The New Museum is a vibrant and modern contemporary art museum located in New York City. Its mission is to share “new art [and] new ideas” with the general public through exhibitions, events, and special programs. As part of the coursework for my Information Architecture course at Pratt Institute, I led a group of fellow students to develop a refreshed IA/ID approach for the New Museum. Our concept for the museum’s website married user-centered design and improved navigation with a cutting-edge, graphically modern look.
19. MAX ROBERTS-
SPRINGER
The Hipster
MR. & MRS. BENJAMIN
The Donor
SAMUEL TRESCH
The Tourist
AMY LEE
The Artist
MARISOL MCLUHAN
The Art Teacher
Most concerned with
cost in comparison to
value.
Initial visit to the site is
to determine whether
the museum is worth
visiting
Will leave site quickly
if not drawn in
immediately.
Has low tolerance for
hard to find information
as that makes it harder
to plan the vacation
Focused on finding
information about
cultural events.
Repeated visits to the
site to check what’s
happening.
Wants easy access to
background information
on the exhibitions,
artists, and musicians
related to the event.
May be interested in
membership or other
program for discounted
admission to the
museum and its events.
Need to feel they are
giving something back to
society
Interested in learning
about how the museum’s
mission fits with their
philanthropic beliefs
Will visit the site
frequently to learn about
membership events and
opportunities to support
Looking for social
gratification and to
feel their gifts are
appreciated
Focused on finding out
how to exhibit at the
museum
Initial visit to site is to
determine if museum’s
mission fits with artistic
vision.
Does not check back
often, will communicate
with museum via email.
Expects support
from museum staff
throughout application
and exhibition process
Most concerned with
educational resources
and opportunities
Initial visit to the site is
to determine if exhibits
and events align with
curriculum
Wants easy access
to lesson plans and
teaching materials
Expects to be welcomed
and supported by
museum
20. Max is a single male graduate
student. He moved to NYC for
school several years ago and has a moder-
ate amount of free time because he does
not have a full-time job. Therefore, he at-
tends many cultural events, either alone or
with a date or friends. The New Museum
is an ideal scene for him, as he enjoys
contemporary art and considers himself a
“culture vulture”. Because there are other
events competing for Max’s attention and
limited spending money, he wants to know
as much about a potential event as pos-
sible before committing, including some
background information on the artists, ex-
hibits, or musicians involved – he needs to
feel well-informed.
Needs
• Basic Event Information
• Background information on the event
• Direction on where to find more detailed information
• Access to possible discounts or membership information
MAX ROBERTS-SPRINGER
“When I get tickets to a cultural event, I want some background info in addition to the
standard date, time, and price information, so I can learn about the related exhibits, art-
ists, or musicians in advance. That way I can explain the event to my friends or partner.”
The Hipster
Demographic
Age group: 25-40
Years Online: 10+
Income: $25-50K
Tech Comfort
PC: Medium
Web: High
Motivations
Discover information on the
exhibitions, artists, and/or
musicians involved with a
given event.
Buy event tickets and attend,
either alone or with a date or
friends.
Scenarios
Seeking basic event
information (date, time,
price).
Learning enough about
an event to answer basic
questions about it.
Looking to do more
in-depth research on
connection artists, exhibits,
or musicians.
Buying event tickets.
Wondering how he can
get discounted or free
admission.
Features
Interactive calendar of events
Hyperlinks for the names
of artists, exhibits, and
musicians for instant access
to further information about
the parties and objects
involved in the event
Thorough event descriptions
Ability to purchase event
tickets from event page
without navigating away
Links to membership page
(to earn discounts) and
external websites (to allow
for in-depth research.
Behaviors
Max clicks a link that takes
him to the page for the
exhibition related to the event.
On the events page, Max
clicks a linked message
about members attending
events for free.
Max sees a “For More
Information” menu with
links to the websites of the
parties/individuals involved
with the event.
From the event page, Max can
select the number of tickets he
wants to purchase and begin
the purchasing process.
On the events page, Max can
select a specific event and/
or choose a date from an
interactive calendar to see
what’s happening that day.
21. Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin live on the
Upper East Side of New York City.
They love the arts, particularly modern and
contemporary painting and photography.
They are well-connected, urbane,
sophisticated, and enjoy socializing. They
are seeking prestige and social approval
and have decided that supporting the New
Museum is a step in that direction.
Needs
• Plan their social calendar based on upcoming events
• Emotional and social gratification. The Benjamins need to feel they are giving soming
back to society.
• Ability to securely donate large sums of money.
MR. & MRS. BENJAMIN
“We are proud patrons of contemporary art and want to feel like we are getting both
social and intellectual benefits from our philanthropic efforts.”
The Donor
Demographic
Age group: 50-65
Online: 5-10
Income: $75+
Tech Comfort
PC: Low
Web: Low
Motivations
To be seen attending events.
Wants their names attached
to their donations.
Demonstrate to their
social network that they
are well-informed about
contemporary art.
Considering starting a
personal collection of
contemporary art.
Scenarios
Choosing a lecture or event
to which they can bring out
of town guests.
Joining the New Museum
at a high giving level.
Learning more about
featured artists and how to
begin a collection.
Features
Calendar
Events notification to Email
or blackberry
Printable forms for donation
and phone number
Behaviors
Go to the website and
click on “Calendar” to see
the updated events and
exhibitions.
Go to “Events” page to
check out the current events.
On the “Events” page, click
a RSS to subscribe a regular
events update.
22. Samuel has just recently graduated
from business school and is look-
ing to make a grand tour of all the major
cities of the country before he settles down.
He is planning to do as much as he can on
this one vacation, so each individual web-
site he investigates needs to grab his at-
tention for that museum to be considered
amongst his already busy itinerary.
Needs
• Quick and easy information about what can be found at the New Museum
• Easily accessible cost information
• Directions to the Museum are obvious and easy to find on the site
SAMUEL TRESCH
“I don’t want to have to spend a long time on a website in order to decide
whether I want to visit it on my upcoming vacation.”
The Tourist
Demographic
Age group: 25-40
Years Online: 5-10
Income: $50K+
Tech Comfort
PC: Medium
Web: High
Motivations
Wants to see as much of
interest as possible before
moving on to the next city.
Wants to judge which places
are best to visit on his
vacation, which may be his
last in a long time.
Does not want to spend
more money than he has to,
but is willing to spend what it
takes to have a fulfilling trip.
Scenarios
Comparing different
museum websites to see
which is most worthwhile
to visit.
Accessing directions
and figuring out how to
navigate the city to find the
address.
Features
Comparison of the cost of
admission on the visitor info
pages.
Comparison of the different
exhibits on the exhibit pages.
Interactive map or directions.
Behaviors
Samuel will not stay on a
museum’s website if it does
not interest him immediately.
Should the site not almost
immediately display exhibit
information and/or a mission
statement that Samuel can
peruse, he will grow frustrated
and not consider the site
worth further investigation.
Samuel does not like to have
to look too hard to find out
basic visitor information
such as directions or hours
of operation. He wants to
have an easy time planning
his vacation and views every
obstacle to an easy plan to
be something best avoided.
A museum site that does not
allow for easy planning for a
visit will be such a site that
he will avoid.
23. Amy has been creating and showing
her original art since college. She
paints with acrylic paints and mixes different
mediums to craft innovative pieces. She
wants to find new and exciting places to
visit for inspiration and to display her best
work so far.
Needs
• Information on hours, fees and location
• Special events and appropriate details
• Application process for exhibitions and membership
AMY LEE
“I want to find new museums and galleries where I can show my work. I would like
the right people to see my new projects and ideas.”
The Artist
Demographic
Age group: 25-40
Years Online: 5-10
Income: $25-50K
Tech Comfort
PC: Medium
Web: High
Motivations
Learn if the museum fits
her personal needs and
preferences.
Research museum’s
guidelines on artists’ shows
and exhibitions.
Finding out who to contact
about becoming a featured
artist
Scenarios
Comparing different
museums and galleries in
advantageous locations .
