Museum of Tomorrow
Museum of Tomorrow is an interactive exhibit companion app for the Sustainability Discovery Hub. Built for Peninsula Clean Energy, it guides visitors through hands-on sustainability exhibits with clear instructions, visible progress, and a reward-based flow designed for busy, shared museum environments.
- Role: End-to-end Product Designer & Engineer (sole contributor)
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Objective: Enable visitors to navigate exhibits independently during peak hours
- Result: A guided, reward-based experience that improves engagement and learning
Problem
During busy hours at the Sustainability Discovery Hub, there were often more visitors than staff available to explain each exhibit. As a result, many visitors moved through the space without fully understanding how exhibits connected or knowing whether they had completed all experiences.
Solution
The app was designed to guide visitors through each exhibit step by step, show clear progress, and unlock a reward upon completion. This allowed visitors to navigate the experience independently while reducing the need for constant staff support.
Research Insights
Research was conducted on-site through direct observation and conversations with museum visitors and staff. Being present in the space revealed that visitors needed clear instructions, short interactions, and visible progress to stay engaged in a crowded environment, shaping a guided experience focused on clarity and ease.
Alex — The Curious Visitor
Alex is visiting the Sustainability Discovery Hub for the first time. They enjoy interactive learning but want clear instructions and a sense of progress as they move through exhibits.
- Motivations: Learn through interaction
- Barriers: Unclear exhibit instructions
Maria — The Educator
Maria brings students to the museum and values tools that keep groups engaged, organized, and focused. She looks for experiences that balance education and fun while remaining easy to explain.
- Motivations: Structured learning
- Barriers: Limited time per exhibit
Design Process
The design focused on real-world museum constraints, prioritizing clarity and ease of use in a shared physical space. Structured exhibit cards, guided steps, and visible progress helped visitors move confidently through the experience without relying on staff or interrupting the exhibits themselves.
Visual Evolution
A friendly, illustration-based visual system was created to support learning without overwhelming visitors. Distinct exhibit visuals help differentiate experiences while maintaining a cohesive and calm design language suited for a busy museum environment.
Interactive Experience
The final app brings all exhibits into a single guided flow, allowing visitors to complete experiences in sequence, track progress in real time, and unlock a completion state. This structure supports both individual visitors and group learning in a real-world museum setting.
