Extending the museum journey across physical and digital environments.
role
client & industry
Torres Novas City Council
Tourism & Culture
timeline
14 months
setting
Ihnderson Vieira
Vitor Gomes
Joana Proserpio
Ricardo Fernandes
Márcio Dias
Diogo Guimarães
João Pires
Scope of Work
tech solutions
55” Touch Screen 4K (x4)
86” Stretch Touch Screen Full HD
Mobile App (iOS, Android)
// CONTEXT
As the Lead Interaction Designer at Edigma, I collaborated on a 14-month cross-functional greenfield project (built entirely from the ground up) with designers, developers, project managers, and client representatives. Our aim was to curate a museum experience that would “preserve, promote, and enhance the region's rich archaeological heritage”.
My involvement was exclusively set to design supportive digital products that aimed to expand the physical curation of the museum, designed by a broader design team.
What makes Edigma a great call for this project, and why did they summon me?
Ever-changing visitors' expectations are driving the evolution of the museum landscape, and this new slew of visitors is seeking enriched experiences that blend place, technology, culture and entertainment. Edigma’s vision fits perfectly with this scenario, given their experience in transforming educational public spaces into sensory interactive exhibitions without compromising the scientific rigour put into information.
As for me, I’ve been evolving parallel to the company during the past 5 years as part of their creative team and becoming a trusted interaction designer lead as my responsibilities spread from execution to strategy.
Cerca da Vila Museum will come to serve as a gallery of the region's cultural legacy and aims to position Torres Novas as a key destination for archaeological tourism.
Torres Novas Municipality has accumulated an extensive portfolio of archaeological findings during the past decades. Its well-known status derives from the indeterminable Almonda cave systems and the many traces of prehistoric human settlement found along the Almonda River.
The Aroeira skull is one of the oldest human fossils in Western Europe and revealed key information to the world about human evolution.
The Aroeira skull aims to be the museum’s iconic artefact in Torres Novas, where it was discovered in 2014. It has been studied worldwide, as its dating is much more precise than that of the other (few) human fossils known from this time, making it a reference standard.
// PROBLEM
In order to expand information about exposed artefacts and allow for a more interactive experiences around the displayed collections (vision) our product will solve the museum visitors needs of seeking for a greater understanding around the artefacts (target group) problem of limited spatial capacity, missing or fragmented artefacts, and static informational formats that cannot fully represent the complexity of the collection (user problem) by giving them interactive in-gallery tools that supplement the displayed collections by offering high-resolution galleries, 3D reconstructions, and historical and geographical context of both displayed and displaced artefacts. (strategy)
We will know that our product works, when we see people using the digital stands to get more information, spending more time exploring, and leaving with a better understanding of the exhibition. (goal)
With every project that I work on, there are going to be different constraints.
If the word is museum, it’s most likely to be a government type of job, with autarkies, councillors, and bureaucratic hurdles to navigate. For example, getting approval for design decisions was a challenge due to the long hierarchical nature of these organizations.
Convincing the client of the value of UX research was also a squabble, as they prioritize tangible work to save costs. Nevertheless, I believe my place is not to confront but to educate the client on our methods and decisions, and therefore I negotiated our way to a desirable result for the end-user.
To address this issue, I suggested using multi-touch screens, mobile apps, and in-gallery integrations; however, despite the client's sensitivity to the matter, these solutions were not implemented due to cost and time constraints.
“Museums will always stand as stalwarts of culture and knowledge, but the most influential institutions will continue to evolve with technology and visitors' experience trends.”
// RESEARCH
Going broad and picking up the pieces.
At the outset, we had no pre-existing insights into who the visitors were, how they behaved, or what challenges they faced. I began by exploring handwritten comments and online reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor and Reddit, scanning for patterns in visitor highlights, frustrations, expectations, and prior experiences.
Online reviews from forums
Taking the visitors’ attention from the real objects.
Many visitors expressed enthusiasm for digital features in museum spaces. However, I also found recurring criticism pointing out that these technologies sometimes create an unintended distance between the visitor and the physical artefacts themselves.
Regardless of the technology used, museum artefacts should always take centre stage.
Nowadays, a visit to a museum must surround the public with unexpected experiences to capture their attention. As a result, the use of digital resources is often indisputably required merely to meet the audience's high demands, offering a poor contribution to what is being presented.
