The Metropolitan museum of art visual design strategy
The Metropolitan museum of art visual design strategy
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The Met is an icon for its modern yet classical display of art. As someone with a hobby in creating different types of art, I took this opportunity to design both digital and non-digital products for the Met In hopes to develop a design strategy which Is better aligned to their goals and mission statement.
Focus
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Team
Individual Project
When
April 2021
Role
Strategist (brand audit, competitive analysis, research, etc.)
Visual Designer (moodboard, style guide, sketching, Iterating, prototyping, mockups, etc.)
Tools
Figma
Adobe Photoshop
Background
Background
What Is the Met?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's earliest roots date back to 1866 in Paris, France, when a group of Americans agreed to create a "national institution and gallery of art" to bring art and art education to the American people.
Mission Statement
The Met was founded on April 13, 1870, "to be located in the City of New York, for the purpose of establishing and maintaining in said city a Museum and library of art, of encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts, and the application of arts to manufacture and practical life, of advancing the general knowledge of kindred subjects, and, to that end, of furnishing popular instruction.”
Current Design
I took the following screencaps from the museum's current website In order to pinpoint areas of improvement and better understand if/where in the current design language that their mission statement was not speaking through.
-Plain design, nothing stands out
-Basic color scheme, only pop of color is in the header bar
-Does not fit the creative and modern agenda that they are known for
-Simple layout, cookie-cutter organization
-Displays resources in a very low profile manner
Strategy
Strategy
The current design language of The Met does not push the boundaries of creativity. The design as of now feels like a typical website for any generic company or organization. The red accent unique to the brand is bold and should be used in a more intelligent way to spark creativity and curiosity. The business goals outlined below are aimed towards taking the brand past the museum and exceeding their mission statement goals.
Goal #1: Aesthetically Motivate
Implement more organic shapes, unique layouts, and bold colors to inspire creativity and promote taking risks.
Goal #2: Visually Encourage
Tie together different art forms and medium by intertwining uncommon media.
Goal #3: Push Progressiveness
Implement more fluid fonts to invoke movement, progression, and popularity.
Mood board
Mood board
A mood board helps set the stage by acting as a reference point for future sketches and prototypes to maintain consistency between pages and interfaces. The goal here is to create a simple, modern, aesthetic but with more movement, boldness, and character so I've included simple yet abstract shapes, both vibrant and neutral colors, as well as a mix of mediums (virtual versus physical arts).
visual design language with user walkthrough
visual design language with user walkthrough
The current design language of The Met does not push the boundaries of creativity. The design as of now feels like a typical website for any generic company or organization. The red accent unique to the brand is bold and should be used in a more intelligent way to spark creativity and curiosity. The business goals outlined below are aimed towards taking the brand past the museum and exceeding their mission statement goals.
New Visitor, First Impression
Eye-catching artwork and posters grab the attention of someone who may have not heard of or had prior interest in visiting The Met. Giving viewers an image that lingers in their mind after looking at it increases their curiosity and thus probability of visiting the museum.
To draw in the attention of the average person, I mixed abstract art with realism to invoke inclusivity and curiosity by creating art which pushes the boundaries of the norm. I wanted to be sure to incorporate the museum's unique red and neutral color scheme
New Visitor, First Experience
Once the viewer is intrigued and decides to visit the museum, making the experience as unique, interactive, and simple as possible is crucial in maintaining visitor interest.
I created an inviting app with movement through an interactive interface and bold colors to bring an immersive and unique experience to the user as they walk through the museum and read about their favorite artifacts.
New Visitor, Final Impressions
A visit to the museum store is oftentimes a final stop before the visitor leaves the museum, and a visitor may remember the poster advertisement for Met Fashion and look to purchase a subscription. Giving visitors the option to purchase something that allows them to continue to look at new art in a different form can also aid in peaking and maintaining interest in not only The Met but art as a whole.
In this magazine, I mixed bold colors, fonts, and images with their minimal counterparts in order to establish contrast and boldness in fashion and lifestyle, because the visitor's life should be seen as art, too.
Mixing abstract and real images can appeal to a wide range of audiences and illustrates the versatility of art.
Old Visitor, New Art
While flipping through their magazine, a new art fanatic may want to learn more about art history and different forms of art in their free time. Met Television can provide exactly that so users can maintain motivation to learn and practice art after leaving the museum.
I developed this television application with a simple yet bold welcome screen to draw in the users attention. The following screens focus more on the neutral color schemes to not overwhelm the user but still incorporate the pop of red and abstract shapes to maintain the aesthetic of the museum.
To walk through the website prototype yourself, click the Figma link below!
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