Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is one of the largest museums in the Western world, devoted exclusively to Asian Art, housing a collection of over 17,000 artworks. The museum approached Lion to translate their new brand across digital ecosystem and redesign and rethink the whole digital experience - from the museum website to digital signage and interactive masterpieces app. We used the new brand idea “Awaken the past, inspire the next” as a guiding principle for our work, keeping in mind the importance of increasing the museum’s relevance to a wider audience, making it accessible for all.
New Identity
It was our job to take who AAM is and to make sure that new design visually enhances AAM brand and speaks to the brand mission and values. New design should represent AAM as contemplative, but engaging, familiar but also surprising, contemporary, yet evocative of the past.
Accessibility
Asian Art Museum is accessible and welcoming to all. This needed to translate into digital space and ensure our interface provides a comparable experience for all, so people can accomplish tasks in a way that suits their needs without undermining the quality of the content.
Regarding design, all colors are tested for accessibility, and page design is tested to hold up different text sizes.
Masterpieces Experience
Masterpieces is a special collection of museum objects, important historically, or rare, works of specific type and quality that you don’t often have the chance to see. We got a task to create iPad app that will be installed in the museum, serve as a self-tour and tell the story of these incredible objects in and engaging way and allow visitors to take a closer look above, below and behind objects that are always in a fixed position. The app UI works well for both 3D objects (figures, sculptures, vases etc.) and 2D objects (textile, paintings etc.)We took these requirements and developed the visitor experience in such a way that it feels like a private tour with a curator.
Digital Signage
The last piece of museum’s digital transformation was digital signage - dynamic digital displays located throughout the museum that deliver admission information as well as program, exhibition and marketing promotions (cafe, store, membership). Some of the factors we needed to consider as part of our digital and experience strategy were display positions in the museum - at what point in the museum exploration can we offer the most relevant info, how can we expand design system and adapt it to this new media while making it modular and flexible, making sure content has good legibility and clear hierarchy.
