UX review of a real-world art installation

Science Museum

The Science Museum in London, founded in 1857, is one of the must visits on any tourist or Londoner’s to-go list with its world renowned collections, galleries and exhibitions. Its appeal lies in the ever-changing rooms and exhibits, encompassing all things science, technology, industry and medicine.

They called us in to look at the Fiducial Voice Beacons exhibit – an interactive light and sound installation by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, on display in The Information Age gallery. The installation features ceiling-mounted light beacons, which gallery visitors can interact with via a mobile application. Visitor feedback suggested that the user experience of the app could be improved which is where we got involved.

We went down to London to experience the installation first hand and use the app; during the visit we met the gallery team and discussed their views. After reviewing the feedback from user testing we documented our recommendations for improvements to the app which were well received and passed on to Rafael’s creative team for development.