Museum Experience Research Articles

What do we mean by “agency”? A framework and tools for supporting visitors' agency in museums and science centers

AbstractAgency is a central value within museums and science centers, but it has not been defined and operationalized in ways that can guide museum practice or support inclusion for new audiences. In this project, an interdepartmental group of science center staff co‐created a conceptual framework for noticing and supporting visitors' agency. The framework includes four interconnected aspects of agency: physical environment, social engagement, choice and autonomy, and relevance and empowerment. Conceptualizing agency as multifaceted led to more expansive approaches for supporting it, allowing staff to move beyond open‐endedness to consider a wider range of supports and structures that can make museum experiences more inviting and inclusive. The framework informed the development of practical tools for use by exhibit/program developers and facilitators. Tools are freely available and guide museum staff in questioning current practices and integrating the four facets of agency into planning, prototyping, and observation of interactive experiences.

Small museums designing new visitor experiences: needs, limitations and opportunities

ABSTRACT In this article, we investigate how small museums running on volunteers deal with the challenge of innovation given that the future is becoming more digital. From the literature, little is known about the strategies and practices for designing innovative visitor experiences in small museums and about the skills needed for doing so. In particular, we were interested in understanding how professionals working in small museums design experiences that mainly appeal to and engage a younger public and how digital innovation can play a role in both attracting and keeping such audiences engaged with the museum. Our most important conclusion is that the question of “how to innovate” is misplaced and that small museums rather need to capitalize on the strong tie with the community they serve. Only in this way can they lower the threshold to access and connect to a broader public that is younger and more diverse.

The Future Museum: Integrating Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual-text with AI-enhanced Information Systems

This study examines how AR, virtual text, and AI in future museums affect visitor engagement, knowledge acquisition, emotional response, and social interaction. The study uses econometrics equations, text analysis, thematic qualitative data analysis, and agent-based modelling. The economic models show that virtual text type, depth of knowledge, personalization, accessibility options, and AR museum experiences increase visitor engagement, knowledge, emotional response, and social interaction. Thematic analysis displays visitor viewpoints such as AR curiosity, personalization, and cultural significance, while correlation matrices indicate their relationships. Bayesian econometrics, text analysis, thematic qualitative data analysis, and agent-based modelling are used to explore museum visitors' interactions with augmented reality, virtual text, and AI-enhanced information systems. These devices improve visitor engagement, social connection, emotional response, and information collection. Self-reported data biases, context biases, and rapid technological advancement limit the study. Museums can benefit from user-centric technology, AR, personalization, and cultural knowledge. The main findings reveal that these technologies significantly increase museum visitors, emphasizing that future museum administration and design must carefully adopt new technology. The findings may affect museum staff, designers, and decision-makers. Learning important technology factors improves AR, virtual text, and AI-enhanced information system design and deployment decisions. UX design prioritizes visitor choices, while immersive and integrated displays connect museum experiences. These practical implications force museums to actively and practically integrate technology to stay relevant. The project's findings, practical insights, and visitor experiences will improve future technological and cultural organisation research. The whole process contributes to the discussion on how emerging technologies affect museum experiences and innovation and decision-making in the ever-changing cultural heritage context.

Designing museum experiences for eudaimonic or hedonic well-being: insights from interviews with museum visitors

ABSTRACT Lately, museums are trying to transform into spaces prioritizing enrichment and well-being. This paper investigates how the design of museum experiences is associated with the visitors’ well-being, drawing on psychological theories of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Through structured interviews conducted at a hedonicly designed museum (Museum of Chocolate, N = 10) and an eudaimonicly designed museum (Museum of Broken Relationships, N = 10), we explored the impact of different design approaches on visitors’ experiences and their hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Thematic coding showed distinct experiences. The hedonic museum, characterized by sensory engagement and personal enjoyment, stimulated mindfulness, restoration, and positive affect associated with visitors’ hedonic well-being. In comparison, the eudaimonic museum, emphasizing personal enrichment and reflection, promoted escapism, contemplation, and mixed affect, which was associated with visitors’ eudaimonic well-being. These insights carry significant implications for museum experience design, offering guidance on creating enriching experiences that prioritize visitors’ well-being in different ways.

