Gallery Marketing & UI/UX Design
Updated: Nov 9, 2024
For this project with Tin Sheds Gallery (TSG) at the University of Sydney, I focused on defining strategic direction and creating a targeted marketing plan to boost awareness and engagement. Central to this plan was a website redesign, transforming it into a digital platform to archive and showcase TSG’s collections, enhancing visibility and aligning with key performance indicators (KPIs). The redesigned site strengthens TSG’s case for university funding and future growth.
We developed a two-year marketing plan aimed at increasing TSG’s funding by 2025, achieving our envisioned scenario of "increased space" and "art embracing technologies."
Type
Gallery Marketing & UI/UX Design
Year
2024
Skills
User Interface/ User Experience, Marketing, User Testing
Softwares
Figma; Canva; Miro
PROTOTYPE: MARKETING PLAN
Envisioned Scenario
For this research, our group decided to focus on the scenario in which there s an increase in physical space for Tin Sheds Gallery, and the art world transitions to be more digitally inclined positive X and Y.
Key Challenges: Macro Environment
Competition from Other Art Spaces and Online Platforms
Changing Demographics and Consumer Behavior
Technological Advancements and Digital Disruption
Slow Economic Growth in Australia
Key Challenges: Tin Shed Gallery Specific
Lack of awareness: Low public awareness of TSG by public
Missing from Databases/Website Listings:
Many databases and websites providing information about Australian galleries lack entries on TSG.
Limited Outreach. Insufficient efforts to connect with content providers and influencers.
Minimal Online Presence. Very little information about TSG is available online; the gallery lacks an independent website.
Low Website Traffic & SEO Issues. TSG is not frequently found through Google keyword searches (e.g., difficult to find with "university gallery" keywords).
Low Awareness Within University. Limited visibility among the University of Sydney’s student community, representing a largely untapped audience.
Limited Human Resources
Insufficient staff or specialists for curation, marketing, administration, and visitor services, potentially hindering event hosting, exhibitions, and community outreach.
Space Constraints
Physical space limitations restrict the number and type of artworks displayed, visitor capacity, and the ability to host larger events, impacting revenue and engagement.
Dependency on University Funding & Limited Revenue Streams
Reliant on University of Sydney funding, posing risks if budget priorities shift. New revenue sources such as ticket sales, memberships, or art sales could provide financial stability.
Inadequate Archiving Infrastructure
Limited access to historical records and artwork details, often restricted to exhibition names and descriptions. Without a comprehensive archive, TSG faces challenges in chronicling, retrieving, and showcasing past exhibitions, hindering marketing and engagement opportunities.
Hence, direct marketing to consumer raising awareness becomes increasingly important in order to gain more profits and fundings in order to reach the desired future in 2025 - increase of space” and “art embraces technologies”.
SWOT ANALYSIS
Market Landscape
Competitors
Brand Positioning Table for TSG
Target Audience
MARKETING STRATEGIES
WEBSITE WIREFRAME SHOWCASE
The TSG website wireframe aims to amplify its digital presence and serves as a platform for digital archiving. Why? To boost TSG's visibility and engagement. How? With user-friendly navigation, interactive features, and curated content that emphasizes TSG's legacy and offerings. What? The site showcases exhibitions, fosters artist connections, and introduces potential revenue streams. It serves as a platform for digital archiving. This will help TSG achieve its key performance indicators (KPIs) and secure additional funding from the university.
WIREFRAME SHOWCASE - MOBILE
Key features of the website include searching and browsing past, current and future exhibitions.Users can also share content from these exhibitions on various social media platforms, includingInstagram, TikTok and Facebook. The sticky app icon is located in the upper right corner of the website, making it easy for users to share on their favorite social platforms at any time. Users can also directly access other social media platforms hosted by TSG by clicking on sticky app icons.Other features include workshops, shop and membership options. Users can become members to receive invitations to future events. They can attend various workshops hosted by TSG and purchase merchandise or artwork created in collaboration with local artists.
USER TESTING WITH PROTOTYPE
Interact with website prototype:
Users were asked to interact with the TSG website prototype by completing specific tasks designed to test the usability and functionality of the site.
Questionnaire Feedback:
After experiencing the prototype, users were given a questionnaire to rate various aspects ofthe website, such as navigation ease, content relevance, and overall user experience.
Face-to-Face Interviews:
Users participated in face-to-face interviews to provide more in-depth feedback on the prototype. They also discussed their personal behaviors and preferences related to visiting galleries, which provided qualitative insights into the potential effectiveness of the website as a marketing tool.
