Money Museum
RBI’s Monetary Museum traces India’s journey from early coins to Gandhi notes, yet remains a hidden gem in the heart of Mumbai.
This project studies its current experience and proposes ways to make India’s currency and financial heritage more visible, navigable, and engaging for a wider public.
My Role
System Mapping
Data Viz
Ideation
Experience Testing
Team [Four members]
Timeline
4 Weeks (April 2025)
Understanding the system
Looking at how the museum operates within a broader ecosystem- its stakeholders and management structure, its collection, its interfaces and exhibits, and most importantly its visitors.
Observing Visitors
System Map
Get a closer view
Employees
Visitors
Interface
Collection
Museum Type
A Literal Map
Causal Map
Strengths
Neutral
Problems
By drawing connections between museum decisions and user behaviour, we identified major problem areas- the ones with the most arrows connected to them.
Problem Statement
Get a closer view
Low Discoverability
Confusing
Navigation
Interface
Interactivity
Inefficient Use
of Space
Inclusivity
Lack of
Publicity
A richer, more tactile experience for everyone.
Large-scale coin replicas, paired with audio guides, let visually impaired visitors fully engage with the exhibit.
Designing for accessibility ultimately elevates the experience for all visitors.
Collaborate for cross-promotion.
Located in Colaba near major institutions like CSMVS, the Money Museum could partner with them for simple, meaningful referrals.
For example, beside a Mughal-era painting at CSMVS, a small set of coins from the same period could direct visitors to the nearby Money Museum to explore more.
Print your own face on a banknote!
A memorable, playful souvenir; and an organic form of advertising, as visitors will naturally share it with friends and family.
The historical experience of having money
An immersive exhibit where visitors use historical forms of currency, such as kaudis, to “purchase” items, offering a tactile sense of what everyday transactions may have felt like in earlier eras.
Allow mobile photography inside the museum.
The current ban is outdated, and letting visitors share their experience on social media is one of the most effective ways to spark interest.
You find a wallet on the ground, and you have 2 options- Keep it or return it?
The moment you open it you are presented with a 3rd option...
Visit the Money Museum!
A replica of a Mughal era coin, created using sunboard, M-seal and acrylic.
Get a closer look
Normally, coins sit behind glass, visible from only one angle.
With AR, visitors can view magnified, multi-angle renders and truly appreciate the artefacts.
Activities for all ages
We found that children often skim through exhibits, but activity kits and workshops can draw them in.
To test this, we ran a small activity with school kids, and it worked remarkably well.
The prompt was simple:
“You’re the king or queen of India. All the nation’s currency is issued by you. What would it look like?”
Tweaking the Layout
By shifting a few non-load-bearing walls, we created a more efficient layout that reduced congestion and ensured exhibits weren’t overlooked.
We validated this using Pedestrian Dynamics, simulating crowd flow based on parameters and footfall data provided by the museum.
Notes of our classmates and professors
Thank you :)
Naman Khurana
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