MoMA
MoMA
MoMA
MoMA
Building search-to-itinerary system bridging art discovery and museum navigation
Speculative design concept created as part of my MoMA Fellowship.
Building search-to-itinerary system bridging art discovery and museum navigation
Speculative design concept created as part of my MoMA Fellowship.
Product Design
Product Design
Product Design
Product Design
UX Research
UX Research
Mobile App
Mobile App
UX Research
UX Research
UX Research
Mobile App
Mobile App
MoMA’s digital archive houses over 106,000 works, yet a recent internal report revealed that 80% of users leave site search without finding what they were looking for. During my fellowship at MoMA, I designed a speculative on-site search experience to bridge the gap between open-ended discovery and real-world museum navigation by introducing intent-aware search results and a search-to-itinerary workflow.
MoMA’s digital archive houses over 106,000 works, yet a recent internal report revealed that 80% of users leave site search without finding what they were looking for. During my fellowship at MoMA, I designed a speculative on-site search experience to bridge the gap between open-ended discovery and real-world museum navigation by introducing intent-aware search results and a search-to-itinerary workflow.
MoMA’s digital archive houses over 106,000 works, yet a recent internal report revealed that 80% of users leave site search without finding what they were looking for. During my fellowship at MoMA, I designed a speculative on-site search experience to bridge the gap between open-ended discovery and real-world museum navigation by introducing intent-aware search results and a search-to-itinerary workflow.
Closing the Discovery Gap
Closing the Discovery Gap
Closing the
Discovery Gap
MoMA’s search attracts two dominant audiences with very different needs:
MoMA’s search attracts two dominant audiences with very different needs:
MoMA’s search attracts two dominant audiences with very different needs:
50%
Academic users researching or completing assignments
Academic users researching or completing assignments
15%
Visitors planning museum trips
Visitors planning museum trips
Visitors planning museum trips
Despite this distinct audience, MoMA’s existing search experience treated queries as static lookups instead of actionable museum journeys. Many visitors arrive with exploratory intent rather than exact titles. As a result:
Despite this distinct audience, MoMA’s existing search experience treated queries as static lookups instead of actionable museum journeys. Many visitors arrive with exploratory intent rather than exact titles. As a result:
Despite this distinct audience, MoMA’s existing search experience treated queries as static lookups instead of actionable museum journeys. Many visitors arrive with exploratory intent rather than exact titles. As a result:
Broad searches led to overwhelming or irrelevant results
Broad searches led to overwhelming or irrelevant results
Exploratory searches failed
to guide discovery
Users struggled to understand what was currently on view
Users struggled to understand what was currently on view
Precision tools were insufficient
for research
Search felt disconnected from physical museum navigation
Search felt disconnected from physical museum navigation
Search disconnected from
on-site navigation
Visitors couldn’t easily turn inspiration into an actual visit plan
Visitors couldn’t easily turn inspiration into an actual visit plan
Search disconnected from
on-site navigation
How might we help users move from vague curiosity to confident exploration and in-museum action?
How might we help users move from vague curiosity to confident exploration and in-museum action?
How might we help users move from vague curiosity to confident exploration and in-museum action?
Search to Itinerary Experience
Search to Itinerary Experience
Search to Itinerary Experience
To answer the “How might we” question, I reframed MoMA’s challenge from improving search to building a discovery-to-visit experience that helps visitors move from curiosity to curated museum journeys. Instead of treating search as a standalone lookup tool, I positioned it as the entry point into learning, planning, and navigating the museum. This shift led to a unified solution: a search-to-itinerary experience that turns exploration into actionable visit journeys. Two core experience pillars anchor this system:
To answer the “How might we” question, I reframed MoMA’s challenge from improving search to building a discovery-to-visit experience that helps visitors move from curiosity to curated museum journeys. Instead of treating search as a standalone lookup tool, I positioned it as the entry point into learning, planning, and navigating the museum. This shift led to a unified solution: a search-to-itinerary experience that turns exploration into actionable visit journeys. Two core experience pillars anchor this system:
To answer the “How might we” question, I reframed MoMA’s challenge from improving search to building a discovery-to-visit experience that helps visitors move from curiosity to curated museum journeys. Instead of treating search as a standalone lookup tool, I positioned it as the entry point into learning, planning, and navigating the museum. This shift led to a unified solution: a search-to-itinerary experience that turns exploration into actionable visit journeys. Two core experience pillars anchor this system:
On-site search
On-site search
On-site search
Search is the primary gateway into MoMA’s collection, yet users struggled with vague queries, limited exploratory support, and disconnected results. Improving this entry point directly impacts nearly every visitor journey.
