2.5 weeks, July 2024
Figma, Pencil, Paper,
Zoom, Slack
User Interview, Affinity Mapping, Persona, User Flow, Sitemap,
Competitive Analysis, Sketching, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing
2.5 weeks, July 2024
Figma, Pencil, Paper,
Zoom, Slack
User Interview, Affinity Mapping, Persona, User Flow, Sitemap,
Competitive Analysis, Sketching, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing
I collaborated with two other UX designers to create a companion app for Meow Wolf's Vortex music festival, a project that centered on blending immersive storytelling with practical festival support. Our work involved designing a dual-mode app that allowed users to navigate the festival with ease while engaging with Meow Wolf's whimsical art installations through an optional Story Mode. We introduced features like an interactive map, a QR code scanner for augmented reality elements, and customizable schedules. User interviews and personas informed these enhancements, shaping everything from the user flow to the visual design, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for festival-goers.
I collaborated with two other UX designers to create a companion app for Meow Wolf's Vortex music festival, a project that centered on blending immersive storytelling with practical festival support. Our work involved designing a dual-mode app that allowed users to navigate the festival with ease while engaging with Meow Wolf's whimsical art installations through an optional Story Mode. We introduced features like an interactive map, a QR code scanner for augmented reality elements, and customizable schedules. User interviews and personas informed these enhancements, shaping everything from the user flow to the visual design, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience for festival-goers.
Born in Santa Fe in 2008 as an underground art collective, Meow Wolf has evolved into a vibrant collective of artists and storytellers from around the globe. They redefine art and storytelling to make a positive impact, creating immersive art exhibits that celebrate the unexpected as a gateway to discovery. With their trippy visuals and boundary-pushing approach, Meow Wolf inspires transformation through art, culture, and storytelling.
Meow Wolf debuted its first Vortex music festival in 2018 and 2019, then paused for two years due to COVID before moving to Denver in 2022. Although Vortex was impressive by music festival standards, it fell short in providing the interactive narrative immersion Meow Wolf is known for. While the installations for the 2022 festival were detailed, they didn’t fully engage visitors in the expected narrative experience. Meow Wolf's goal is to make the 2024 Vortex Music Festival bigger and stranger than ever, giving equal emphasis to art and music.
Born in Santa Fe in 2008 as an underground art collective, Meow Wolf has evolved into a vibrant collective of artists and storytellers from around the globe. They redefine art and storytelling to make a positive impact, creating immersive art exhibits that celebrate the unexpected as a gateway to discovery. With their trippy visuals and boundary-pushing approach, Meow Wolf inspires transformation through art, culture, and storytelling.
Meow Wolf debuted its first Vortex music festival in 2018 and 2019, then paused for two years due to COVID before moving to Denver in 2022. Although Vortex was impressive by music festival standards, it fell short in providing the interactive narrative immersion Meow Wolf is known for. While the installations for the 2022 festival were detailed, they didn’t fully engage visitors in the expected narrative experience. Meow Wolf's goal is to make the 2024 Vortex Music Festival bigger and stranger than ever, giving equal emphasis to art and music.
Meow Wolf wants to create an app that mirrors their exhibit's approach:
Users will follow an overarching narrative by uncovering hidden clues.
They redefine the paradigm of art and storytelling to make a positive difference in the world.
Their brand consists of trippy visuals that celebrate the unexpected as the doorway to discovery.
They value the courage to push the boundaries of art and festivals.
They redefine the paradigm of art and storytelling to make a positive difference in the world.
Their brand consists of trippy visuals that celebrate the unexpected as the doorway to discovery.
They value the courage to push the boundaries of art and festivals.
To kick off the project, we focused our attention on sourcing users and setting up interviews. I interviewed five users: 20% had attended Vortex in 2022, 20% had performed at the festival, and 60% had attended multiple music festivals in recent years. The goal was to understand their needs and behaviors while at a festival.
The research revealed an intriguing dilemma: users wanted to minimize phone usage to stay fully immersed in the festival experience, yet they also sought practical support from their phones for navigation, performance schedules, and artist information. The key question became: how can we provide practical support while integrating whimsical storytelling to enhance engagement with the art?
Here are the key trends I uncovered from the interviews:
To kick off the project, we focused our attention on sourcing users and setting up interviews. I interviewed five users: 20% had attended Vortex in 2022, 20% had performed at the festival, and 60% had attended multiple music festivals in recent years. The goal was to understand their needs and behaviors while at a festival.
