Post 01: Preliminary Research

For my field research for this assignment i went to Ferens Art Gallery for some inspiration, i wanted to see what things they did well and some things they could improve on. 

When navigating my way through the gallery i noticed initially that the lighting was quite dark walking around however the artwork had studio lights above which makes the artwork the centre of attention in the rooms. Some rooms had seating which meant that people had a place to sit and observe the artwork meaning the experience doesn’t feel rushed and is accessible for multiple people. All the artworks displayed had information next to them which visitors were reading.

From my experience there the visitors were using the seating area to observe and just walking around as they were a wide space, and the artwork was quite spread out. Throughout their gallery there was visitor surveys to fill out for any improvements the gallery could make this really makes the gallery feel like it’s a community and the visitors opinion matters. 

They had lots of information on each artwork in large, bold fonts which is good for anyone with visual needs. The genres and media displayed was mainly framed artwork of different genres of art, however they also had some sculptures in the middle of some of the bigger rooms this shows that the gallery has tried its best to appeal to different audiences with a passion for art. 

The gallery had a 2026 open exhibition which was their annual celebration of artistic talent which has been done since 1967, which is a place for new artists to display and sell their work. They had brochures at the front of the gallery that you see as soon as you walk in which makes it easier to notice.

Some environmental factors in the gallery i noticed is that the atmosphere was very calm and welcoming which gives a relaxing feeling as soon as you walk in. There was no noise in the gallery other than other visitors which gave the gallery a warm, comforting atmosphere. Some weaknesses i picked out from my experience was that in some rooms there was natural ligjting coming through which was making some glares on the artwork reducing the visibilty. I also noticed the wooden floors which could easily get quite worn from excessive walking which could make the gallery look messy. When walking around the rooms felt echoey from the open spaces which could make it distracting for some visitors making them lose focus on the artwork. 

From my visit to the art gallery i have made some observations on things i need to include in my app. I will want to include a page on exhibitions that will be happening as this gives a reason for people to want to visit or return. I would also want a few pages for visitor information such as opening times, a map of the gallery and information on some of the artists.