National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)
The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) launched a new digital initiative called the Searchable Museum. The Searchable Museum provides a rich digital experience that connects a worldwide audience with NMAAHC’s exhibitions.
Through an innovative online experience, the Searchable Museum combines existing and newly created digital collection assets, digitized exhibition content, and multimedia components, including 3D models, videos, and audio podcasts for a worldwide audience.
NMHAAC curators wanted to create a digital experience with a similar tone and feel as the in-person exhibitions. The team began developing intuitive navigation for the new, content-rich website. However, early user feedback found that audiences struggled with the complex, layered navigation in their search for Slavery & Freedom content.
We conducted multiple rounds of user research to better identify and understand the audience's pain points while navigating the Searchable Museum. This involved in-depth interviews, usability testing, and surveys to gather comprehensive feedback. We analyzed the data to pinpoint specific challenges and areas for improvement, ensuring our insights were grounded in real user experiences.
As a result of our comprehensive user research, we were able to identify key pain points and areas for improvement within the Searchable Museum. Our data-driven insights informed targeted recommendations, leading to an enhanced navigation experience that is more intuitive and enjoyable for users.
