For the sake of technology? The role of technology views in funding and designing digital museum communication

Abstract

ABSTRACTWhile digital technologies are becoming increasingly commonplace in museum practice, research that critically considers the processes in which they emerge is still scarce. This article demonstrates the role of technology views in these processes. Based on ethnographic data from two design processes and interview data from supplementary cases in Denmark, the article points to a gap between what practitioners view as necessary to secure funding and what they view as necessary for designing meaningful digital museum communication. This gap is identified by analysing the data in relation to a continuum of technology conceptualisations, constructed with inspiration from science and technology studies and information systems research. To bridge the gap, funding bodies and museum designers are encouraged to focus on processes rather than on product specifications when funding and designing digital museum communication. Furthermore, museum researchers are encouraged to pay more attention to the processes in which digital museum communication emerges.