CASE STUDY - UX RESEARCH
ArtScience Museum:
Designing around distinct user needs
A deep-dive research initiative into bridging the gap between artistic wonder and functional digital experiences for one of Singapore's most iconic landmarks.
The ArtScience Museum stands at the intersection of Art, Science, Culture, and Technology. However, its digital presence felt fragmented—a relic of legacy systems that failed to reflect its physical majesty. Our challenge was a comprehensive website redesign and rebranding that required a radical shift in perspective.
We needed to guide a diverse audience—from local school groups and international tourists tohigh-end corporate sponsors and art critics. The primary challenge wasn't just aesthetics; itwas navigating the complex friction between inspiration and transaction. How do we preservethe "Poetry" of the museum while ensuring the "Precision" of ticketing and membership?
Moving beyond passive browsing to active exploration through immersivestorytelling.
Streamlining the conversion funnel by removing cognitive friction and decision paralysis.
Fostering a sense of belonging andexclusive access for art enthusiastsand regulars.
Qualitative interviews with 24 visitors and5 museum staff members to identify the"Missing Link" between the physical visitand the digital pre-visit.
A heuristic evaluation of the end-to-endcustomer journey, from social mediadiscovery to physical entry and the post-visit email sequence.
Analysing the interaction costs when a potential browser user decides to become a ticket-buying visitor.
We identified two primary drivers that dictate how users interact with the ArtScience digital ecosystem.
Once we have established our target audiences, we conducted a rigorous audit of the existing digital touchpoints to identify where the friction was most acute and where the brand expression was failing to meet expectations.
We reviewed each page to understand its primaryuser intent and role in the wider journey. Thisrevealed significant dead-ends and circular navigation that frustrated task-oriented users.
We identified an opportunity to strengthen ASM’s identity as a cultural icon by benchmarking against global leaders in both the art and science sectors, finding a middle ground that felt uniquely Singaporean.
Our next focus was streamlining the ticketing flow to reduce friction, moving from a multi-stepexternal portal to an integrated, seamless experience that felt like a natural extension of the brand.
These foundational principles guided our design decisions throughout the project.
The key challenge—and opportunity—was to leverage ASM’s extensive content and present it in a way that felt clear, purposeful, and meaningful to users.
New users are often unfamiliar with the museum’s breadth of content. To support clarity and consistency, we established content principles that guide how each page communicates its intent, purpose, brand voice, and identity.
These principles ensure a cohesive and unified experience across the site—helping users understand where they are and what to do next, without feeling overwhelmed or sidelining essential corporate content.
Users typically scan for what they are looking for before what they can do. By using object-oriented labels (noun before verb), users can quickly assess whether a page is relevant to their needs.Prioritising users’ immediate goals reduces friction, lowers bounce rates, and makes each visit more purposeful.
Insights from Google Analytics and user interviews showed that a significant portion of ASM’s audience accessed the site on mobile. While visual theming remained important, mobile users were primarily task-oriented, with a clear goal of booking tickets quickly.
This led us to adopt a mobile-first approach, designing intentionally for limited screen real estate. Every element—from layout and imagery to animations and interactions—was optimised to support fast, purposeful actions.