks through a touch wall interface.

Goal

To create an engaging, interactive iPad app that allows museum visitors to design personalized tours and access in-depth information about the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection, enhancing their overall museum experience.

Solution

I worked with Local Projects on a project to develop Artlens, an augmented reality (AR) iPad app that merges traditional gallery exploration with cutting-edge technology. Using image recognition, the app overlays detailed information directly onto the artworks, allowing visitors to view descriptions, historical context, and artist details while standing in front of the pieces themselves.

The app is linked to the Launch Wall, a large-scale interactive touch wall in Gallery One. Visitors can explore artwork on the wall, save pieces of interest to their iPads, and create personalized tours that guide them through the museum's vast collection. This connection between the wall and the app encourages both discovery and personalization, transforming the museum visit into a more tailored, interactive experience.

Role

As a UX Designer, I was responsible for ensuring the seamless integration of AR technology and the touch wall experience, while making the app intuitive for users of all technical backgrounds. I designed the user flow to guide visitors through the app’s main features, ensuring ease of use, from viewing the artwork details to customizing their museum journey. The app’s user interface was designed to balance simplicity and interactivity, allowing visitors to focus on the art while accessing additional content easily.

Background

The Cleveland Museum of Art sought to create a bridge between digital technology and traditional museum experiences. Artlens is part of the museum’s broader initiative to engage modern audiences through interactive tools, offering a fresh way for visitors to engage with the collection. By using augmented reality, we aimed to provide a richer, more informative experience, without detracting from the artworks themselves.

Outcome

Artlens has transformed how visitors experience the Cleveland Museum of Art. Whether through the Launch Wall or directly interacting with artworks via the app, users are now able to curate their own museum visits and dive deeper into the museum's extensive collection. The seamless integration of AR with the gallery experience has created a unique blend of education and entertainment, elevating visitor engagement and making each visit more personalized and memorable.