In other instances, it answers a greater purpose, contributing to expand information about what cannot be exposed, like no longer existing artefacts and places, giving access to reconstructions and digital replicas.
Limiting a portion of the visitors to passive viewing.
A common frustration was that many displays only allowed one person to interact at a time, while others were left watching passively. This limited social integration can be problematic as we often visit museums with friends, family, or peers, and even solo visitors are influenced by the behaviour of those around them.
To better inform my work, I conducted a field study undisturbedly observing users in real-life scenarios in the Porto Region Across the Ages Exhibition.
All participants and the museum administration were duly informed about the nature of the project, and that no personally identifiable information would be collected, guaranteeing full anonymity.
During my visit, I examined a mix of visitors from children to the elderly, and noted how visitors interacted with touch screens. I chose a covert observation method to avoid influencing natural behaviour. Instead of taking notes on the spot, I used quick audio recordings to capture my impressions without breaking the flow of observation.
Visitor journey map
porto region across the ages exhibition from the world of wine museum
Using personas to communicate research findings to all team members and stakeholders.
Personas are a lot of times done for dreamed-up customers we might hope to have, as pure guesswork. And so, I had to ask myself why? Why was I creating these archetypes? The answer to this question is an answer to another question: Who are we designing for?
personas
Based on the findings, I defined two segments that made up most of my audience and created a persona to represent each of them. Students and tourists represented most of the individuals observed during the field study.
Personas consolidate the most critical information about users in a way that everyone can understand and relate to. To that end, I conducted a brief museum visitor journey map divided into 5 stages – Entice; Enter; Engage; Exit; and Expand.
Visitor journey map
To summarize my findings, I made a CSD Matrix outlining my knowledge thus far, my hypotheses, and any remaining doubts.
CDS MAtrix
Exploring accessibility and natural actions to promote human-centred interactions.
To address ongoing accessibility concerns, I revisited EDIGMA’s design system for public interactive screens, coordinated by former creative director Bruno Cunha. The document provides guidance on screen orientation, resolution, touch zones, and ergonomic principles for natural mobility.
At this stage, my focus was on understanding user behaviour in physical space, how people reach, touch, and navigate on large-format screens.
55” Landscape WALL SCREEN
horizontal behaviour
Interactivity map
interactivity map
visibility map
visibility map
// IDEATION
To ensure a consistent user experience, I focused on building an intuitive navigation structure that could be scaled across all screens. This would reduce cognitive users' cognitive load when switching between platforms and act as an onboarding layer as they engage with their first digital interaction within the museum.
Since the screen layouts shared a similar structure, I’ll focus the rest of the case study on a single example application. However, I’ll highlight any particular iterations that resulted in important decisions or insights here and there.
Stepping into brainstorming.
The design team came together to brainstorm task flows and sketch out early ideas for addressing the problems we had identified. Each of us brought a different lens to the table, from illustration and content architecture to artistic curation and, in my case, interactive design. To kick off the ideation process, I conducted keyword research related to archaeology, created a mind map, and built a moodboard of visual inspiration, including UI references, excavation photography, cave textures, and artefact images.
Mind Mapping
Moodboard
Evaluating criteria and selected ideas.
To narrow down our ideas, two developers joined us to discuss technical feasibility and constraints. During this phase, we explored potential software integrations, visual styles, and how to build a scalable system that could evolve with future changes in the museum's exhibits. We worked collaboratively, editing and refining our brainstorming wall into a shared database we’d reference throughout wireframing and content planning.
To prioritize our work, we used a MoSCoW analysis to sort features into “must-have,” “should-have,” “could-have,” and “won’t-have.” This tool was regularly updated and reorganized as the project evolved.
moscow analysis
The exhibition was structured chronologically: ancient prehistory, recent prehistory, Roman era, and medieval era. The first interactive table was reserved to present content from prehistoric times, and for the second table, visitors could find information about the later eras. The last interactive element present on this floor was a stretch wall screen that provided an overview of the timeline.
Information Architecture.
To build a clear structure for the application, we analyzed the content provided by the client. This helped us assess the volume and complexity of materials and define document types, media formats, and narrative structures. A sitemap became our anchor to map the maze of content and ensure a logical and navigable user flow.