The research revealed an intriguing dilemma: users wanted to minimize phone usage to stay fully immersed in the festival experience, yet they also sought practical support from their phones for navigation, performance schedules, and artist information. The key question became: how can we provide practical support while integrating whimsical storytelling to enhance engagement with the art?
Here are the key trends I uncovered from the interviews:
Attendees research art and musicians before arriving at the festival.
They need to feel oriented to fully relax and enjoy the event.
They want to leisurely enjoy drinks, explore with friends, and avoid feeling rushed.
They use the event schedule to plan ahead for a more relaxed festival experience.
Keeping track of performance times can be challenging.
Attendees research art and musicians before arriving at the festival.
They need to feel oriented to fully relax and enjoy the event.
They want to leisurely enjoy drinks, explore with friends, and avoid feeling rushed.
They use the event schedule to plan ahead for a more relaxed festival experience.
Keeping track of performance times can be challenging.
With these trends now guiding the design, we dove into creating a persona through affinity mapping. Who we uncovered within the data was Emily. Let me introduce you to her:
With these trends now guiding the design, we dove into creating a persona through affinity mapping. Who we uncovered within the data was Emily. Let me introduce you to her:
Emily, a graphic designer with a busy lifestyle, loves music festivals for their mix of music, art, and sense of community. These festivals allow her to break away from her daily routine and be fully present with her friends. She enjoys being transported to another world and appreciates art installations that are whimsical and immerse her senses. To have fun at the festival, Emily needs to feel oriented and informed. She prepares by researching artists and musicians beforehand but wishes festivals provided bios, music links, and information in advance. This helps her plan her schedule to ensure she doesn’t miss any inspiring performances. Having a clear map to orient herself also supports her in relaxing into the experience, making navigation easier.
Emily, a graphic designer with a busy lifestyle, loves music festivals for their mix of music, art, and sense of community. These festivals allow her to break away from her daily routine and be fully present with her friends. She enjoys being transported to another world and appreciates art installations that are whimsical and immerse her senses. To have fun at the festival, Emily needs to feel oriented and informed. She prepares by researching artists and musicians beforehand but wishes festivals provided bios, music links, and information in advance. This helps her plan her schedule to ensure she doesn’t miss any inspiring performances. Having a clear map to orient herself also supports her in relaxing into the experience, making navigation easier.
We set out to design an app that addressed Emily’s main pain points while aligning with Vortex's vision. The goal was to create a solution that not only met her practical needs but also immersed her in the festival's art installations through an engaging narrative. The question kept rattling in the back of our minds: how could we encourage her to use her phone to enhance her experience with the art, while also respecting her desire to minimize phone use during the festival?
Emily needs a better way to immerse herself in her festival experience while also managing her needs, like staying hydrated and keeping track of performance times and locations.
Here are the three main challenges she needs the app to solve:
We set out to design an app that addressed Emily’s main pain points while aligning with Vortex's vision. The goal was to create a solution that not only met her practical needs but also immersed her in the festival's art installations through an engaging narrative. The question kept rattling in the back of our minds: how could we encourage her to use her phone to enhance her experience with the art, while also respecting her desire to minimize phone use during the festival?
Emily needs a better way to immerse herself in her festival experience while also managing her needs, like staying hydrated and keeping track of performance times and locations.
Here are the three main challenges she needs the app to solve:
After defining our persona's needs, we dove into competitive analysis to see how other music festivals were tackling similar challenges. With Vortex aiming to deliver the interactive, narrative-driven immersion that Meow Wolf is known for, we focused on how festivals like Burning Man, Coachella, and Austin Music Festival addressed needs similar to ours.
We tracked that many of the festival companion apps we researched had overlapping features: push notifications, customizable schedules, and maps. Conveniently, these features aligned perfectly with addressing Emily’s pain points.
However, it became clear that we were creating something truly unique: no other festival app highlighted art installations within an overarching narrative.
After defining our persona's needs, we dove into competitive analysis to see how other music festivals were tackling similar challenges. With Vortex aiming to deliver the interactive, narrative-driven immersion that Meow Wolf is known for, we focused on how festivals like Burning Man, Coachella, and Austin Music Festival addressed needs similar to ours.
