Fabrique des Lumières
User Research, Web Audit, App Redesign and Workshop
Overview
This case study covers my involvement in user experience (UX) research and design in February 2024 for Fabrique des Lumières (FDL), a digital art centre located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, one of the French Cultural Spaces venues. The goal of this project was to enhance the visitor experience through rigorous research, identifying areas for improvement, and recommending actionable design changes. I applied both UX Research and UX Design principles, using methodologies such as Design Thinking, Lean UX and Service Design principles to help FDL better understand its audience and improve user satisfaction. This narrative demonstrates my ability to identify pain points, conduct thorough research, and deliver actionable solutions. It’s an example of how user-centred approaches can transform the experience in cultural and artistic environments.
Role: User Researcher & UX Designer
Design Process: Design Thinking, Lean UX and Service Design
Discovery - Competitor Analysis (Competitor Profile, Physical Space & S.W.O.T. Analysis, and Navigation Evaluation), Demographics, User Interviews and Observations
Conceptualization - User Personas, Empathy Maps, Tasks and User Flows
Interaction - On-site and Website Accessibility and User Interface (UI)
Exposition - Impact and Conclusions
Discovery
Challenge
Fabrique des Lumières, an immersive digital art centre, sought to provide visitors with a unique, engaging, and enjoyable experience. However, several pain points in both the on-site experience and online interfaces were impacting visitor satisfaction. The key challenges included overcrowded spaces, accessibility issues, and suboptimal signage and flow, which contributed to visitor frustration. The art centre needs a user-centred redesign strategy to improve not only user satisfaction but also key performance indicators such as Google Reviews, shop sales, and visitor satisfaction.
Research Goals
The core objectives were to:
Understand who the visitors are, their goals, pain points, and behaviours.
Evaluate how well the current design and layout meet visitor needs.
Identify opportunities for improvement through competitor analysis, user interviews and observation.
Provide recommendations for enhancing both the physical and digital experiences at FDL.
Competitor Analysis
To better understand FDL's standing in the market, I conducted a comprehensive competitor analysis, which included visits to two other prominent digital art centres in Amsterdam: Nxt Museum and Da Vinci Genius. These visits were made aiming to better understand the business of immersive digital art spaces in Amsterdam. This analysis highlighted the Competitor Profile, Physical Space Analysis with pictures, S.W.O.T. Analysis, and Website and App Navigation Evaluation (Usability Heuristics) from each art venue. The full report can be found here.
Outcome: The analysis provided a clear benchmark, identifying ways in which FDL could differentiate itself through spatial changes, enhanced digital engagement, and improved user flow.
Demographics, User Interviews and Observations
I conducted ethnographic research through on-site interviews and observations, engaging with both visitors and employees. I also collected information from the Customer Care department and Reviews on Google and Trip Advisor. This allowed me to gather real-time insights into how people interacted with the exhibition spaces, ticketing systems, and facilities such as the gift shop and restrooms.
Visitor Interviews: To interview representative FDL visitors, demographic data were collected from sales reports, observations and from those who provided it on the Guestbook between 2023 and 2024. 12 visitors inside the FDL visitor’s profile were interviewed with open-ended questions focusing on their motivations for visiting, ticketing experience, impressions of the exhibition, and potential areas for improvement. Additionally, 12 employees from various departments were also interviewed, providing insights into day-to-day operational challenges. the full report is not available due to Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
Interview Questions
Affinity Maps - Visitors and Employee’s answers
Interview Answers
Crowded areas (especially around entrances and exits)
Unclear signage
Accessibility challenges
Top 3 Key Findings:
2. Conceptualization
User Personas, Empathy Maps, Tasks and User Flows
Using the insights from interviews and observations, I developed four core user personas (Emma, Johanna, Jack, and Timo), representing a diverse range of FDL visitors, including a graphic designer, a retired professor, a software developer, and a child. Each persona was crafted with detailed journeys, challenges, and motivations to guide future design improvements. This also aids in marketing efforts to anticipate potential issues that may arise serving as a valuable material for leaders and all employees to collaborate on finding solutions. To view the full report with all deliverables, click here.
Outcome: Personas provided the team with a clearer understanding of the diverse audience FDL serves, highlighting specific areas where the user experience could be optimized (e.g., improving accessibility for elderly visitors or providing educational content for children).
3. Interaction
On-site and Website Accessibility
To evaluate the accessibility of Fabrique des Lumières On-Site, a checklist was made considering: Entrances and Exits, Pathways and Navigation, Exhibits and Displays, Seating and Rest Areas, Restrooms, Elevators and Lifts, Information and Communication, Emergency Evacuation, Parking, Feedback and Accessibility. The website accessibility also was evaluated through WAVE, NU HTML Checker and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2) Checklist, considering the classifications Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust, with additional considerations. You can find the full report here.
User Interface (UI)
Understanding that altering the existing application involves specific research, a content review conducted by an education’s specialized professional, and usability testing, the objective here is not to create a new solution from scratch, even though it is a very interesting project to bring to life. In this case, small improvements are presented that aim to include all the experiences that FDL offers (on the home screen, create a reel with the three current exhibitions), as well as an interactive, gamified option (“Quizz” Time) geared towards children.
Regarding the last screen below, I would change the title "Masterpieces on Focus" to "Dutch Masters" to maintain consistency and avoid visitor confusion (people could easily read "Master Focus," and the other option is "Masterpieces No Focus.").
4. Exposition
Design Recommendations
Given Fabrique des Lumières' hierarchical structure and its reliance on approval from Culture Spaces, I have categorized the recommendations across both organizations. This approach highlights the potential immediate changes Fabrique des Lumières can implement independently, as well as those that will require Culture Spaces' approval for execution.
Workshop
The project's final phase involved a workshop where the research findings and design recommendations are presented to the FDL team. The workshop aims to encourage collaborative brainstorming and help the team align on the next steps for implementation.
Impact & Conclusions
The research and design recommendations provided a roadmap for FDL to enhance both its physical and digital offerings. By focusing on user-centred design, FDL can now better meet the needs of its diverse visitor base, resulting in a more seamless and enjoyable experience for all. The project underscored the importance of ongoing user research and iterative design in achieving long-term success in the competitive digital art space.