We started by identifying the core narratives and media types the client wanted to showcase. From those discussions, we established the five primary navigation channels:
Artefacts: A complete collection of artefacts, including those not currently displayed.
Places: A map-based view of excavation sites and local landmarks.
Gallery: A media collection of images and videos.
Publications: Curated links to articles, books, and external content.
Search: A full-text search engine spanning the application.
SITEMAP
Wireframes.
We initially overcomplicated the system, dividing the content into a huge number of levels and creating too many nested layers and branches. This stood as one of the first significant iteration beacons, as we had to step back and reframe our approach to allow users to navigate without requiring an additional degree of cognitive load.
I recall using a grocery analogy: When we shop, we rely on indications and natural categorization to find specific products. For common sense, we know that apples can be found in the fruit section, and vegetables are certainly nearby. Users demand a rational information architecture, much as they would when shopping at the supermarket. The interface should have a shallow structure with a limited number of levels.
wireframes
Languages for optimal findability and understandability.
Here, “language” refers to visual communication such as labels, descriptions, menus, and buttons. I focused on creating a consistent and logical experience by carefully placing and arranging these elements. This ensures that users can learn through repetition and predictability.
For example, If a back button appears on the left side of one screen, it should always be there. This means that users will learn what to expect from the supermarket's many corridors, what's on the top shelves, how to exit, and where to ask.
UX writing.
While discussing language, I can't ignore the impact of microcopy. At first, we assigned these randomly, but as the structure evolved, we defined consistent language for titles, buttons, and labels.
For example, we used visualsilhouettes to categorize buttons, but as users didn’t find them intuitive, we defined labels accordingly. We also had to shorten much of the titles and CTA text provided by the client, as it was too extensive to fall into good standards of readability and scannability.
Accessibility considerations.
Wrapping up the IA phase, we revisited EDIGMA’s display design system and realized that the present structure would fail the test. After that, we start to reorganize some of the sections to ensure compliance with touch target zones and physical usability.
guidelines for 55” landscape interactive structure | vertical BEHAVIOUR
guidelines for 55” landscape interactive structure | Horizontal BEHAVIOUR
// PROTOTYPING
What prompted changes?
The client's priorities or the technical realities of implementation led to some of the changes, while user feedback from informal usability tests prompted others. I was able to test concepts in context and progressively hone in on solutions that functioned both on screen and in the space, thanks to the process of focused iterations.
Conducting usability sessions of think-alouds and gathering insights from users’ feedback.
To test the intuitiveness of our design, we ran informal usability sessions using the think-aloud protocol. In these sessions, users were asked to complete basic tasks and verbalise their thoughts in real time. This helped us understand not only where they encountered friction, but why. We observed where users confidently moved through the interface and where they hesitated or felt confused.
Here are some of the prompts we used, along with the types of feedback they uncovered:
Find more information about the ‘Celtic Bronze Sword’ and identify which period it belongs to.
Which filters would you apply if you wanted to see only items from the Mesolithic period?
Use the map to locate the excavation site called ‘Lapa dos Coelhos.’.
Find an artefact that dates back to the Palaeolithic period.
Can you find how to return to the main screen from here?
Common insights from users.
Users expected artefact containers to include more metadata (period, location, material).
Filters felt buried when placed in a dropdown; visibility improved once moved into a side panel.
Topographic maps created visual clutter and were swapped for a simplified illustrative map.
Pinpoints were too uniform, causing misidentification.
Accessibility tags were added to location detail modals for faster scannability.
Users tried scrolling vertically and were confused by mixed directions.
Button icons alone weren’t intuitive enough.
screenshot of different iteration boards
Iterating towards our final solution.
The next section of the case study showcases the key stages of iteration, what prompted changes, what ideas shaped them, and how different directions were explored. Not all artboards will be staged in here, just the ones that contributed to the final iteration, or reflected some distinguished paths that could have also resulted in great solutions.
The point of this whole process of iteration is to be able to move fast and accurately. I always prefer to take small steps and add up as we move than try to ideate straight away a final solution that rarely results!
The core of my methodology is the feedback that I collect from the team, users, and the client. Figuring out how every feature in a product should interact, especially in the abstract, is incredibly challenging. By iterating during implementation, I can address issues as they arise, making the process more realistic and effective in the end.
