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NOSTA
An interactive online museum dedicated to vintage products
OverView
A museum experience where the past comes alive through an interactive journey Reminiscent of wandering through vintage objects and discovering the story behind the objects from every corner of the world.
Problem
There is a significant gap between the younger and older generations. While each generation brings its own unique perspectives and values, their interests and experiences often feel disconnected. The goal of the project is to bridge this gap by highlighting a common passion that unites all ages.
Solution
The beauty of vintage is that it transcends time. Young or old, people are drawn to the craftsmanship, history, and stories behind vintage items. These items allow us to connect with the past while finding common ground across generations.
Goals and Value
1
Create a connection
between the generations.
2
Exposure to the stories hidden
behind the vintage items.
3
Sharing the stories
with the world.
Target Audience
The target audience for our project included both generations the older and the younger.
We aimed to find a common element that would engage both groups and create a meaningful connection between them.
Design Stage
Concept
Research
Solution
Nostalgic motif
Searching for a common denominator across different generations, exploring the
audience of vintage lovers.
Exploring digital platforms of museums and galleries that
offer an unusual user experience
Exploring digital platforms
of museums and galleries that
offer an unusual user experience
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Step 4:
Research
We aimed to understand the unique characteristics of each generation, including their values, preferences, and approach to hobbies.
We explored various topics such as music, fashion, furniture, and technology
To understand the common trait between the two generations, we conducted a series of open ended questions for each of them, focusing on topics such as childhood memories,
current preferences, and the influence
of the past on their choices.
Through our research, we concluded that a shared trait between the two generations is nostalgia and a deep appreciation for vintage. By examining their interactions with products, media, and cultural trends, we found that both generations connect to the past as a source of comfort and identity, highlighting the enduring appeal of vintage items.
Among the responses we received: many mentioned their connection to objects, styles, and music that evoke a sense of nostalgia, expressing a deep appreciation for vintage.
Research
We aimed to understand the unique characteristics of each generation, including their values, preferences, and approach to hobbies. We explored various topics such as music, fashion, furniture, and technology
To understand the common trait between the two generations, we conducted a series of open-ended questions for each of them, focusing on topics such as childhood memories, current preferences, and the influence of the past on their choices.
Through our research, we concluded that a shared trait between the two generations is nostalgia and a deep appreciation for vintage. By examining their interactions with products, media, and cultural trends, we found that both generations connect to the past as a source of comfort and identity, highlighting the enduring appeal of vintage items.
Among the responses we received: many mentioned their connection to objects, styles, and music that evoke a sense of nostalgia, expressing a deep appreciation for vintage.
Interview Questions
We conducted interviews with 8 participants, evenly divided into two groups:
-
Adults (ages 40-60): Representing an older generation with established perspectives on nostalgia.
-
Young Generation (ages 18-25): Representing a younger generation that interacts with vintage in a contemporary context.
1. How do you feel about modern trends versus vintage styles?
Adult 1 (M, 50)
"For me, it’s about striking the right balance. I love the convenience of modern technology, but I also appreciate the aesthetic charm of vintage items. That’s why my home is a mix I have smart home devices, but I’ve paired them with antique furniture and retro-style decor. I find that this combination allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds: the efficiency of new innovations and the timeless appeal of vintage craftsmanship."
Adult 2 (F, 44)
"Modern trends tend to feel fleeting and sometimes lack depth. What I love about vintage styles is that they carry a sense of history and craftsmanship. When I buy a vintage leather bag or an old dresser,
I know it was built to last, unlike many things produced today.
The materials, attention to detail, and uniqueness make vintage pieces stand out in a way that modern mass produced items simply can’t compete with."
Adult 3 (M, 55)
"Modern trends often borrow elements from the past, whether it's fashion, music, or interior design. However,
I feel that vintage styles have a level of authenticity that modern trends sometimes lack. When I wear a vintage outfit or furnish my home with antique furniture, I feel a deeper connection to history. There's something special about knowing that an item has a past life and a story attached to it, rather than being mass produced for short-term consumption."
Adult 4 (F, 47)
"Fast fashion dominates today's clothing industry, and while I do enjoy some modern styles, I find that vintage fashion allows for more individuality. Vintage clothing was often made with higher quality materials, and the designs were more unique compared to today's repetitive trends. I love searching for one of a kind vintage pieces that reflect my personality, rather than following what’s popular in mainstream fashion at the moment."
Young 1 (M, 22)
"I think it’s fascinating how vintage styles are making a strong comeback. Thrift shopping has become really popular, and I personally love finding old-school clothing that has a unique flair. I also listen to a lot of older music, my parents used to play '80s and '90s songs in the car, and now I have my own playlists full of those tracks.
Young 2 (F, 19)
"I love vintage aesthetics, but I also enjoy modern convenience. For example, I have a vintage-style camera that takes film photos, but I also use digital tools to edit and enhance them. It allows me to combine the beauty of old-school photography with today’s technology.
Young 3 (M, 24)
"I’ve always been fascinated by retro gaming. Modern video games are impressive with their graphics and online features, but there’s something nostalgic and satisfying about playing older games on original consoles. I love the simplicity of classic games, they don’t rely on high ech visuals but instead focus on fun and creative gameplay. That’s why I still collect and play retro games, even though."
Young 4 (F, 21)
"Honestly, I don’t feel as attached to vintage styles as some people do. While I can appreciate the aesthetic,
I prefer modern trends because they feel more innovative and practical. Technology today is way more advanced, and I’d rather have the latest gadgets than something old just for nostalgia’s sake.
2. What childhood memory stands out to you the most?
Adult 1 (M, 50)
"One of my fondest memories is sitting in my grandmother’s living room on lazy Sunday afternoons, listening to records on her old turntable. She had this massive wooden cabinet filled with vinyl everything from jazz to old rock classics. Even today, whenever I hear an old vinyl recording, I feel like I’m back in that cozy space, completely at peace."
Adult 2 (F, 44)
''My dad had this beautiful old record player, the kind with a wooden frame and a gentle crackle as it started spinning. He loved playing The Beatles while we cooked breakfast together. It's amazing how music can tie together memories, how certain songs can evoke such deep emotions.''
Adult 3 (M, 55)
"Going to the neighborhood arcade with my siblings was a huge part of my childhood. Every weekend, we’d get a few quarters from my parents and run straight to our favorite machines:
Pac-Man, Street Fighter, and Donkey Kong. We didn’t have gaming consoles at home, so those moments felt special.''
Adult 4 (F, 47)
"Before email and texting, my friends and
I used to write each other letters, even though we lived in the same town. We would spend hours decorating them with stickers, doodles, and colorful ink, making them as personal as possible. I kept all those letters in a shoebox under my bed, and every now and then, I pull them out and read them. They capture our childhood perfectly''
Young 1 (M, 22)
A childhood memory that really sticks with me is when I found my old collection of Pokémon cards. I remember spending hours trading them with friends at school, feeling like I was holding something valuable, even though it was just cardboard. I had this binder full of cards, each one carefully sorted and protected. When I found that binder again a few years ago, it felt like I had opened a time capsule.''
Young 2 (F, 19)
"When I was little, my parents and I had a tradition of watching Disney movies together, but not on streaming services on VHS tapes. We had a whole shelf full of them, with their bulky plastic cases and colorful covers. I loved the ritual of putting the tape into the VCR and hearing it rewind before the movie started. Even though I can easily watch those movies on Disney+ now, I still collect VHS tapes.''
Young 3 (M, 24)
"Some of my best childhood memories are playing early 2000s video games like Super Mario, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda on my Game Boy. I remember sitting on my bed with the tiny screen glowing in the dark, completely immersed in my own little world. There was something magical about those pixelated graphics and the simple yet addictive gameplay.''
Young 4 (F, 21)
''One of my strongest childhood memories is staying up late playing online multiplayer games with my friends..
It’s not about the objects or aesthetics of the past for me, it’s about the emotions tied to those experiences. Even though technology has evolved, the feeling of connection and excitement from those nights is something I’ll always appreciate."
3. What do you think draws people to vintage or nostalgic things?
Adult 1 (M, 50)
''Vintage items often remind people of a simpler time, which provides a sense of nostalgia and emotional grounding. They evoke memories of childhood, family, or past experiences that felt comforting or safe. It’s the emotional warmth of familiarity that draws people back to these items.''
Adult 2 (F, 44)
''This answer highlights the profound role memories play in our relationship with objects. When we look at something vintage, it might remind us of a person, event, or time that holds significant emotional value. These items become more than just physical objects, hey act as tangible representations of memories.''
Adult 3 (M, 55)
''Vintage items were often made with a different standard of craftsmanship. In a world of mass production and planned obsolescence, many people are drawn to older objects because they’re seen as higher quality, designed to endure,
and made with attention
to detail.''
Adult 4 (F, 47)
''Vintage objects often stand out due to their rarity, distinctiveness, and the stories they carry. Unlike mass-produced items, vintage pieces are often one of a kind or produced in small batches, which gives them a sense of individuality. They also come with a history each piece carries with it a story of its creation, ownership, and experiences over time. That unique character can be what makes them especially attractive.''
Young 1 (M, 22)
''Even though we didn't live through past eras, there's often something comforting about experiencing things from times that feel simpler or more genuine. It can evoke a sense of warmth, familiarity, or longing for a time we didn't directly experience but feel connected to through media or family stories.''
Young 2 (F, 19)
''Escape from Modern Life:
In today's fast-paced, digital world, vintage items provide a sense of slow living and nostalgia for a time when things seemed more tangible and less connected to technology.''
Young 3 (M, 24)
''Vintage items often have a unique style that today's mass-market products don't replicate. There's a quality and craftsmanship that resonates with people, especially as the mass production of modern products has made everything feel more uniform and disposable.''
Young 4 (F, 21)
''For many, vintage items represent a link to significant cultural moments, whether it's the music of the '60s, the fashion of the '90s, or classic video games. These items are artifacts that carry history and stories, and owning them can make people feel like they're part of a cultural lineage.''
