“Veo Veo I See I See, Mwen Wè Mwen Wè”
interactive mural and web application Project
Roles: Product designer (UX, UI) / Project Manager
Miami Museum of Contemporary Art of the African Diaspora, Interactive mural project “Veo Veo I See I See, Mwen Wè Mwen Wè”, Mural created by artist Reginald O’Neal
OVERVIEW
Celebrating History through the Intersection of Art and Technology
In 2021, I led students through a six-month design thinking course I instructed at the University of Miami, where they created four distinct interactive design concept proposals for outside client Miami MoCAAD to increase awareness of the digital-first museum and increase attendance to live and virtual events.
After being offered the position as Interactive media director for Miami MoCAAD, I spearheaded the implementation of this project, “Veo, Veo I See I See, Mwen Wé Mwen Wé,” an “interactive mural project” incorporating a web-based application accessible through strategically placed QR codes on the mural.
This QR code leads viewers through a "Treasure Hunt" game with questions that tell stories about the artist, community, and Miami MoCAAD, Augmented reality artwork, 3D avatars, and more.
OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT
How can Miami MoCAAD create an opportunity for members of Overtown, Miami’s historic Black neighborhood, to explore art more profoundly and more effectively outside the walls of a typical museum?
PROCESS
Click to enlarge image
EMPATHIZE
HYPOTHESIS
Art in Communities With A Twist
When communities are Well-maintained and clean, littering and illegal dumping is less prevalent, and public art can cultivate a cultural identity by setting a community apart. Then adding a mural created by "artists of the African Diaspora" that celebrates Overtown history and may positively impact the lived experience in those communities, answering the goal of Miami MoCAAD to "open doors for individual emerging artists, curators," and "collect and preserve the work of the most advanced contemporary artists of the Global African Diaspora and exhibit this art at the highest level both at home and abroad."
partnership with the University of Miami on a Design Thinking Course
This project was born from the course I taught at the University of Miami. I led a class of students from various majors, including cinema, computer science, communications, and English, through the design process. I operated the course as though it was a design agency to meet clients, research concepts, design prototypes, present concepts to clients, and implement feedback from clients and myself on how to address the best issues that arose during the process.
STAKEHOLDER Focus Group
Museum Working Group Dinner
Our client informed us of a concept called “Active Bystandership.” the act of being aware of when someone’s behavior is inappropriate or threatening and choosing to challenge it. After that, we started with stakeholder mapping to better understand who the primary users of a product like ours may be. We used the concept of “Active Bystandership.” to frame our stakeholder mapping exercise.
DEFINE
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The University of Miami Students created four hybrid (virtual and in-person) experiences for Miami MoCAAD and Miami MoCAAD cofounder.
Miami MoCAAD wants a tech-focused solution that addresses the organization's mission to create a platform for artists of the “African Diaspora.”
Community members would like a solution that incorporates Black communities in Miami.
Artists must also be of the African diaspora, ideally with artists from Miami.
The solution must be “Fun.”
Ideate
Putting it together
After the Museum Working group focus group dinner, we took all the key insights and met with developers to decide which thoughts were the right ones to implement in the first launch of the mural site.
Feature List
From our Team meetings, talks with developers, and the inspirations gathered, I created a feature list and presented it to the Miami MoCAAD's co-founder, and they were approved.
1.) "Treasure Hunt" virtual searching and learning game
2.) 180-degree Images of the artist with Artists bios "Artists 360°."
3.)" Oral History" video interviews with the Overtown community focusing on the history of Overtown
4.) Interactive Map of programming for the future museum "Future of Miami MoCAAD."
Wireframes and user flows.
To assist the developers in the creation of the web application that would house the oral histories, 3D avatars of the artists, “Treasure Hunt,” and Interactive Map
I designed the user flows, delineating the steps essential for developers to uphold post-QR code scanning. During this project stage, we decided to add an NFT wallet to monetize a virtual version of the mural, giving both the artists and the museum a passive revenue source. However, through thorough deliberation and collaborative conversations with developers and outside consultants, we opted to defer this concept in the current project iteration, reserving its potential for exploration in future initiatives.
My Mobile and Desktop mock up of the web application
Navigating Artist Selection and Vision Alignment
With the help of the curator, who gathered a list of emerging Black artists, we selected our artists. Our first artist chosen did not work out because of a misaligned vision for the mural content. In response, the project team engaged in open and probing discussions to understand the issue's root causes. We then found another local artist, Anthony "Mojo" Reed, who had a strong passion for the community and wanted to jump in on the project.
Our second mural artist selection was much smoother. The artist Reginald O'Neal selected had a strong personal connection to the mural location, so it was a no-brainer to go with him.
TEST
User testing
Gathering Community Input
After I created the prototypes for the project, the Miami MoCAAD team and I wanted to get an idea of how potential users may engage with it and what they thought of the whole project. We partnered with a local non-profit to conduct a workshop with middle school girls about STEAM and Miami MoCAAD’s interactive mural project.
Voice #1
“The idea is really cool, but can there be something more fun added to the game?”
Voice #2
“..I am confused about about how I answer the I spy game question.”
Voice #3
“I really like the stories!”
Launch
The mural wall was launched during Miami MoCAAD’s Juneteenth Celebration on June 19, 2022. After participating in an “Art Talk” with the artists, curators, and local officials, we moved to the mural. I demonstrated how to use the mural wall and discussed the concepts behind the QR codes and web applications.
Promo video of the event and the mural experience
Next Steps / Takeaways
Next time, testing the solution earlier would help prevent changes from being made later in the process.
Target-based scanning with 3D animation of the mural artwork could be an excellent addition to the experience.
