BMA stakeholders want to make Go Mobile, their in-gallery mobile website featuring audio recordings, photos, and videos, accessible in order to allow equal educational opportunities for diverse visitor populations.
We focused our research on improving the user experience for visitors with perceptual disabilities, specifically users who are Blind, have low-vision, Deaf, and/or hard-of-hearing.
Our research goal was to gather information from research participants with perceptual disabilities that informed the necessary updates and implementation needed in order to make Go Mobile the BMA’s primary accessible resource for web-based educational content.
In the BMA’s ongoing effort to offer a variety of opportunities to diverse visitors that enter their public galleries, there was an immediate need to assess digital resources being offered to visitors with disabilities. BMA stakeholders wanted to make Go Mobile universally accessible, allowing equal educational opportunities to diverse users.
A team of researchers from the University of Maryland, HCIM program conducted research on Go Mobile with the goal of improving the user experience for visitors with perceptual disabilities, specifically users who are Blind and have low-vision, and users who are Deaf and hard-of-hearing.
We conducted the accessibility tests using an “in-the-wild” approach in order to maintain the natural usage patterns of our participants, rather than controlled variables and time metrics. Users were allowed to use their own smart devices, assistive technologies, and settings to ensure optimum performance during the evaluation. They were allowed to take their time trying to figure out how to perform the task at hand.
Over two weeks, the UMD team tested the GoMobile website with five Blind/ low-vision, one color blind and one hard-of-hearing user, to evaluate its accessibility for those with perceptual disabilities. We originally planned to conduct all tests within the Baltimore Museum of Art, but decided instead to test in locations that would be most convenient for participants.
- How we found users to test with
- What was included on the test (steps, etc.)
Our research found that there were many ways to improve the BMA’s Go Mobile interface in its current state, through the Drupal Content Management System (CMS). Our team was given access to Go Mobile’s CMS and permission to make updates and modifications to the website.
Based on the results from our first round of testing, we decided to focus our attention on the following high-priority updates to the interface:
We added alt-text for all images on the site and began the process of transcribing audio transcripts.
To make images perceivable to blind users and others who use screen readers, we created alt-text for all 144 artworks on the Baltimore Museum of Art’s GoMobile website. The UMD research team also began writing transcriptions for audio clips on the website that were uploaded for the final round of evaluations. We created a wireframe of additional recommended site changes, focusing on improving WCAG compliance, usability for low-vision users, and those who use screen readers. We designed a redesign proposal for the site’s navigation bar which proved to be an inaccessible component of the site based on feedback from accessibility testing. Instead of having participants who use screen readers land on the menu, we determined a designated menu tab would improve accessibility.
BMA GoMobile: Where it all Started
When I think about what first peaked my interests in the world of UX/UI design, it all boils down to the Baltimore Museum of Art’s (BMA) mobile tour website, Go Mobile. I was fortunate to work at the BMA in the education department for four years from 2016- 2020, focusing on creating and maintaining digital assets the department produced and co-organizing public programs.
One of the main projects I worked on during my time at the BMA was called Go Mobile, a mobile tour website designed to be used by visitors within museum galleries. The tours featured audio recordings, photos, and videos that highlight artistic, historical, social, and material contexts for select objects within the BMA’s permanent collection and special exhibitions. Since it was first created in 2012, the scope of the site has grown significantly to feature extensive content on over 130 artworks in the BMA’s collection.
Reflection | Why I Chose to Include BMA Go Mobile
Working on Go Mobile for a number of years ignited my interests in UX/UI, and eventually guided me to graduate school. This project has proven to be pivotal in my career and studies, as it combines my interests in creating equitable digital education tools in informal learning environments. Having the opportunity to work with a dedicated team of fellow researchers from UMD in collaboration with my former colleagues at the Baltimore Museum of Art made this project unique and successful both in research and implementation.
