IBM iX
Future Vision Discovery and Design for AGO Toronto
2018
About the Project
In 2018, The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) embarked on a future vision initiative to reimagine the museum experience through human-centered design and service innovation. This project focused on enhancing visitor engagement by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, immersive experiences, and strategic design thinking to ensure AGO remains relevant and captivating for future audiences.
Challenge
Traditional museum models were struggling to engage modern, digital-first audiences.
Fragmented visitor experiences, requiring a more seamless and engaging journey.
Lack of future-oriented strategy, needing a clear North Star to guide AGO’s evolution.
Stakeholder alignment, ensuring buy-in across leadership, staff, and members.
Solution
Facilitated Design Thinking Workshops, co-creating with stakeholders to shape the future vision.
Developed Experience Journey Maps, outlining museum interactions across Now, Near Future, and Far Future timelines.
Explored AI-driven personalization, envisioning Watson AI as a tool for customized visitor experiences.
Conceptualized beacon technology, enabling dynamic exhibit recommendations based on visitor behavior.
Mapped predictive analytics use cases, optimizing operations based on attendance, tourism trends, and local events.
Impact
Established AGO’s strategic vision, providing a structured roadmap for future visitor experiences.
Encouraged bold thinking, allowing stakeholders to break free from traditional museum paradigms.
Created an actionable framework, ensuring feasibility across short-term and long-term goals.
Strengthened stakeholder alignment, securing leadership buy-in and cross-functional collaboration.
Future Vision Discovery and Design for AGO Toronto
The future of AGO’s museum experience required bold, visionary thinking—moving beyond static exhibits toward dynamic, interactive, and personalized engagements. Through a series of co-creation workshops, we encouraged AGO stakeholders to push boundaries and envision an AI-assisted, data-driven visitor experience.
We structured the vision into three experience maps:
Now / MVP – Immediate improvements using existing technology.
Near Future – Enhancing digital touchpoints with personalization and predictive analytics.
Far Future – AI-powered guides, interactive visitor tracking, and deep personalization based on interests and past visits.
To bridge imagination with reality, we introduced Watson AI as a conceptual tool—representing AI’s ability to revolutionize visitor interactions. Whenever stakeholders struggled with execution details, Watson served as a "magic wand" to push thinking beyond constraints.
The final deliverable provided AGO with an inspiring, structured vision, equipping leadership with a roadmap to future-proof museum experiences while enhancing engagement, personalization, and operational efficiency.
Sponsor Users
AGO Leadership & Stakeholders – Provided institutional insights and strategic direction.
AGO Members & Visitors – Represented user perspectives, influencing engagement strategies.
Product Design Team
Design Researchers
UX Designers
Strategists
Museum Staff
My Contributions
Collaborated with diverse teams to generate and refine future-focused concepts.
Metrics
🎭 Visitor Engagement
🗻 Visionary Roadmap
Tools
Stickies & Sharpies Miro Google Forms Figma