We tracked that many of the festival companion apps we researched had overlapping features: push notifications, customizable schedules, and maps. Conveniently, these features aligned perfectly with addressing Emily’s pain points.
However, it became clear that we were creating something truly unique: no other festival app highlighted art installations within an overarching narrative.
There we were, three designers faced with two user flows: one practical, designed to meet Emily's needs, and another playful, aimed at guiding users through the art exhibits via a narrative. With the practical interface nailed down, we turned our attention to the second piece. We immersed ourselves in Meow Wolf's existing narratives and the storytelling of their brick-and-mortar exhibits, brainstorming ways to weave that experience into the app.
Cue "Story Mode"—an immersive experience featuring whimsical storytelling, hidden clues, and interactive elements related to the festival’s art installations. Since Emily values organization, we decided to make this an optional feature so the user could choose when they opted into the festival’s artistic and narrative content. To boost engagement with the art, we decided to incorporate an AR feature, which Meow Wolf is known for. Users can scan QR codes within the art exhibits to enhance their experience with augmented reality elements, bringing the installations to life and deepening their interaction with the festival's artistic content.
There we were, three designers faced with two user flows: one practical, designed to meet Emily's needs, and another playful, aimed at guiding users through the art exhibits via a narrative. With the practical interface nailed down, we turned our attention to the second piece. We immersed ourselves in Meow Wolf's existing narratives and the storytelling of their brick-and-mortar exhibits, brainstorming ways to weave that experience into the app.
Cue "Story Mode"—an immersive experience featuring whimsical storytelling, hidden clues, and interactive elements related to the festival’s art installations. Since Emily values organization, we decided to make this an optional feature so the user could choose when they opted into the festival’s artistic and narrative content. To boost engagement with the art, we decided to incorporate an AR feature, which Meow Wolf is known for. Users can scan QR codes within the art exhibits to enhance their experience with augmented reality elements, bringing the installations to life and deepening their interaction with the festival's artistic content.
Forever walking the fine line between balancing our persona's needs and business goals, we cushioned Story Mode with a bunch of useful, functional key features. Why? Because our girl, Emily, is type-A and loves clarity, direction, and practical support. Here's what we came up with:
Forever walking the fine line between balancing our persona's needs and business goals, we cushioned Story Mode with a bunch of useful, functional key features. Why? Because our girl, Emily, is type-A and loves clarity, direction, and practical support. Here's what we came up with:
Our user interviews revealed some key insights we still needed to address. For starters, users need to feel oriented to truly relax and enjoy the festival. Plus, our target users research art and musicians before they even arrive. With this in mind, we set out to design a sitemap and a user flow that would be clear, easy to navigate, and packed with useful, relevant information.
Understanding that Emily would research artists and exhibits in advance, we crafted a sitemap to ensure a smooth, informative experience from the moment she opened the app. We consolidated all relevant information—art exhibits, performers, and their details—on the homepage, with all buttons leading to supplementary content. This approach aimed to build trust and provide clear orientation, enhancing Emily’s experience both before and during the festival.
Our user interviews revealed some key insights we still needed to address. For starters, users need to feel oriented to truly relax and enjoy the festival. Plus, our target users research art and musicians before they even arrive. With this in mind, we set out to design a sitemap and a user flow that would be clear, easy to navigate, and packed with useful, relevant information.
Understanding that Emily would research artists and exhibits in advance, we crafted a sitemap to ensure a smooth, informative experience from the moment she opened the app. We consolidated all relevant information—art exhibits, performers, and their details—on the homepage, with all buttons leading to supplementary content. This approach aimed to build trust and provide clear orientation, enhancing Emily’s experience both before and during the festival.
While the sitemap catered to Emily’s need for information, the user flow was crafted to support the company’s goal of promoting art engagement. At the festival, Emily could start from the Homepage and navigate to the Map, featuring the Story Mode "Vortex Map" that highlighted only the art exhibits. This allowed her to easily find nearby exhibits and explore them using the About the Installations section for additional context. To further immerse her in the experience, we introduced an augmented reality feature. The AR Camera Scan enabled Emily to interact with the art in real-time, immersing her in other worlds via the art installations.