Interviewee Demographic: 9 interviewees
The sample is limited to those who were willing to participate in the interview. This may result in a selection bias, as those who are more comfortable sharing their opinions may be more likely to participate. Moreover, the answers provided by the interviewees are a reflection of their personal experiences and perspectives. While their responses provide valuable insight, they may not necessarily be representative of the wider population.
Affinity Diagram and Statement Cards
TESTING ANALYSIS
Questionnaires
To validate the findings from the interviews, we conducted an online questionnaire and asked the interviewees to fill in. We received 9 responses, of which 22.2% were 35+, and the remaining 77.8% were young undergraduate and postgraduate students between age of 18-25.
Primary Research
Based on the affinity map, we have summarised some findings and insights as presented below.
Major Changes Based on User Testing:
Shop:
According to user feedback, a good to note statement is that the NFT trend is fading out. Comments indicated that the bidding mechanism and the high selling prices were not suitable for the TSG website since our target audience is primarily students with relatively lower purchasing power.The merchandise store's primary function is to attract artists to showcase their works and draw in customers, rather than to serve as a major profit centre for TSG. So, we have decided to change the online merchandise direction from selling collaborative NFT and auction-based artworks to into collaborative artist souvenirs. These items will be more promotional and accessible, including T-shirts, wall prints, mugs, art books, puzzles, calendars, etc.
Exhibition Archive:
Some users (22.22%) encounter difficulties in the task of finding a specific exhibition. An interviewee suggested that a search box feature, which would allow users to find particular exhibitions directly, could improve the experience. We then re-categorized the exhibition into “Current” ,“Past” and Future” and also added a search bar to facilitate easier searching. To make the archive even more engaging, we decided to incorporate a recommendation algorithm that prompts users to browse past exhibitions related to the one they are currently viewing.
Layout and Visual:
Some mentioned issues with the inconsistent font size and text spacing. It creates discomfort when browsing. When making adjustments, we also made sure the site was device-compatible.
Logo:
We decided to redesign the logo in a simple, clean, modern direction. It should be eye-catching and impressive. The three circles indicate the interconnecting of past, present and future.
Linkage to Social Media:
To fully showcase our marketing plan in a holistic view, we have decided to also focus on social media marketing which is a good tactic when targeting the young student community. On the website, users can also share content from these exhibitions on various social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. The sticky app icon is located in the upper right corner of the website, making it easy for users to share to their favorite social platforms at any time.
EVALUATION OF PROTOTYPE
Audience can explore and interact with the website by navigating through its various functional pages. The Workshop page allows both in-person and remote audiences to book workshops. Viewers can look through specific past exhibitions through detailed text descriptions and virtual views, and also shop for artworks. The website showcases archives from both past and present exhibitions. Registered audience members will receive emails about upcoming exhibitions, workshops, and promotional offers from the shop, linking them to the future of the Tin Sheds Gallery. Our prototype, based on a variety of mature marketing plans for the gallery, aims to increase funding and revenue. Therefore, functions such as membership, Shop, and Workshop have been added to the website.
FINAL REFLECTION
Conceptualisation and Design Journey:
Our journey began with an understanding of the Tin Sheds Gallery's landscape and then moved on to imagining future scenarios for TSG, defining both global and local variables. Using speculative design and futuring methodologies, we thought outside the box to create innovative ideas and scenarios that could unfold at TSG by 2050. Zooming back to 2025, to create a prototype for TSG, we encountered challenges in conceiving a feasible prototype idea that would truly help TSG achieve the scenario of "Increased Space" and "Art Embraces Technologies." Our goal was to develop a prototype that transcended mere assignment work and could address the real situation at TSG. By understanding and analyzing the market landscape, challenges, and considering global aspects, we structured marketing strategies to realistically tackle the identified issues.
User Testing:
An important aspect of our process was adopting a user-centric approach. It was challenging to test the marketing plan physically. We faced difficulties in how to present the strategies and eventually decided to create a website. By testing our marketing strategies through a website prototype, we focused on the actual needs and behaviors of our audience.
Learning from primary research:
The feedback loop showed us that while digital presence is crucial, it must be balanced with the physical experience of the gallery. Discovering that the NFT trend was fading and that our pricing strategy required reconsideration were significant insights that prompted us to shift toward more affordable and accessible approaches.
Final Thoughts:
In conclusion, the development of the marketing plan for TSG has been an extensive exercise in strategic and creative thinking. It represented a balance of speculative foresight and practical user testing.