Search is the primary gateway into MoMA’s collection, yet users struggled with vague queries, limited exploratory support, and disconnected results. Improving this entry point directly impacts nearly every visitor journey.
Search is the primary gateway into MoMA’s collection, yet users struggled with vague queries, limited exploratory support, and disconnected results. Improving this entry point directly impacts nearly every visitor journey.
Itinerary builder
Itinerary builder
Itinerary builder
While users frequently discover artworks and exhibitions, they lack tools to organize those findings into a coherent museum route. There was no bridge between finding art and navigating galleries.
While users frequently discover artworks and exhibitions, they lack tools to organize those findings into a coherent museum route. There was no bridge between finding art and navigating galleries.
While users frequently discover artworks and exhibitions, they lack tools to organize those findings into a coherent museum route. There was no bridge between finding art and navigating galleries.
Together, these became the core design focus for designing a connected search-to-itinerary experience that transforms digital discovery into actionable museum journeys.
Together, these became the core design focus for designing a connected search-to-itinerary experience that transforms digital discovery into actionable museum journeys.
Together, these became the core design focus for designing a connected search-to-itinerary experience that transforms
digital discovery into actionable
museum journeys.
Introducing Onsite Search
Digest Card
Introducing Onsite Search Digest Card
Onsite Search
Digest Card
Digest Cards surface high-value information directly within search results, including artist overviews, movement definitions, on-view status, related works, and itinerary entry points. Rather than listing results alone, they summarize themes and movements, highlight recommended works, surface related exhibitions, and provide quick actions like “Create itinerary.” This reduces the need for multiple page hops and helps users quickly understand what they’re seeing before diving deeper.
Digest Cards surface high-value information directly within search results, including artist overviews, movement definitions, on-view status, related works, and itinerary entry points. Rather than listing results alone, they summarize themes and movements, highlight recommended works, surface related exhibitions, and provide quick actions like “Create itinerary.” This reduces the need for multiple page hops and helps users quickly understand what they’re seeing before diving deeper.
Digest Cards surface high-value information directly within search results, including artist overviews, movement definitions, on-view status, related works, and itinerary entry points. Rather than listing results alone, they summarize themes and movements, highlight recommended works, surface related exhibitions, and provide quick actions like “Create itinerary.” This reduces the need for multiple page hops and helps users quickly understand what they’re seeing before diving deeper.
Quick Discovery
Quick Discovery
Instead of presenting an empty search state, I introduced curated popular and thematic entry points that give users immediate places to start exploring. This helps first-time visitors and casual browsers discover collections without needing to know exact artist or artwork names.
Instead of presenting an empty search state, I introduced curated popular and thematic entry points that give users immediate places to start exploring. This helps first-time visitors and casual browsers discover collections without needing to know exact artist or artwork names.
Quick Discovery
Instead of presenting an empty search state, I introduced curated popular and thematic entry points that give users immediate places to start exploring. This helps first-time visitors and casual browsers discover collections without needing to know exact artist or artwork names.
Search Results That Adapt to User Intent
Search Results That Adapt to User Intent
Search results dynamically adjust based on what users are looking for artists, artworks, movements, locations, or exploratory terms. Each query type surfaces a tailored Digest Card that highlights the most relevant information first, followed by traditional result lists for deeper exploration.