The Future Museum: Integrating Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual-text with AI-enhanced Information Systems

This study examines how AR, virtual text, and AI in future museums affect visitor engagement, knowledge acquisition, emotional response, and social interaction. The study uses econometrics equations, text analysis, thematic qualitative data analysis, and agent-based modelling. The economic models show that virtual text type, depth of knowledge, personalization, accessibility options, and AR museum experiences increase visitor engagement, knowledge, emotional response, and social interaction. Thematic analysis displays visitor viewpoints such as AR curiosity, personalization, and cultural significance, while correlation matrices indicate their relationships. Bayesian econometrics, text analysis, thematic qualitative data analysis, and agent-based modelling are used to explore museum visitors' interactions with augmented reality, virtual text, and AI-enhanced information systems. These devices improve visitor engagement, social connection, emotional response, and information collection. Self-reported data biases, context biases, and rapid technological advancement limit the study. Museums can benefit from user-centric technology, AR, personalization, and cultural knowledge. The main findings reveal that these technologies significantly increase museum visitors, emphasizing that future museum administration and design must carefully adopt new technology. The findings may affect museum staff, designers, and decision-makers. Learning important technology factors improves AR, virtual text, and AI-enhanced information system design and deployment decisions. UX design prioritizes visitor choices, while immersive and integrated displays connect museum experiences. These practical implications force museums to actively and practically integrate technology to stay relevant. The project's findings, practical insights, and visitor experiences will improve future technological and cultural organisation research. The whole process contributes to the discussion on how emerging technologies affect museum experiences and innovation and decision-making in the ever-changing cultural heritage context.

Digital-induced nostalgia: Homeland tourists’ nostalgic experiences in traditional-village digital museums

This study explored how homeland tourists (those who visit their origin home/homeland for vacations) construct nostalgic experiences in virtual tourism spaces. Based on traditional-village digital museum (TVDM) tourism, we adopted a phenomenological approach to investigate the ways homeland tourists evoke and experience nostalgia in digital environments. The results indicated that the digital-induced nostalgic experiencescape of TVDM strengthened tourists' sense of nostalgia through embodied interaction with virtual reality. This experience, moreover, caused tourists to perceive unique benefits, and it stimulated their ritualized nostalgic behavior. This study's findings improve our understanding of nostalgia-based virtual spaces and stimulate innovation of digital-induced nostalgia businesses.

Quality control of 3D printing in bioarchaeology: a case study on dimensional assessment of cranial models

In the last few years, 3D printing has gained widespread use in archaeology and cultural heritage fields, from research and conservation to enriching museum experiences. This study focuses on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology to assess the quality of printed replicas of archaeological human remains. A cranial model was 3D printed (3DP) from Computed Tomography (CT) data of an 8-year-old patient to simulate the remains of an archaeological skull. Eight copies were then printed and subjected to CT scanning to compare them to the original model through an objective measurement method based on image analysis. The proposed method investigates print variability and considers potential sources of error to assess the dimensional compatibility of the model before and after printing. Results showed an increasing error, up to 15 %, with higher levels of model detail. These results are discussed with reference to a metrological approach, highlighting the need for further research into optimizing 3D printing quality control, including through the definition of a standardized protocol to obtain archaeological replicas faithful to the originals.

Cultural Heritage Manifestation in Computer Role-Playing Games for Enhancing Museum Experience: A Model Proposal

ABSTRACT This article proposes a model for integrating computer role-playing games with museum experiences to enhance cultural heritage learning with a particular focus on design. Centered at the Izmir Archaeology Museum, the study delves into the design of a serious game aimed at enriching both the educational and experiential facets of museum visits. The model highlights the use of gameplay components and design patterns to manifest tangible and intangible heritage content, thereby promoting visitor awareness and understanding of cultural heritage. Through a provisional game scenario based on the museum's prehistoric artifact exhibition, the study illustrates how a gameplay design approach that is informed by heritage content displayed in the museum can be prototyped. The proposed model not only aims to make museum visits more engaging, but also seeks to contribute to the broader discourse on game design, game-based learning, and museum experience.

