Andy Warhol Tactile Reproductions and Mobile Application

Client: The Andy Warhol Museum

The Andy Warhol Museum’s mission is to engage and inspire through Warhol’s life, art, and legacy, and the museum is committed to including all visitors in that mission. The museum set out to make a number of Andy Warhol's works accessible to a wider audience, especially blind and low vision visitors, through tactile reproductions and an audio guide called Out Loud. The replicas were custom built to be extremely sturdy so that they stand the test of time and the inquisitive touches of thousands of visitors.

The mobile application contains recorded speech, while also being fully accessible through the various built-in technologies on one's personal device. For each artwork, PAC consulted on prototypes of the tactile replicas. We wrote and recorded not only a visual description, but also a guided tactile description to walk the visitor through the experience of touching each reproduction in order to understand the textures and elevations present and how they map to the original artwork. PAC also helped ensure and improve the accessibility of the app.

In 2017, the Out Loud app was used for 1,800 sessions. Out Loud received media coverage from The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, and 90.5 WESA, and won the 2017 Gold MUSE award for mobile applications from the American Alliance of Museums. AAM called Out Loud “a shining example of Universal Design” and “a beacon in the museum technology sector and beyond.”

The application is available on iOS for Apple products and is Bluetooth beacon aware; the museum also provides devices to visitors. Check it out on the Apple App Store or read about the process from the former Manager of Digital Engagement at The Andy Warhol Museum.

Project Images

  • Two tactile images of two Andy Warhol painting are displayed with braille descriptions and a color reproduction of the artworks on a table that is tilted up in a 45 degree angle from the wall to ease the user when they touch the images.
    Tactile replicas of the Andy Warhol paintings Self-portrait, 1986, and Camouflage, 1986
  • A light blue W, followed by the text "out loud," and "Welcome to the Andy Warhol Museums inclusive audio guide"
    The landing page of the mobile app Out Loud.
  • Half of a mobile phone screen features an image of reflective silver square balloons; the lower half lists 5 menu options: About the Andy Warhol Museum, Accessibility at the Warhol, Museum Amenities, Settings, and Credits.
    The menu for the Out Loud mobile app.
  • Two tactile images of Andy Warhol paintings are displayed with braille descriptions and a color reproduction of the artwork on a table that is tilted up in a 45 degree angle from the wall to ease the user when they touch the images.
    Tactile replicas of Andy Warhol's portraits of Julia Warhola and Mick Jagger
  • A mobile screenshot of a page labeled "Pop Products" with a list of 5 chapters, their run times and a document icon next to each.
    The Pop products page of the Warhol Out Loud application.
  • A tactile replica of a Brillo Soap Pads Box sits on a table next to an angled display featuring a tactile reproduction of a Campbell's Soup can and small prints of the artworks.
    Tactile replicas of Andy Warhol's Brillo Soap Pads Box and Campbells Soup: 1: Cream of Mushroom
  • Two tactile images of Andy Warhol paintings are displayed on a table with braille descriptions, tilted slightly back to ease the user when they touch the image.
    Tactile replicas of Andy Warhol's portraits Jackie and Screen Test: Billy Linich