While the sitemap catered to Emily’s need for information, the user flow was crafted to support the company’s goal of promoting art engagement. At the festival, Emily could start from the Homepage and navigate to the Map, featuring the Story Mode "Vortex Map" that highlighted only the art exhibits. This allowed her to easily find nearby exhibits and explore them using the About the Installations section for additional context. To further immerse her in the experience, we introduced an augmented reality feature. The AR Camera Scan enabled Emily to interact with the art in real-time, immersing her in other worlds via the art installations.
We designed the homepage with straightforward information, including tickets and FAQs, to create clarity and ease of navigation. To align with the company’s vision and enrich the experience, we included a Story Mode tab, which integrates a narrative to encourage exploration of art installations. We also balanced the focus on music and art by incorporating dedicated tabs in the main navigation bar, ensuring both are prominently featured in the user experience.
We designed the homepage with straightforward information, including tickets and FAQs, to create clarity and ease of navigation. To align with the company’s vision and enrich the experience, we included a Story Mode tab, which integrates a narrative to encourage exploration of art installations. We also balanced the focus on music and art by incorporating dedicated tabs in the main navigation bar, ensuring both are prominently featured in the user experience.
Once we ironed out all of these pieces, we dove into wireframing, where things got even more intriguing. As three designers with distinct aesthetics, our early drafts reflected our differences. As the project manager, I had the added task of reconciling these varied styles to ensure we moved forward cohesively. My role often involved steering the team back to the research: our goal wasn’t to get lost in design playfulness but to create something for our type-A persona who wanted to feel transported to another world while also feeling clearly informed and guided by the app.
Once we ironed out all of these pieces, we dove into wireframing, where things got even more intriguing. As three designers with distinct aesthetics, our early drafts reflected our differences. As the project manager, I had the added task of reconciling these varied styles to ensure we moved forward cohesively. My role often involved steering the team back to the research: our goal wasn’t to get lost in design playfulness but to create something for our type-A persona who wanted to feel transported to another world while also feeling clearly informed and guided by the app.
With the wireframes complete, we were pumped to dive into color and typography. Given Meow Wolf's reputation for pushing artistic boundaries with a trippy, bold aesthetic, we wanted our high-fidelity designs to reflect that same sense of whimsy and audacity. Drawing inspiration from past Vortex Festivals, we selected bright, vibrant colors that echoed their brand's audacious spirit. To complement this, we opted for clean, simple fonts in all caps, maintaining a bold and striking visual presence while balancing playfulness with clarity.
With the wireframes complete, we were pumped to dive into color and typography. Given Meow Wolf's reputation for pushing artistic boundaries with a trippy, bold aesthetic, we wanted our high-fidelity designs to reflect that same sense of whimsy and audacity. Drawing inspiration from past Vortex Festivals, we selected bright, vibrant colors that echoed their brand's audacious spirit. To complement this, we opted for clean, simple fonts in all caps, maintaining a bold and striking visual presence while balancing playfulness with clarity.
With the final design elements in place, we moved into usability testing with the users from our initial interviews. I led the testing sessions, leveraging the rapport we'd built with these users. During this phase, I guided users through specific tasks to uncover how they interacted with key features. This included finding bathrooms on the map, using Story Mode to access the Vortex map and QR code scanner (which users used to access the AR feature), creating their own schedule, accessing information on an art installation, looking up artist info for Illenium, and setting push notifications for 30 minutes before an artist performs.
The research objective was to evaluate whether users could effectively use Story Mode, the Map, and customize their schedules.
Here are the research findings and the changes we made, which are reflected in the high-fidelity files:
With the final design elements in place, we moved into usability testing with the users from our initial interviews. I led the testing sessions, leveraging the rapport we'd built with these users. During this phase, I guided users through specific tasks to uncover how they interacted with key features. This included finding bathrooms on the map, using Story Mode to access the Vortex map and QR code scanner (which users used to access the AR feature), creating their own schedule, accessing information on an art installation, looking up artist info for Illenium, and setting push notifications for 30 minutes before an artist performs.
The research objective was to evaluate whether users could effectively use Story Mode, the Map, and customize their schedules.
Here are the research findings and the changes we made, which are reflected in the high-fidelity files:
Given more time, I would focus on several key enhancements to further refine the Vortex app:
These steps would enhance user experience, balancing the app’s whimsical charm with practical and inclusive design improvements.
Given more time, I would focus on several key enhancements to further refine the Vortex app:
These steps would enhance user experience, balancing the app’s whimsical charm with practical and inclusive design improvements.