Determining if the New
Museum will fit with the
philosophy and quality of
her personal artwork.
Learning about the
application process for
artists
Features
Information page that
highlights all details concisely
and accurately.
“About” page shows up-to-
date collection statements
and policies.
“Artists” section that displays
summaries of past and
current artists’ exhibitions.
“Applications” section with
information about portfolio
submission, requirements
and contact info
Behaviors
Amy clicks on a link that
will display basic visitors’
information including cost,
directions, and hours.
Amy clicks on a link that
displays the New Museum’s
mission statement.
Amy clicks on a link that
shows a peer’s success at
last month’s show.
Amy explores the
“Applications” section
and sends an email to a
coordinator
24. Marisolisayoungandinexperienced
NYC teacher. She has been
teaching art at a Brooklyn high school for
two years, and feels like she’s starting
to make some real headway with her
students. She thinks its time to reward her
best kids with a visit to a local art museum.
Because her class has shown an interest in
contemporary art, she decides to learn more
about The New Museum and the programs
they offer to class groups. Because there
are a number of contemporary art galleries
and institutions in the city competing for
Marisol’s class’s time and attention, she
needs to known what makes the New
Museum unique and why it would be the
best place to bring her class before deciding
to make the trip.
Needs
• Basic Information about group tours including costs, availability and how to book
• Information about the current exhibits and how they connect to her curriculum
• Curriculum resources to use before, during, and after her visit
MARISOL MCLUHAN
“I don’t want to waste my time taking my class on a trip to a cultural institution
where we won’t be welcomed or supported. Before I book a visit, I want to know that the
museum’s education program will provide a valuable and challenging experience that
reflects my students and my curriculum.”
The Art Teacher
Demographic
Age group: 25-40
Years Online: 10+
Income: $50-75K
Tech Comfort
PC: Medium
Web: High
Motivations
Discover information on the
current exhibitions.
Learn more about the
museum’s education
program and whether it
aligns with her class’s
curriculum.
Book a class visit or
program.
Download curriculum
materials related to current
exhibitions.
Contact someone in the
education department.
Scenarios
Learn enough about an
exhibition to answer basic
questions about it including
what educational value
they hold.
Learn enough about
education programs
to evaluate their
appropriateness for a
particular grade/subject.
Schedule a visit during
school hours with a
particular series of dates
in mind.
Access reproducible
pdfs of lesson plans,
worksheets and materials.
Further questions or
concerns not addressed by
general site.
Features
Hyperlinks to additional
information regarding state
standards addressed.
Thorough description of the
educational program, broken
down by grade and subject
area.
Interactive booking form with
calendar of available dates.
Database of materials is
linked to both exhibit and
program descriptions.
Interactive contact form.
Phone number and email
address of an actual human
in the Education
Behaviors
Marisol reads about an
interesting exhibit and clicks
on a link which explains its
educational value.
Marisol finds a link in the glocal
navigation to the Education
department and reads about
the programs available.
Marisol clicks on a “Book your
tour today” button and is taken
through a process filter.
Marisol can access this
database when browsing
exhibitions, browsing programs,
and after booking a tour.
Marisol sees a “Contact” link
on the Education landing page
and in several other spots that
will allow her to send an email
or make a phone call.
