Kunst App
An art history app for discovering, learning about and scanning works of art in museums. Find out more about the art, its creators and the stories behind them.
Discover the prototype© Dominik Lange
App concept
Descriptions in museums are often too brief and answer only a fraction of the questions. This app offers a simple way to learn more about artworks, artists and the historical context of art. Whether at home, in a museum or at an exhibition, users can scan artworks with their camera or search for specific pieces to receive information on their creation, style, significance, artist and more. Through personalised recommendations, curated content and intuitive navigation, art becomes more accessible and easier to understand.
Target audience
The app is not aimed at any specific age group. It is designed for anyone who appreciates art and would like to learn more about it. This includes school pupils, university students, working people and pensioners, amongst others. What matters is an interest in art and a desire to deepen one’s knowledge.
Initial drafts
The first draft following the wireframing stage included a wide range of features: • A curated home page featuring content on museums, artworks, artists and historical periods, as well as a search function with photo viewing • A map showing museums and exhibitions • An interactive floor plan showing where artworks are located • A favourites page, divided into artworks and artists • A search function for quick access to information
Feedback & Analysis
Following the usability testing, the feedback was analysed and the app was specifically revised. The most important step was to remove the map function in order to focus more clearly on the app’s actual purpose. At the same time, the scanning feature was given greater prominence. The previous navigation point was replaced by the scan function, which had previously been too inconspicuous. It is now a central feature and directly supports the aim of expanding knowledge quickly and easily.
Homepage
Search takes priority and deliberately focuses on targeted information retrieval rather than mere discovery. Usability tests have shown that the scan function needs to be highlighted in colour to stand out clearly from the text search. Scrolling takes you to an editorially curated carousel featuring changing art themes and collections. Below this are personalised lists and carousels featuring artworks, artists and collections tailored to the user’s activity.
Art Scanner
The Art Scanner helps you quickly find out more about artworks in museums, exhibitions or galleries. You can scan artworks directly or upload them as images. The app identifies the title and artist and provides additional information about the work.
Search
The search page consists of four main sections, designed to enable quick and targeted use: 1. Visual search, to capture art directly via the camera 2. Filters, to narrow down and refine results 3. A search history with images, to make it easier to find previous searches 4. The search field for specific queries
Design System
A bespoke design system was developed for the app. The serif typeface ‘DM Serif Text’ is used as the highlight font. Its strong contrasts and distinctive serifs make it ideal for headlines and visual accents in an art context. ‘Avenir Next’ is used for body text. The sans-serif typeface remains legible even at small sizes and has a clearly structured appearance. The colour palette consists of three defining colours, with pink serving as the primary accent colour. In addition, five shades of grey have been defined for use in text and various button types.