Search results dynamically adjust based on what users are looking for artists, artworks, movements, locations, or exploratory terms. Each query type surfaces a tailored Digest Card that highlights the most relevant information first, followed by traditional result lists for deeper exploration.
Search Results That Adapt to User Intent
Left to right: exploratory, artist, movement, and artwork search results.
Left to right: exploratory, artist, movement, and artwork search results.
Search results dynamically adjust based on what users are looking for artists, artworks, movements, locations, or exploratory terms. Each query type surfaces a tailored Digest Card that highlights the most relevant information first, followed by traditional result lists for deeper exploration.
Easy Access to Itinerary
Easy Access to Itinerary
Every search result connects directly to itinerary creation. Users can save artworks, movements, and themed collections into personalized visit routes, transforming browsing into actionable museum plans.
Every search result connects directly to itinerary creation. Users can save artworks, movements, and themed collections into personalized visit routes, transforming browsing into actionable museum plans.
Every search result connects directly to itinerary creation. Users can save artworks, movements, and themed collections into personalized visit routes, transforming browsing into actionable museum plans.
Contextual Recommendations
Contextual Recommendations
Each Digest Card surfaces contextual recommendations such as similar artists, related artworks in the same gallery, and thematically connected pieces. This encourages continuous discovery by helping users move laterally across collections instead of restarting new searches.
Each Digest Card surfaces contextual recommendations such as similar artists, related artworks in the same gallery, and thematically connected pieces. This encourages continuous discovery by helping users move laterally across collections instead of restarting new searches.
Each Digest Card surfaces contextual recommendations such as similar artists, related artworks in the same gallery, and thematically connected pieces. This encourages continuous discovery by helping users move laterally across collections instead of restarting new searches.
Understanding the Landscape
Understanding the Landscape
Understanding the Landscape
Let's look at the process behind the decision to focus onsite search. Before designing solutions, I wanted to understand how discovery works across industries. Direct museum competitors and indirect discovery platforms (Google, Amazon, Spotify, Pinterest, Netflix) were analyzed to understand how different systems handle intent, filtering, and discovery. I focused on identifying transferable patterns that could enhance art exploration while respecting MoMA’s curatorial context.
Let's look at the process behind the decision to focus onsite search. Before designing solutions, I wanted to understand how discovery works across industries. Direct museum competitors and indirect discovery platforms (Google, Amazon, Spotify, Pinterest, Netflix) were analyzed to understand how different systems handle intent, filtering, and discovery. I focused on identifying transferable patterns that could enhance art exploration while respecting MoMA’s curatorial context.
Let's look at the process behind the decision to focus onsite search. Before designing solutions, I wanted to understand how discovery works across industries. Direct museum competitors and indirect discovery platforms (Google, Amazon, Spotify, Pinterest, Netflix) were analyzed to understand how different systems handle intent, filtering, and discovery. I focused on identifying transferable patterns that could enhance art exploration while respecting MoMA’s curatorial context.
I evaluated how other museums handle:
I evaluated how other
museums handle:
I evaluated how other museums handle:
I evaluated how other museums handle:
Surfacing “on view” works
Surfacing “on view” works
Connecting search results to gallery content
Connecting search results to gallery content
Supporting in-person navigation
Supporting in-person navigation
Key Finding: Most museum search tools prioritize archival depth over visitor usability. They support lookup behavior, but not exploration or visit planning.
Key Finding: Most museum search tools prioritize archival depth over visitor usability. They support lookup behavior, but not exploration or visit planning.
Key Finding: Most museum search tools prioritize archival depth over visitor usability. They support lookup behavior, but not exploration or visit planning.
For other discovery systems, I focused on:
For other discovery
systems, I focused on:
For other discovery systems, I focused on:
For other discovery systems, I focused on:
How vague or exploratory queries are handled
How vague or exploratory queries are handled
How systems summarize large content sets
How systems summarize large content sets
How users move from browsing into saved lists, queues, or plans
How users move from browsing into saved lists, queues, or plans
Key Insight: Successful platforms don’t just show results, they actively guide decision-making.
