GLAMi nomination: Tate dayfining app

Project description

How to get more out of a visit to Tate? Over 200 exhibitions and activities in 4 locations ask for more than wayfinding. So we proposed a ‘dayfinding’ app for Tate. An app that asks you “What do you feel like doing?”

The app offers you the choice between art, activities and breaks. Based on your location and time the app gives suggestions of new things to explore. Exclusive audio from artists and curators enrich your encounter with the art. The Tate dayfinding app is your intuitive and friendly companion to Tate.

The day Tate Modern’s new building opened, the App Store published the first release of the new app for Tate. The Tate App helps you to get more out of your gallery visit – by employing state of the art technology to deliver useful content in a clear and simple way. The app uses beacons to pull up-to-date information of what’s around you from Tate’s website API.

With the first release, we’ve realized a companion to your visit to Tate Britain and Tate Modern that helps you decide what you want to do next, guides you there and get more out of your encounter with the art on display.

Goals

To design, build and launch a mobile way-finding experience, so visitors have the ability to curate their own journey through Tate’s collection, exhibition and performance programme in the physical gallery space – offering a bespoke, personalised experience where the visitor can encounter art on their own terms. The target group are all visitors and potential visitors of Tate: tourists, UK residents and whoever has a passion for Art.

Used strategy

Tate’s mission is at the core of the app: to promote public understanding and enjoyment of British, modern and contemporary art.

It is more than an indoor maps app. From our observations at Tate Modern and Tate Britain the buildings and physical wayfinding are quite clear. We expect that few people would get lost whilst looking for the something.

The essence of a museum visit is that it’s time based. We made the art, events and leisure activities key. The app helps visitors get the most out of the time that they spend at Tate. Finding out your day is personal. Most visitors already have a certain experience in mind when they arrive. The Tate app will help them along the way, find what they want next and surprise them. The app enriches the experience: open, helpful and playful. The visitor is in-control.

The app is launched on social media, especially on Instagram were 40 influential Instagram users promoted the new app. Also the Tate website informs visitors about the new dayfinding app.

First results

After a soft launch period the app was officially launched this January 2017and was received enthusiastic by the first users. Some quotes: “Especially the pin point options combined with the audio feature makes that this app is state of the art!”- “Location based hints as you find your own way work really well!” – “I really liked the features of the map ‘take me there’ and ‘easy to get lost in here!”