Lookup

The Lookup is a mobile-first digital product that bridges the gap between the physical museum experience and the V&A’s digital collection. By scanning QR codes located throughout V&A East Storehouse, visitors can instantly access rich information about the objects on display, creating a seamless connection between the physical and digital experience.

The challenge was to design an experience that complemented, rather than distracted from, a museum visit. Visitors should be able to discover more when they wanted to, without technology becoming the focus of their journey.

The Challenge

V&A East Storehouse houses more than 1.3 million objects across four publicly accessible levels. Each floor contains numerous displays, alongside significant large-scale objects such as the Frankfurt Kitchen.

Early in the project we made the strategic decision to provide a single QR code per display rather than every object having a traditional printed tombstone. This reduced visual clutter within the gallery while allowing visitors to explore every object within a display once they had entered Lookup.

The product needed to accommodate displays containing anything from a handful of objects to several dozen, while remaining intuitive, accessible and easy to navigate on a mobile device.

Creating a Unified Experience

One of the key design principles was ensuring that the digital experience felt like a natural extension of the physical environment.

The visual language for Lookup draws directly from the Storehouse wayfinding system and the large-print guide, designed by Fieldwork Facility. Their work introduced a bespoke monospaced version of the V&A’s Spiller typeface alongside a distinctive pastel colour palette used to represent curatorial themes.

Rather than introducing a separate digital identity, I adapted these existing design principles to create a consistent experience across physical signage and digital interfaces. This continuity helps visitors move effortlessly between the gallery and the product without needing to learn a new visual language.

Designing for Discovery

Lookup was intentionally designed to be simple, functional and highly accessible.

Although delivered as a web application, the interface adopts familiar mobile app patterns, including persistent bottom navigation, allowing visitors to browse comfortably while moving around the museum.

Display cards use the same curatorial colours found throughout Storehouse, presenting the display number, title and object count in a clear, scannable format.

Large standalone objects required a different approach. As these exhibits do not have display numbers, I worked closely with the Collections Management team to develop a decimal numbering system that positioned them logically within the visitor journey while maintaining consistency with internal collection records. For example, an object located between displays 10 and 11 is referenced internally as 10.5, creating a practical solution that supports both visitors and museum operations.

David Bowie Centre

The David Bowie Centre occupies its own dedicated space within Storehouse and is represented by a distinct wayfinding identity.

To reflect this unique environment, Lookup introduces a bespoke dark mode experience that aligns with the physical space while remaining consistent with the overall design system.

Impact

When the project began, visitor engagement with digital content in galleries was typically between 5–8%. A key objective was to demonstrate that digital interpretation could enhance the museum experience without becoming intrusive.

Since launch, Lookup has increased visitor engagement by more than 30%, significantly exceeding previous adoption rates. While ongoing improvements, including Wi-Fi reliability, continue to optimise the experience, the product has already demonstrated that thoughtfully integrated digital experiences can meaningfully enrich how visitors engage with museum collections.

Lookup represents a considered balance of product thinking, accessibility and storytelling—using digital technology not to replace the physical experience, but to deepen it through carefully crafted interactions.