Role:UX Researcher
Duration:7 months
Team Size:University individual project
Skills:UX Research, Exhibition designer
Output:Five complete sensory installations,
Comprehensive research findings
ROI:Reported memory recall: 85%
Workshop participants: +50
Summary/Context
Designed as a proposal for the Wellcome Collection, Memory Portrait is an innovative multi-sensory exhibition that explores the profound connection between sensory stimuli and personal memory. This immersive experience transforms intangible memories into tangible, deeply personal artefacts through carefully crafted sensory installations.
Challenge/Problem Statement
- Creating engaging multi-sensory experiences that effectively trigger memory recall;
- Designing installations that accommodate diverse sensory preferences;
- Developing a system for materialising memories into physical objects;
- Ensuring accessibility while maintaining experiential depth;
- Targeting adults who can most effectively process and appreciate memory reconstruction;
Project phases
1
Discovery
2
Delivery
Our research phase focused on understanding the intricate relationship between sensory stimuli and memory activation. Through specialised workshops and a dedicated project website, we:
- Conducted targeted sensory experience testing;
- Developed comprehensive user engagement strategies;
- Analysed memory recall patterns;
- Created detailed user experience mapping;
Outputs: Sensory experience framework; memory recall methodology; user demographic analysis; workshop documentation and digital platform prototype.
We created five distinct sensory installations, each exploring unique variations of human perception:
- Multi-sensory environments designed to trigger specific memory types
- Custom-designed interactive elements
- Personalised memory materialisation system
- Digital booking and documentation platform
Outputs: Five complete sensory installations; interactive booking website; memory materialisation system; participant experience documentation and comprehensive research findings.
Project take aways
- Bridging Service Manager-Technician Gap: Successfully created a unified platform that serves both service managers and technicians, eliminating communication barriers and enabling seamless collaboration across technical and strategic functions.
- Single Dashboard Versatility: Demonstrated that one well-designed dashboard with multiple filtering capabilities can make complex data management both easier and intuitive, eliminating the need for separate tools and interfaces.
- Strategic KPI Implementation: Defined KPIs prominently displayed on the first line of each card serve as executive summaries, keeping service managers informed about overall portfolio and asset performance while immediately highlighting critical alerts.
- Enhanced Work Prioritisation: Enabled service managers to efficiently prioritise their workload, plan resource allocation, and tackle alerts systematically through clear visual hierarchy and actionable data presentation.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Transformed how renewable energy teams collaborate by converting technical complexity into strategic insights that drive informed decision-making across all organisational levels.