Key Insight: Successful platforms don’t just show results, they actively guide decision-making.
Key Insight: Successful platforms don’t just show results, they actively guide decision-making.
Successful platforms don’t show results, they help users make decisions.
Successful platforms don’t show results, they help users make decisions.
Successful platforms don’t show results, they help users make decisions.
Across both museum competitors and discovery platforms, six recurring themes emerged:
Across both museum competitors and discovery platforms, six recurring themes emerged:
Across both museum competitors and discovery platforms, six recurring themes emerged:
Thematic discovery paths
Thematic discovery paths
Thematic discovery paths
Help visitors discover connected works without needing to search repeatedly.
Help visitors discover connected works without needing to search repeatedly.
Help visitors discover connected works without needing to search repeatedly.
Location-aware results
Location-aware results
Location-aware results
Prioritize what visitors can actually see during their visit.
Prioritize what visitors can actually see during their visit.
Prioritize what visitors can actually see during their visit.
Cross-device journey
Cross-device journey
Cross-device journey
Maintain continuity across planning, visiting, and post-visit reflection.
Maintain continuity across planning, visiting, and post-visit reflection.
Maintain continuity across planning, visiting, and post-visit reflection.
Multi-modal
Multi-modal
Multi-modal
Lower the barrier to discovery for casual and first-time visitors.
Lower the barrier to discovery for casual and first-time visitors.
Lower the barrier to discovery for casual and first-time visitors.
Precision filtering
Precision filtering
Precision filtering
Enable researchers to quickly narrow large result sets without friction.
Enable researchers to quickly narrow large result sets without friction.
Enable researchers to quickly narrow large result sets without friction.
Search assistance: autocorrect, error handling, empty state
Search assistance: autocorrect, error handling, empty state
Search assistance: autocorrect, error handling, empty state
Prevent dead ends and keep users moving forward.
Prevent dead ends and keep users moving forward.
Prevent dead ends and keep users moving forward.
These patterns show the need for a search experience that does more than retrieve information. They validated the decision to design onsite search as an active guide that connects discovery, context, and physical navigation into a cohesive museum journey.
These patterns show the need for a search experience that does more than retrieve information. They validated the decision to design onsite search as an active guide that connects discovery, context, and physical navigation into a cohesive museum journey.
These patterns show the need for a search experience that does more than retrieve information. They validated the decision to design onsite search as an active guide that connects discovery, context, and physical navigation into a cohesive museum journey.
Reflections
Reflections
Reflections
Designing for exploration Is different than designing for Llookup
Designing for exploration Is different than designing for Llookup
Designing for exploration Is different than designing for Llookup
I learned that discovery experiences require different design patterns than transactional search. Helping users explore means guiding, not just retrieving.
I learned that discovery experiences require different design patterns than transactional search. Helping users explore means guiding, not just retrieving.
I learned that discovery experiences require different design patterns than transactional search. Helping users explore means guiding, not just retrieving.
System thinking matters
System thinking matters
System thinking matters
This project pushed me to think beyond individual screens and design connected journeys across search, and physical navigation.
This project pushed me to think beyond individual screens and design connected journeys across search, and physical navigation.
This project pushed me to think beyond individual screens and design connected journeys across search, and physical navigation.
Discovery requires restraint
Discovery requires restraint
Discovery requires restraint
More intelligence does not always mean more UI. Knowing when to guide and when to step back is just as important as adding smarter systems.
More intelligence does not always mean more UI. Knowing when to guide and when to step back is just as important as adding smarter systems.
More intelligence does not always mean more UI. Knowing when to guide and when to step back is just as important as adding smarter systems.
© 2026- Shreesa Shrestha
© 2026- Shreesa Shrestha
© 2026- Shreesa Shrestha
© 2026- Shreesa Shrestha