Findings & Conclusion
Our study revealed that nostalgia is a powerful force influencing both generations. While the younger participants are drawn to vintage items as a way to connect with the past, older participants seek them out as a way to preserve memories. Across different aspects of life music, fashion, furniture, and technology both groups appreciate the charm and authenticity of vintage styles. This shared connection to nostalgia underscores the timeless appeal of vintage culture.
Visual Research
Internet research
We researched various interactive websites that offer exceptional user experiences. Our goal was to find a solution that could be tailored to a museum setting, creating a premium showcase for vintage products.
A modern website with a minimalist and aesthetic design, integrating advanced features while providing an educational platform about various contemporary Austrian artists. The site showcases an extensive collection of Austrian art
specializes in creating interactive 3D virtual exhibitions to enhance accessibility, audience engagement,
and archival solutions in the arts and culture sector.
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The DigitaltMuseum website features a modern and clean design with a focus on visual navigation ease. It utilizes a simple and focused interface that provides users with easy access to digital collections.
A bold and playful design, with vibrant pink tones. The interface is user-friendly, featuring easy and fun navigation that highlights the unique collections.
User Flow
Main Page
The homepage of the interface showcases a gallery featuring a rich and diverse vintage collection. It offers well-deserved recognition to items often seen as ordinary in daily life, with each piece telling its own unique story.
Color effect
All items are displayed in black and white, and only when hovered over do they reveal their colors. This effect recreates the thrill of searching through a flea market or second-hand shop, where unique treasures unexpectedly stand out.
User Profile Page
The page is designed with a minimalist and aesthetic approach, ensuring a clean and elegant layout. The design emphasizes simplicity and clarity while maintaining a visually refined experience. A dynamic color effect highlights the selected item, seamlessly guiding the user’s focus and enhancing interaction.
Item Profile Page
Item Profile Page
Events Page
The events page showcases a variety of vintage-themed events, ranging from fashion exhibitions to antique cars shows. The content dynamically updates, ensuring a fresh selection of events over time. Designed with a minimalist and dynamic aesthetic, the layout remains clean and engaging while allowing seamless navigation through the event listings.
Design Process
Our design process was built on collaboration, where each team member contributed their unique insights and expertise. Through multiple iterations, we identified challenges, tested different approaches, and refined our ideas.
Initial design
The initial concept was to create an interactive search-and-discovery experience. To achieve this, we designed a blurred effect on the items, allowing them to appear sharp and in focus only on hover. However, after user testing, we found that the blur was visually uncomfortable and discouraged users from staying on the most critical page of the interface. As a result, we refined the approach by using a black-and-white-to-color transition, maintaining engagement while enhancing usability.
Design Refinement
We initially decided on a black-and-white design, with color appearing on hover. The layout featured card-style elements with textures and sharp edged frames, aiming to create a refined and high-end display for the items. However,
after testing, we realized that this design felt outdated rather than highlighting the vintage pieces in a prestigious and modern way.
The added textures were unnecessary, and the typography was too small and unclear, reducing readability and overall impact.
Final Implementation
The final design emerged from the principle "the simpler, the better." We removed unnecessary textures, enlarged the headings, and adjusted the text layout for better readability and visual harmony. The overall page remained in black and white, with color applied only to selected or hovered items, naturally guiding the viewer’s focus. Softer, rounded corners created a more visually appealing experience, while slightly increasing the card size improved accessibility and user engagement.
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The user profile page initially had a different design. I aimed for a minimalist approach that emphasized the items as the focal point of the page. To achieve this, I divided the screen into two sections: the upper half displaying the profile picture and user details, and the lower half showcasing five key items.
However, a new design direction was chosen to eliminate unnecessary scrolling and reduce empty screen space, creating a more efficient and visually balanced layout.
Promo video
Click to see the prototype
Typography
When it comes to The Titles, We choose a font that looks elegant to give a fine art vibe, This will lead the experience of the website to feel less like modern-day mass consumption buy & sell website and feel more like a fancy museum with beautiful artifacts.
Febila demo
Main typeface
Use for main titles
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Inter
Second typeface
Use for body and caption
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
My Part
I handled the project's motion design, including video marketing and macro animations. Additionally, I designed internal pages such as item pages, profiles, favorites, events, and the main gallery, aiming for a clean, elegant, and minimalistic aesthetic.
Design system
Color Palette
The use of black, white, and gray in a monochromatic color scheme for a minimalist design conveys simplicity and cleanliness.
This neutral palette enhances the user's focus on content, making it easier to navigate through images and essential elements.
02 # A7A7A7
01 #000000
03 #FFFFFF
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Moodboard
Inter
Second typeface
Use for body and caption
Febila demo
Use for main titles
Main typeface
Typography
When it comes to The Titles, We choose a font that looks elegant to give a fine art vibe, This will lead the experience of the website to feel less like modern-day mass consumption buy & sell website and feel more like a fancy museum with beautiful artifacts.
Let's work together
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