The National Museum in Kraków is, in fact, an entire museum complex made up of 12 branches. Alongside the Main Building on 3 Maja Avenue and the Czartoryski Museum, it includes nine other branches located across different parts of Kraków, plus one venue in Zakopane.
Visitors arriving in the former royal capital often do not realise just how many fascinating museums are waiting for them – tucked away in the side streets and courtyards of beautiful historic townhouses. That is why the website plays such an important role in guiding them through the city’s museum nooks and crannies. It needs to be clear, intuitive and accessible to future visitors. And that is exactly what our UX design team at GoldenGrid had the opportunity to take care of.
The Design Process
GoldenGrid carried out a complex, thorough and detailed process, as a result of which the National Museum in Kraków and all its branches received a new, beautifully reorganised structure and a comprehensive design system.
Stage 1: Discovery Phase
- Website audit and competitor analysis: We began with an in-depth audit of the existing MNK website, followed by an analysis of competitors’ websites to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
- Strengths of the previous design:
- Rich content: The website contained a great deal of information about all MNK branches and exhibitions.
- Attractive visuals: Evocative, aesthetic banners and graphics caught users’ attention.
- Clear structure in selected sections: Exhibition pages were well-organised and functional.
- Weaknesses of the previous design — and our areas for improvement:
- Suboptimal ticketing page structure: The ticket purchase process was complicated and not very intuitive, which could discourage users from completing their purchase.
- Strengths of the previous design:
- Workshops with museum employees: We conducted workshops with MNK employees from various departments, including education, marketing and customer service, as well as with the Museum Director. These conversations provided us with valuable insights and materials for further research.
- Tree testing: We tested the architecture of the planned website, focusing on the menu structure. In practice, tree testing means testing the “skeleton” of a website – mainly its menu and page hierarchy – without graphic or interactive elements. This method focuses solely on the logical structure of information, making it possible to identify issues in content organisation and navigation. The research gave us the feedback we needed to design a functional website.
- User journey design: We took into account different scenarios of using the website to ensure intuitive and easy navigation.
- UI concept: We developed the full visual style of the website, incorporating the new brand book.
Stage 2: Design System Development
Our goal was to create a coherent design system for all MNK branches. The design team created 20 website views, which were then used to build a clickable prototype. These views were tested in RITE research, allowing us to introduce improvements quickly and optimise the project along the way. Once testing was complete, we delivered an implementation-ready design together with full documentation.
Stage 3: Advisory Services
Our team supported the client during the website implementation stage carried out by the software house. At the end of the cooperation, we also conducted an audit of the newly launched website.
Challenges and Learnings
The project was both fascinating and full of rewarding challenges. A walk through the gallery in the Museum’s Main Building was a wonderful experience, allowing our Golden team to immerse themselves in the world whose essence they would later capture in the design. Conversations with employees from key departments gave us a broad perspective and helped us understand the needs and core values of each branch.