By starting designing in grayscale, I’m forced to use spacing, contrast, and size. Working without colour forces a stronger reliance on fundamentals, and it’s a way of ensuring the design holds up on its own, without leaning on visual styling.
Historical Periods: Homepage
Low Fidelity
mid Fidelity
High Fidelity
Final Iteration
Adjusted kerning in titles and shortened introductory paragraphs to increase readability, otherwise, the text appears intimidating and discourages users from reading.
I’ve also reduced the prominence of button tags to create a clear distinction between clickable elements and descriptive text.
The “publications” button was removed at the client’s request.
Limited accent colour (red) to selected items only, reducing visual noise and improving clarity of interactive elements.
Centralized primary buttons in a dashboard layout, using secondary buttons to balance space. This approach prioritizes interactivity within primary accessibility zones, crucial for the 55" screen format. This time made much more sense to me to have an element to have a fixed width instead of a relative width.
Enhanced concept art background in Photoshop to increase immersiveness.
Historical Periods: Artefacts Page
Low Fidelity
mid Fidelity
High Fidelity
Final Iteration
Removed the breadcrumb tab after testing showed it was redundant. The navigation depth is shallow enough that the home button alone provides sufficient orientation.
Eliminated the back button, as its sole purpose was returning to the homepage, which is already accessible via the dedicated home button.
Reintroduced card containers but used the “Law of Common Region” to visually group each artefact with its description, strengthening scanability and structure.
Allowed artefact images to overflow beyond their cards to simulate partial excavation – where an artefact is excavated to a length that it can be perceived but remains stuck and stubby against the rock.
Transformed the topographical map into an interactive filter system. Selecting a site not only filters results but also highlights them on the map for spatial context.
Designed a floating modal to overlay detailed artefact information without forcing users to leave the main gallery context, promoting focus through progressive disclosure.
Established a clear visual hierarchy in textual content using scale, weight, and spacing, making information consumption more digestible.
Introduced dividers between content sections to segment information into manageable chunks, improving rhythm and reading ease.
Continued the motif of overlapping imagery, letting the artefact image break out of the modal to mimic the sense of a newly uncovered discovery.
Applied a subtle fade at the bottom of the text panel to suggest scrollability, guiding user interaction without additional instructions.
Kept the search button persistently accessible on the bottom dashboard, enabling users to consult the artefact database at any moment without needing to backtrack.
Historical Periods: Interactive Map
Low Fidelity
mid Fidelity
Final Iteration
Reverted to an illustrative map style after testing revealed that topographical detail overwhelmed casual users and interfered with pinpoint visibility.
Identified the need for visual identifiers (e.g. small images) for each site to reinforce location recognition and quick memory recall.
Introduced map clusters for locations positioned too closely together, using numbered markers to reduce visual clutter.
Applied colour coding to distinguish water bodies from infrastructure elements, increasing immediate interpretability of the terrain.
Added a radial fade at the map’s edges to subtly communicate that the content extends beyond the visible bounds, encouraging exploration via pan.
Designed an overlay modal to surface location-specific content once a pinpoint is tapped, focusing the user on the selected site without navigating away.
Enabled “click outside to close” interaction for the modal to offer a quick escape without extra UI controls.
Allowed multiple images per site, presented with directional arrows for navigation.
Created a tag-based summary system displaying accessibility status, distance, and pricing level for fast scanning and user decision-making.
Historical Periods: Gallery View
Low Fidelity
mid Fidelity
Final Iteration
Divided the gallery into columns with staggered alignment, some elements rise from the bottom, others hang from the top, to abstractly reference stalactites and stalagmites, reinforcing the cave environment.
This vertical asymmetry breaks the strict grid model, creating spatial depth and visual storytelling through layout, supporting the excavation metaphor.
Designed a centred media player that opens in-place within the gallery, eliminating disruptive navigation steps by maintaining all contextual content visible at all times.
The player adheres to a full-HD aspect ratio, while surrounding media tiles dynamically shift to accommodate it, preserving immersion and emphasizing focus without isolating the experience.
Timeline
Low Fidelity
mid Fidelity
Final Iteration
Decreased timeline thickness and repositioned date labels to create additional room for artefact display.