28. 5.3.2 Competitive Analysis Data
1
Walker Mass MoCA The Whitney
Museu de Arte
Contemporanea de
Niteroi
The Saatchi Gallery
URL www.walkerart.org www.massmoca.org www.whitney.org www.macniteroi.com.br www.saatchi-
gallery.co.uk/
Home Page Design
(+) Moving image
banner at the top of
the home page shows
all current events and
exhibitions right on the
front page
(-) The page is much
too long; users have to
scroll down
continuously to see
everything
(-) Contact
information is located
at the foot of the
home page – requires
too much scrolling
(-) Site utilizes too
many clashing colors
(+) Graphics and
colors are
aesthetically pleasing
(+) Includes flash
slideshow
(+) Footer contains
logo and contact
information
(+) Utilizes tabs for
global and local
navigation
(+) Sidebar displays
current events & news
(-) Ads and
extraneous info below
logo makes page too
long
(-) Global navigation
bar is less dominant
than local navigation
(+) There is a link to
"Tickets" on the
homepage
(+) Address and
phone number are
available on the
homepage
(-) No alternative html
version
(-) Glocal navigation
font is too small
(-) No visual logic,
priority, or sense of
spatial organization
(-) Upcoming Events
are listed in a font that
is too small
(-) When a user clicks
on the tickets link, it
does not bring the
user to “Tickets”
(+) Image banner at
the top of the
homepage is a
slideshow of images of
the exterior of the
museum building and
shots of interior
(+) Glocal navigation
along left-hand side
(+) Central panel has
narrative description of
current events and
exhibits
(+) Contact information
in footer
(-) Dropdown in upper
right corner navigates
to external sites and
organizations without
warning
(-) Site looks low-tech
and somewhat dated
(+) Strong central
image, with focus on
name recognition
(+) Artist names in are
in a drop-down menu
(- ) Dead space under
the central image
(-) The home page is
much too long; users
have to scroll down
continuously to see
everything
29. 5.3.2 Competitive Analysis Data
2
Walker Mass MoCA The Whitney
Museu de Arte
Contemporanea de
Niteroi
The Saatchi Gallery
URL www.walkerart.org www.massmoca.org www.whitney.org www.macniteroi.com.br www.saatchi-
gallery.co.uk/
Interior Page Design
(+)Comprehensive
narrative descriptions
on most pages
(+) Easy to navigate to
secondary and
tertiary pages
(-) The design for the
secondary pages
lacks unity
(-) Glocal navigation
not available on every
interior page
(-) Difficult to navigate
to home page without
using the back button
(+) Calendars, In the
Galleries, Performing
Arts pages consist
primarily of images
and captions
(+) Left sidebar shows
corresponding pages
in relation to sub-
navigation
(-) Visit, Support &
About pages are
primarily narrative
with few images
(-) Secondary pages
look like a different
website
(-) No features to
orient the visitors
(breadcrumb trail,
etc.)
(-) Glocal navigation is
inconsistent
(+) Maintains the layout
conventions from the
home page – slideshow
banner, left-hand
navigation, and footer
(+) Content is displayed
in main panel
(+) Simple, predictable
and easy to use
(+) Banner image under
main banner changes
to reflect content of the
section
(+) Retains strong
central image motif
from home page
(using different
images)
(+) Secondary pages
obviously describe
differing exhibitions
(-) Internal links are
located on both left
and right hand side of
the pages
Search Functionality
(+) Available on the
glocal navigation bar
(+) Search bar
available for events,
calendar,
performances, and
gallery exhibits
(+) Calendar, events,
performances, and
exhibition pages have
search functions
through date range,
title, or category
(-) No search engine (-) No search engine (-) Search engine
buried in left-hand
side local navigation
(-) No advanced
search feature
30. 5.3.2 Competitive Analysis Data
3
Walker Mass MoCA The Whitney
Museu de Arte
Contemporanea de
Niteroi
The Saatchi Gallery
URL www.walkerart.org www.massmoca.org www.whitney.org www.macniteroi.com.br www.saatchi-
gallery.co.uk/
Features Offered
(+) Exhibit, event, and
tour information
(+) Online store
(+) Annual report
(+) Contact
information
(+) Online exhibitions/
photo galleries
(+) Directions and
hours information
(-) No map of the
building itself
(+) Informational
Pages include
directions, information
on lodging, dining &
tickets
(+) “Support” page
includes different
types of membership,
donor levels & annual
fund information
(+) “About” page
