A physical-digital ecosystem fostering sustainable art engagement for families
2024, 08-12
Context Research
Concept Design
Physical Prototype Design
Digital UX Design
CURIO transforms family art museum visits into engaging adventures.
Combining physical exploration cards with a companion digital app, CURIO makes discovering art feel as playful and accessible as collecting trading cards. Instead of traditional, one-off museum trips, families experience art continuously—from school and home to the museum—building curiosity, confidence, and lasting connections to art.
This thesis project stems from my intern project at SFMOMA, where I was working on improving label readability and trying to figure out why visitors were struggling to understand the art information and how we could make art more accessible. For my thesis, I was thinking specifically, how can we make museums more enjoyable for kids?
During our desk research, we identified two major systemic challenges:
Intimidation and Accessibility
For many families, art museums feel unwelcoming—quiet, formal, and filled with unfamiliar references that can be overwhelming for both children and adults.
Educational Gap
With the rise of STEM-focused curricula, arts education has seen significant decline. This leaves fewer kids with the opportunity to engage confidently with visual culture.
As we moved into field observations and interviews with museum professionals, we discovered that the deeper pain points lay elsewhere:
Limited Engagement Beyond Existing Audience
The families we observed in museums seemed confident and comfortable Many parents confidently guided discussions and encouraged exploration. That’s when we realized we were witnessing a self-selecting group. As Amy Lange, Family Program Director at SFMOMA, told us, “Even when we give out free tickets, it only attracts those who are already in the circle.”
Lack of Entry Points for Newcomers
Families without prior exposure to art often don’t know how or where to start. Parents feel unprepared to explain artworks, and without accessible tools or guidance, they’re unlikely to initiate a museum visit at all.
Unsustained Engagement
Many existing programs create fun one-time experiences but lack follow-up. As a result, families rarely return or build deeper relationships with museums over time.
Initiate and sustain a cycle of family engagement with art museums?
These insights shifted our design goal: instead of focusing solely on making museums more engaging once families arrive, we needed to create pathways —a system that helps families begin their journey toward art appreciation in familiar, low-pressure environments.
Schools, where the Curio Kits are first introduced;
Museums, where they are used for hands-on activities;
Homes, where families can continue their art journey by building collections.
By linking these spaces, we turn the art experience into small, easy steps instead of one big, intimidating jump.
So we made a clear choice: in the galleries, we keep things simple and hands-on with physical cards for exploration. The digital part—our app—comes in before and after visits to help families plan, reflect, and discover more about the art.
Instead of telling kids about art periods through text-heavy labels, we give them eyes in different styles to find paintings that give them similar feelings.
Rather than explaining color theory with technical terms, we let them create their own 'boba drinks' by mixing colors they find in paintings. It's about making art exploration feel like play while building understanding.
CURIO uses a subscription model, regularly sending themed card sets that gradually introduce deeper art concepts. Families build from basic elements like colors and shapes to advanced topics like composition and history, creating ongoing excitement and learning.
The app supports this journey by letting families share their discoveries, see what others are exploring, and build their own digital collection of art experiences.
Children eagerly explored galleries, using cards to initiate natural conversations about art with their parents.
Families reported feeling more confident and relaxed in the museum environment, focusing on shared discoveries rather than “correct” interpretations.
Parents particularly valued the approachable, playful format, which encouraged their children’s curiosity and engagement.
Some parents with very young children needed clearer age-specific guidance.
Engagement patterns varied slightly between genders, suggesting the potential to diversify activity types further.
Adults showed a surprisingly strong interest in CURIO, enjoying the playful and exploratory approach as much as the children. This suggests a potential opportunity to expand the product’s appeal by tailoring it to adult users as well.
Photos uploaded by participants:
Looking ahead, we're exploring several directions. We plan to collaborate with K-12 art teachers to develop card sets aligned with the school curriculum and to work with museum educators to create themed card sets that align with their exhibitions.
TOP
↑