Art case
This project was an art focused project where me and my group worked together with Halmstad art department to try to uplift art on Halmstad University campus. The duration for this project was five weeks.
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Projectleader
My role as the project leader was to push the project forward and oversee the project.
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Developer
As the developer Edvard was is control over the developing phase and was the main programmer for the project.
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Evaluation officer
Amanda’s role was to conduct the evaluation and to find fitting evaluations methods for this project.
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Documentation manager
Nathalie focus was too ensure that everything was documented.
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Visual designer
As the visual designer Filip was leading the sketch sessions and had control over the visuals of the application.
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Contact person
My was in contact with the different stakeholders in this project.
Group members
Background
Halmstad University and Halmstad Art Department have a collaboration where Halmstad Art Department's artworks are displayed on the university campus. There is everything from sculptures to paintings, both inside the buildings and outside. One artist that is particularly important for the campus is Olle Baertling. Olle Baertling was an artist in the 50s and was from Halmstad. His art is truly integrated on campus, and the campus area is actually named after him, Kvarteret Baertling.
Problem area
Halmstad University campus is rich with art of different sorts. The problem was that the students didn't really care about it, and many students didn't know that there was so much art on campus. The motive from the client was that the amazing art is being wasted, and that students could draw inspiration from it.
“The art on campus is like furniture, it’s just there and you never think about it.”
— Interviewee
Goals and Challenges
Uplift the artwork overall an campus
Inspire students
Create a fun experience while integrating artwork
Identify why the art is being overlooked
Solution
The solution is an art tour through the campus with an app. The tour can be done alone, with a group, or as a part of 'nollningen' which is for the freshmen. The application also includes a digital gallery where students can look at the different artworks that the campus has to offer.
Left
This is the homepage where users can choose between going on an art tour or looking at the digital gallery.
Right
The screen on the right is for users who want to go on an art tour, and they can choose if they are alone, in a group, or are freshmen. The tour is pretty much the same whether you go alone or in a group, but the differentiation lies in the questions you get asked throughout the tour.
Left
Once the user has chosen between the alternatives on the front page, before the user can start the art tour, the first phase is to find the artwork for which the map is used for. The user can see which artwork they should go to on the bottom left of the screen.
Right
Once the user is close to an artwork, the screen changes to an information page about the artwork. Here, the user can learn about the art and the artist. When the user has read enough about it, he/she can click on "Nästa" to go to the next page.
Left
Now it's time for a discussion question or reflection questions if it's only one user. This question is related to the artwork and is meant to create a discussion in the group or to make users reflect on the art.
Right
Once the art tour is finished, this page appears on the user's screen where they can receive feedback and go back to the home page.
Left
This page contain the art gallary. Here users can scroll and look through the different artworks that the campus has to offer.
Right
This is how it looks once the user clicks on an artwork, where they get information about the artwork. There is also a button under the text which directs users to a map where they can find the artwork.
Design choices
The reason that we choose an art tour is because we wanted to create an experience for the students. In our interviews, we identified that a lot of students weren't interested in art, so we wanted to create an experience instead.
To create another dimension in the experience, we put a question after every artwork. The questions differ depending on whether the students are alone, in a group, or are freshmen. This enables fun interaction as a group or reflection if the student is alone.
To be able to create an experience, we identified three possible types of experiences, and that's the reasoning for the three alternatives. The most interesting one is the one for freshmen. Every year, Halmstad University organizes different types of activities for new students, and we want this art tour to be one of them. This allows new students to see the different art on campus and also get to know the campus area, which kills two birds with one stone.
Design process
Our design process consisted of five phases: research, problematize, sketching, prototyping, and developing. Below, I will go through some of the methods that were used.
In this project, we wanted to adapt an agile design process and used Scrum as a tool to do that. By working agile, the group could get work done quickly while still staying connected to each other. As a project leader, I could easily see the work that was being done and needed to be done.
These are some of the sketches from our sketch phase. We conducted two sketching sessions to try to put our ideas on paper. The sessions were playful and relaxed, which let our creativity flow. We also let other designers critique our sketches, which gave us new insights and ideas.
We conducted a card sorting session with students at Halmstad University. The goal of this session was to understand what the users wanted for a digital art gallery and art tour, but also to let the students be a part of creating a solution that is meant for them.
Project leader role
As the project leader of a design project, my role was to drive the project forward and ensure that it was completed successfully. This was my first experience in a leadership role, and throughout the five weeks, I gained valuable insights and knowledge. One of my key responsibilities was to hold daily scrum meetings, where I ensured that all team members were on the same page and that everyone had the opportunity to share their progress and any challenges they were facing.
Another important task was to prioritize and reassign tasks as needed to ensure that the project was moving forward as efficiently as possible. This required me to continuously evaluate the status of the project, identify areas that required more attention, and make adjustments to the plan accordingly.
Being a project leader also taught me the importance of effective communication and collaboration. I had to adapt my communication style and adjust to the group dynamics to be able to lead the team effectively. It was a great learning experience for me and helped me understand how to work more effectively with my colleagues in a leadership role.
Overall, my role as a project leader helped me understand the importance of clear communication, effective teamwork, and adaptability to changing circumstances and needs.