A living app for the world's first living museum

A living app for the world's first living museum

Most museum apps describe something that is already there. At DATALAND, what is happening in the galleries can change from one moment and one visitor to the next. How do you design a guide for that? A conventional map-and-catalogue app would have been static in a space that continually listens and responds.

The DATALAND app functions simultaneously as a guide, live interface, conversational layer and personal record of the visit- one that shares real-time data, responds to where you are within the museum, and also answers any questions you may have along the way.

A Guide that Changes with the Museum

Downloading the app prior to arrival allows guests to pair their ticket for seamless entry into the space, and provides additional context and real-time information as guests move through Dataland. The app cannot rely on a static description of Dataland because the museum itself is changing in real time. It responds to every moment, every artwork, every sound and scent of each guest’s unique journey. For a living museum, one that is continuously changing, our app is the perfect enhancement for the DATALAND experience.

To ensure the app serves as a true companion to the museum rather than overshadowing it, there were four principles that guided the design:

Museum as the Focal Point: The app is designed to deepen attention to the physical environment and recede when it is no longer needed. Every interaction is carefully calibrated to ensure the museum remains the primary experience.

Direct Access to Information: Users can interact directly with the museum via RAIN, the AI guide, to ask questions and get instant, context-aware answers, avoiding complex navigation.

Contextual and Dynamic Awareness: Users always know exactly where they are and what they are seeing. The app surfaces real-time, data-driven insights about the artwork and environment.

A Memory of the Visit: The experience doesn't end at the exit. Users can save their personal journey data, review the moments they captured, and share their unique insights, enabling users to revisit their memories long after they leave the physical space.

How to Download the App

The app is available through the app store by searching “DATALAND,” or by scanning the QR code below:

Using the App

There are several ways to sync tickets to the app before arriving at DATALAND. Guests can purchase tickets directly through the app, or pair pre-purchased tickets by either scanning the ticket QR code or entering the Ticket ID number.

The app was built to function around the visitor’s journey: Before the visit → Inside the museum → After the visit.This allows the app to reveal itself alongside the visitor as they experience DATALAND.

At the core of the in-gallery journey is the Live Experience mode, designed to be navigated fluidly across three experience viewpoints:

Map: A 3D map allowing users to view their own location within the galleries, see the session heatmap, explore gallery details, and inspect museum data.

Now: A context-aware dashboard that dynamically displays real-time information about the user's immediate surroundings.For example: within Gallery A, the app allows guests to understand which of the 12 chapters they have entered into, and detailed descriptions of their relationship to the rainforest data. 12 scents are dispersed throughout the experience - as they are released, their information is displayed on the user’s screen.

RAIN: An AI companion situated inside DATALAND. It is aware of the user's location and what the museum is doing around them, provides detailed information about the artworks, answers questions, and even identifies artworks via photos users can upload during their experience.

When the visit concludes, the Wrap screen provides a meaningful end to the journey. It summarizes each guest’s time inside the museum, highlighting which rooms captured their attention and how the space adapted to their presence.

This unique, shareable summary serves as the personal memory of their museum experience.

Collaborator: Kanso

DATALAND collaborated with Kanso to develop an app with the principal question: Can you create a guide that changes in real time with the guest and the museum itself? This required a complex system architecture to ensure continuous synchronization across the entire experience.

The data engine behind the 3D Map processes more than 2,000 events per second, synchronizing museum systems, visitor specific bio-sensing data, and live data from 16 rainforests to shape the experience in real time.

The AI interface, RAIN, operates as a context-aware companion that actively listens to this massive data stream. It understands where the guest is and what they are experiencing, allowing it to provide proactive guidance, answer nuanced questions, and trigger timely notifications.

These systems, along with many others, operate in continuous synchronization, ensuring the 'Living Museum' concept remains tangible, responsive, and unique for every visitor.

DATALAND thanks Kanso for their innovation, their collaboration, and their ability to meet this challenge with exceptional design.