Sub-periods are visually nested within eras using less prominent styles and following the timeline gradient scheme keeping the user's mental model focused on macro-to-micro time progression.
Refined typographic hierarchy to help users orient themselves within nested timeframes. Historical period (primary), chronological era (secondary), artefact markers (tertiary).
Removed precise dating from artefacts following experts' consultation, as it reflects a commitment to factual integrity that is unknown.
Added “World Wide” and “Portuguese Territory” labels above and below the timeline to clarify artefact origin. These indicators stay fixed during navigation to maintain contextual awareness throughout the scroll.
“You Are Here” indicator was excluded, as the timeline does not reach the present day.
Extending and Enticing the Museum Experience with a Mobile Application.
To entice and extend the visitor journey beyond the walls of the exhibition, I created a lightweight mobile application as part of the project’s broader goal. The app centred on exploration and introspection outside the physical space, helping users access practical information, while the in-gallery installations focused on enhancing the on-site experience.
An overview of the museum, opening hours, a list of upcoming events, and access to a short documentary were among the features included. Additionally, the app offers a 360º virtual tour that lets visitors revisit particular artefacts or explore parts of the exhibition from a distance.
To know more about this click here
// RESULTS
Interpreting early signs of success.
During the museum's inauguration, I was able to collect feedback from both staff and visitors, which reflected an overall positive engagement with the digital elements. The installations were well-received and became anchor points to explore further details about the in-gallery artefacts.
It was delightful to see how everyone could engage with ease with all the digital interfaces, from children to the elderly. A group of students were also present and revealed to be much more interested in the digital platforms than the physical space itself. Nevertheless, they would use the application to quickly scout what caught their attention the most, and then go search for it in the Museum for a real perspective.
The timeline display became one of the most commented-on elements of the exhibition. The timeline display became one of the most commented-on elements of the exhibition. Visitors explained to me that this type of integration greatly helped to understand the time scale of the different events and artefacts presented in the museum, and it would be very difficult to simulate such in the walls due to limited space.
After the event, in a conversation with the museum director team, I understood that there were still some technical bugs and fixes that should be addressed. It's been reported that in some cases, the software wasn't uploaded with the full media content, which was creating confusion for the visitor.
A note on measuring impact
In this project, the ability to measure outcomes felt short, as there was little previous data for comparison, and to this day, the client has not shared follow-up numbers. Still, here are some of the metrics I expected to move:
Average session length per screen interaction.
% of visitors who stop and interact vs. just pass by.
% of visitors completing a flow
Abandonment rate in the middle of a flow
Visitors’ satisfaction score
Average dwell time in exhibition areas with active touchscreens
Nevertheless, the museum did share a short note indicating that visitor entries exceeded expectations by more than 20% in the first three weeks. While this information was encouraging for me, I believe this result, by itself, is partially biased by the novelty and opening effect.
Although not part of a formal study, on inauguration day, I also noted several small wins:
Visitors could reach and use interactive elements without physical limitations.
Visitors spent an average of 25 minutes in the gallery, of which ~8 minutes were dedicated to interactive displays.
A significant share of visitors engaged with the digital interfaces rather than bypassing them.
There was still room for improvement.
It was commonly mentioned that the artefacts should be tagged with their respective location within the museum. This would help to interconnect the digital replica and the real object quickly. It could be achieved with an integrated blueprint system, or just an ID system.
One thing I wish we had done more of was making it easier for multiple users to interact with each other, especially at bigger installations like the timeline. Although the interfaces were created with individual users in mind, visitors frequently approached in groups or pairs.
Underlined or colored-coded words could be tapped to reveal a brief modal with definitions which would have made the site more accessible to guests who are not familiar with technical terms.
Although the overall experience was unaffected by this restriction, it served as a reminder to me that interfaces intended for public use need to take into account social usability, or how people interact, learn, and explore in real-world settings.
What was the strategic impact for the team?
I believe that, beyond the immediate deliverables, this project helped the team grow stronger in collaborating towards a cohesive experience that spans both physical and digital canvases, becoming a reference point for similar projects in the future.
One of my ongoing missions at Edigma has always been to advocate for UX, and this project gave me the chance to nudge the company a little further along that path of design maturity.
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