UX Case Study - Collections Management System

Scope

Institutions and organizations with art collections count with Collections Management Systems (CMS) in their core workflow to realize day-to-day tasks essential to the collection's funtionality. This case study takes a look at a very popular CMS tool (PastPerfect) not only to prototype its missing mobile counterpart, but also identify areas of improvement in functionality and information architecture.

The Current CMS Experience

Survey and interview takeaways

Variety of software including Past Perfect, CatalogIt, Gallery System TMS, and EMu.
Half the users were self-taught when using their CMS, the other half have learned via guidance from other staff or college.
Regular day-to-day tasks include updating records with different details, and pulling up records to reference such information.
Users shared desired features such as form generation/export, mobile access or app, better categorical capacity to accomodate a broad type of objects, and bulk editing of all fields.

"I want to be able to edit an object's location, on the spot. If I'm taking measurements or need to do a condition report, I'd like to do it right there with the phone or tablet."

This action became one of the main use cases to work on and perform a usability test using the current software (Past Perfect Web Edition): Entering the CMS to lookup, open a record, and edit its location.

Journey Map

Other usability test pain points

Pre-disposed collection and object record templates prevent appropriate cataloguing outside of a historic object collection.
Search target value is either too specific or too broad.
Unable to create values during the record-making process (e.g. a new artist contact cannot be created while creating a new object record)

IA + Wireframing

Collection's Categorical Architecture

PastPerfect counts with an initial, set-in-stone group of categories where records fall into, this has proven to be a pain to any collection that merely falls out of the software's prescribed expectation.

"The templates for cataloging objects are more for a museum that contains a variety of art, history and anthropology."

First level of categories for Past Perfect listing: objects, photos, archives, library, and deaccessioned.

Second level of categories for Past Perfect listing collections, they are user-provided titles.

Third level of categories for Past Perfect listing catalog lists, they are user-provided titles.

With PastPerfect, records fall into one of these governing categories. Catalogs are prescribed and not user editable.

Records can be organized by collections regardless of their main Catalog classification, but there is no straightforward or accessible way to view records belonging to them if needed.

Catalog Lists are not the same as a governing "Catalog", but more similar to a playlist, where the user may add records to a Catalog List for research purposes, share externally, etc.

If we re-think this architecture, the CMS can be a more collaborative and accessible tool, in addition to being scalable for growing collections with various types of property.

Stick to “Collections” as the most-governing term, and make them user-provided to suit institutions with various properties and resources.

Collection Lists would act as sub-categories for the main Collections, sometimes permanent collections are big enough to be further divided, or there may be specific clusters of property to keep within a Collection.

Maintain Lists with the same “playlist” concept as it is a common use case.

What this means for access

The goal got further defined to not only work on IA and UI, but to design a product that could perform on a project management capacity.

This architecture would allow more granular control on how multiple teammembers navigate this archive composed of multiple collections and collection lists. Permitting unlocking access to specific areas for registrars, librarian, interns, assistants, curators, etc.

Record Page / Edit Record

The record page was the first to be designed since it contains a lot of the "meatier" components but, because of its core relationship in the system, it was a good starting point to design from there out.

Initial sketch for the record page view.

Records had "information bloat", displaying all fields regardless of filled status or appropriate for the property. Initial sketches only show fields that are filled.

Animation of the record page high fidelity prototype, showing its regular state and going into edit mode.

When editing is unlocked, the page remains the same, with visual cues to remind you that you're in edit mode. If more fields need to be added, the user can do so.

Animation of the record page high fidelity prototype, showing the state of editing the location value of the record.

Location edit shows options on a modal stack, with search ability, and to create new values within the flow, one of the main user pain points.

7 seconds faster

When a new user looked up a record with no filters added (9 seconds), compared to the same journey by a seasoned PastPerfect user, which took 16 seconds.

Dashboard

The user lands on the dashboard upon login, here is where the system's collaborative and management aspects become more apparent.

The CMS is conceptualized to generate reminders on tasks that may be upcoming, like loans ending soon, so the user can stay on track with arrangements.

Additionally, notices are generated for records that may have conflicting, erroneous, or missing information – this is especially beneficial given that many institutions face similar challenges with discrepancies in their digital records, and are likely to be too short-staffed to perform a manuel check on all of these.

COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM