PERSONA: 
Amber, 32
“Since I’m not in the industry, sometimes I feel out of place or that this art or space wasn’t created for me”
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: 
Age 32
Mother of 1
Works in Marketing
Income of 75,000
Lives in a city suburb of Vancouver
GOALS & MOTIVATIONS: 
_To connect with the art community
_To experience more local, smaller art galleries
 when traveling
_To understand contemporary art
_To educate their child in art
CURRENT BEHAVIOR:
_Visit large museums and galleries like the MoMa
_Follow some artists on social media 
_Will purchase art on Etsy or big box stores
_Bring their children to “family friendly” events at art museums 
CHALLENGES:
_Avoids contemporary art because it’s too confusing
_Feels uneasy about the pretentious vibes of art galleries
_Doesn’t connect with the art they purchased in the past
_Feels scoffed at when bringing their child to a gallery
NEEDS:
_Information available so they feel empowered to experience contemporary art
_Awareness of smaller, local galleries in their home town and while traveling
_A new perspective of what contemporary art it for/ its purpose
AMBERS USER JOURNEY: 
Intrigue/Curiousity 
Amber is out for a walk in the city and a small, contemporary gallery catches her eye. She's curious and intrigued by the art in the windows. She's drawn to the aesthetics of the pieces but doesn't know anything about the gallery or art.  
Fear Sets in
She starts to overthink if she's "allowed" to go into the gallery. She becomes self-conscious of her lack of knowledge on the subject of the art. She has her child with her and thinks she'll be scoffed for bringing her child inside. A sense of intimidation sets over her and she walks past the gallery. 
Learning (TECH INVOLVED) 
Once home, she thinks back to the gallery she walked by. She opens the app and searches for the gallery. She finds the gallery profile and reads through the reviews, overview, and exhibit synopsis. 
Reassurance 
After reading about the gallery, her intimidation starts to fade. She reads that the staff are friendly, child are welcome, and that the art is talking about current issues she's interested in. 
Confidence
She now feels confident and excited about the gallery. She's gained context about the art and is excited to bring her child with her knowing that the staff are friendly. 
Visits art gallery
The next weekend, she visits the gallery and brings her child. She's has enough context and information to "get" the art and also feels confident to ask the staff more questions. She relays the information to her child while experiencing art she otherwise would never have seen. She leaves satisfied that she learned something new and has a new perspective on a topic she was interested in. 
Passes Info On (TECH INVOLVED) 
Once home, she posts about her experience to social media. She also opens to app and leaves a review and adds her opinion to a discussion forum.

    
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Lucy, 21
Galleries are calming and every time I step into galleries I feel inspired although a bit intimidated as well.
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: 
Age 21
Student
Hobby Artist
Income of 20,000
Lives in LA
GOALS & MOTIVATIONS: 
_To get involved in the art community
_To find inspiration away from the digital world
_To find free ways to experience art with friends
CURRENT BEHAVIOR:
_Engages with their art community online
_Visits large museums/inspiring spaces 
_Will purchase art from their friends or make it themselves
CHALLENGES:
_Are too “new” to the industry
_Are intimidated by the artists and professionals at the galleries
_Collects “inspiration” that has already circulated a lot online


NEEDS:
_The confidence to engage with the art community. Information=Confidence
_The reassurance that you don’t need prestige or money to enjoy galleries
_Awareness of smaller, local galleries in their home town
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DAN, 36
“I feel like if I can produce the art, then there’s less of an appreciation to it”
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: 
Age 36
Works in Finance
Lives in Boston
Income of $110,000
GOALS & MOTIVATIONS: 

_Gain as much knowledge as possible about the artist and their work
_Is motivated by the respect he has for technically difficult art
_Values the knowledge he gains when we learns about art 
CURRENT BEHAVIOR:
_Visits art galleries in his neighborhood or when traveling, but usually only when someone invites him 
_Prioritizes seeking information when at a gallery (by reading the signs, asking the staff questions) 
_Isn’t interested in art that looks easy to make
_Respects the art/artists based on the medium of art (how hard it is to create)
CHALLENGES:

_Respects the craft of art, ignores the messages of art 
_Gets frustrated when he can’t understand the piece or can’t learn about it 

NEEDS:

_Information about the gallery or artist with significant details
_An option to seek art based on the medium it's produced in
_Guided museum tours (access to the highest amount of information)
_Awareness that art more than just the physical object 

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AMY, 28
“My personal favorite periods are Medieval and Renaissance, so I just don’t connect quite as much with modern pieces”
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS: 

Age 28
Art History Teaching Assistant 
Lives in Seattle
Income of $60,000
GOALS & MOTIVATIONS: 

_To understand the cultural context of contemporary art
_To expand her art appreciation beyond historical pieces

CURRENT BEHAVIOR:

_Visits museums more than art galleries
_Is aesthetically drawn to historic art
_Is a history buff, so enjoys how art tells historic stories
CHALLENGES:

_Doesn’t “get” contemporary art as much as older periods 
_Takes an academic approach to art, and fails to truly experience the emotional side of it  


NEEDS:

_Context for and cultural significance of current art
_Stories and information about the art/artists
_A connection of historic art to contemporary art 

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