User Experience Research for the Mosaic Atlas

Abstract

The non-profit organization Mosaic America partnered with San José State University to develop the Mosaic Atlas, a tool for learning about and connecting with different artistic and cultural communities in the Bay Area, amplifying cultural arts, and co-creating a sense of belonging in the Bay Area. I performed a user experience study in order to determine potential use cases for the Mosaic Atlas and to understand the potential positive and negative effects that the design of the Mosaic Atlas could have. I employed a broad definition of the user that extended past the person directly interacting with the Mosaic Atlas in order to help Mosaic America develop modifications to their emerging product, the atlas itself, and the outreach services that would accompany the atlas.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

The non-profit organization Mosaic America asked me to perform a user experience study on the Mosaic Atlas tool. The Mosaic Atlas is a tool for mapping cultural and artistic communities in the Bay Area. I interviewed potential users of the Mosaic Atlas, including members of Mosaic America. I identified users of the Mosaic Atlas and the potential effects the tool would have on users. The Mosaic Atlas had a far-reaching potential impact, especially on equity. Mosaic America needed to expand its definition of who a user of the Mosaic Atlas was and address the concerns of new users.

Keywords:

• Users
• equity
• user experience
• mapping

Acknowledgements

The Mosaic Atlas is a project of Mosaic America, developed with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Additional information

Funding

San José State University’s Research Foundation managed these funds for university researchers. The Wallace Foundation’s Field Studies by Arts Service Organizations Rooted in Communities of Color grant provided funding to expand the project. The university’s Tower Foundation manages those funds.

Notes on contributors

Graham Duncan Wade

Graham Wade is a Research Assistant at and graduate of San Jose State University. He conducts user experience research focusing on online space and interaction and how people identify themselves online. He earned a B.A. in Anthropology from Saint Mary’s College of California in 2019.