includes history, jobs &
FAQ’s, and other
features related to
the museum’s mission;
all include search
bars & links to specific
pages for each event
or piece of art
(+) MASS MoCA Store
(though it is called
“Hardware”, which is
a confusing label)
(+) MASS MoCA Blog
features news and
updates
(+) Users can buy
tickets online
(+) Google map
shows location of
museum
(+) Section for online
education
(+) WhitneyCat, the
museum’s library
OPAC
(+) Information about
exhibitions
(+) Information about
events
(+) Information about
educational programs
(+) Information about
the building itself
(+) Contact information
(+) Directions to and
floor plan of the
museum
(+) Photo gallery
(+) Information about
current and past
exhibitions
(+) Contact info
(+) Virtual tour of
gallery
(+) Information about
artists
(+) Information about
hiring the gallery for
events
(+) Saatchi online –
individual webpages
for artists (users can
create their own)
31. 5.3.2 Competitive Analysis Data
4
Walker Mass MoCA The Whitney
Museu de Arte
Contemporanea de
Niteroi
The Saatchi Gallery
URL www.walkerart.org www.massmoca.org www.whitney.org www.macniteroi.com.br www.saatchi-
gallery.co.uk/
Navigation
(+) The menus are very
specific and
comprehensive
(-) Glocal navigation
has an overactive
dynamic menu
(-) Local navigation
(where it exists)
appears inside frames;
bears no resemblance
to the glocal
navigation
(+) Local navigation is
through the left
sidebar
(-) Primary navigation
has smaller font and is
dominated by
museum logo on the
left
(-) Contextual
navigation is through
images & bylines as
direct links
(-) Main navigation
design is not visually
attractive
(-) Narrative
descriptions are not
consistent
(-) Font used in pop-
ups is too small
(-) No designated
local navigation
(+) Global navigation is
clear and consistent
(-) Local navigation is
limited to a “read
more” button on each
section that opens up
yet more text; no real
navigation within
sections
(-) Many links are
unexpectedly external
(-) Relies too heavily
on narrative
descriptions
(-) No global or local
organization of the
features
(-) Most information
on the site is gathered
on the primary page;
therefore, there is no
sense of organization
or categorization
(-) Many links are
unexpectedly external
32. 5.3.2 Competitive Analysis Data
5
Walker Mass MoCA The Whitney
Museu de Arte
Contemporanea de
Niteroi
The Saatchi Gallery
URL www.walkerart.org www.massmoca.org www.whitney.org www.macniteroi.com.br www.saatchi-
gallery.co.uk/
Interaction Design
(+) No broken links
(+) Available
information is
comprehensive
(-) Difficult to navigate
if user is unfamiliar with
site
(+) Sub-navigation is
clear and easy
(consistently located
on left sidebar)
(+) Museum logo on
left of top banner
consistently linked to
the homepage
(+) “About” Page had
general and essential
information including
“Contact” and
“FAQ’s”
(+) The only external
link is the online store
(-) Rollover menus are
inconsistent
(-) Local navigation is
confusing
(-) ’Help’ is an external
link; leads to Yahoo
without warning
(+) Links work and take
the user where they
purport to
(+) Provides current
information
(-) Narrative is entirely in
Portuguese
(+) Left and right hand
glocal navigation with
clear labels
(+) Central images
and drop down
menus for artists and
exhibitions
(-) Nearly everything is
located on the
homepage, rendering
it cluttered and
overwhelming
(-) Unclear which links
are part of the gallery
site and which are not
33. 5.3.2 Competitive Analysis Data
6
Walker Mass MoCA The Whitney
Museu de Arte
Contemporanea de
Niteroi
The Saatchi Gallery
URL www.walkerart.org www.massmoca.org www.whitney.org www.macniteroi.com.br www.saatchi-
gallery.co.uk/
Commerce Design
(+) Wide range of
merchandise
available, from
clothing and
accessories to media
and publications
(+) Can buy
membership online
(+) Store is easy to
navigate and all
objects are displayed
well
(+) Most shop pages
have products with
images, prices, short
descriptions and
“Add to Cart” buttons
(-) The shop’s
“Wearables”, “Kids”
and “MASS MoCA”
pages are not
updated or empty
(-) Cannot navigate
back to home page
(-) Search box is at the
bottom of the
commerce page
(-) Navigation within
the store is inconsistent
within the rest of the
site
(-) List of publications,
but no online store
(-) No online purchasing
(+) List of publications
for purchase
(-) Must call or email
gallery to purchase
(-) No other products
for sale