The role of visitor studies in shaping visitor‐centered museums

AbstractVisitor studies are an important source of knowledge within museum practice: They inform what we believe about our audiences, what kinds of interpretation we develop, and how we conceptualize success. As visitor studies professionals, we see firsthand that the ways we gather data have implications for how we and our colleagues view visitors and how visitors perceive our institutions. Meanwhile, we also see opportunities for visitor studies within museums' broader aspirations to become more visitor‐centered, as defined by meaningful two‐way engagement with visitors. Using real‐world project examples, this paper explores possibilities for moving toward a more visitor‐centered approach to data collection, in which practitioners can more clearly privilege meaning, transparency, and care. As starting points, we suggest that active attention to four considerations should inform more visitor‐centered visitor studies: comfort (i.e., the well‐being of people); context (i.e., the circumstances of museum experiences and study implementation); flexibility (i.e., responsiveness to dynamics that imply a need for change); and value (i.e., supporting relations of mutual benefit).

Enhancing Educational Experiences in Museums through Ethnic Cultural Exhibitions

Museums are essential for improving cultural understanding and instruction. Exhibitions showcasing ethnic cultures provide insightful perspectives on many cultures and civilizations. These educational opportunities can be made as effective as possible by assessing their influence on visitor satisfaction.Investigation into the impact of ethnic culture exhibitions on audience pleasure, participation, and comprehension is lacking, despite their significance. By investigating how these displays affect visitors' knowledge acquisition and participation, the study seeks to close this disparity.Utilizing a combined methods technique that integrated quantitative surveys with qualitative comments, the study polled 62 museum visitors who had attended ethnic cultural exhibitions. The questionnaire evaluated knowledge of culture, instructional impact, involvement, and tourist pleasure. Data analysis using the SPSS software was utilized to analyze how different factors affect results and find significant indicators by doing logistic and multinomial logistic regression. This study discovered a substantial correlation between improved knowledge of culture and exhibition participation, as well as a significant improvement in visitor satisfaction and educational results when interactive components and cultural content are included. Through the use of interactive material, ethnic culture exhibitions improve the educational experience and increase visitor happiness. Museums ought to take demographic factors into account while planning different exhibitions for the future.

Spatial evaluation of the museum experience in converted heritage: the case of the National Bardo Museum in Tunisia

This paper addresses the evaluation of the conversion of the Bardo museum in Tunisia. Indeed, buildings converted into exhibition spaces rarely adapt perfectly to their new functions. Following this perspective, we propose to answer two major questions: How can we objectively evaluate the conversion of the Bardo museum, which was originally built as a seat of power and residence purposes and converted into an exhibition space? What criteria can be used to evaluate it while respecting international charters? Through the spatial analysis carried out on the subject, our approach allowed us to highlight the spatial properties of the museum using the Depthmap simulation based on Spatial Syntax, a questionnaire, and the observation technique of Wayfinding. We have developed an objective analysis tool to evaluate the reliability of the conversion and the challenge of transforming a traditional and historical space through its architecture into a space that will fulfil a new 'function'. Hence, we deduced through this method that this conversion is a partial success.

Enhancing Museum Experiences: A Multi-Institution Mobile Multimedia Delivery System Using BLE Beacons

This paper presents a solution using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon technology to enhance visitor experiences in museums, both indoors and outdoors. Organizations using the developed mobile service can associate text, images, video, and audio content to specific exhibits, providing a dynamic and engaging encounter for visitors. This innovative approach extends applicability to a wide range of organizations, not just museum environments.

Chatbot-mediated technology to enhance experiences in historical textile museums

Chatbot-mediated technology to enhance experiences in historical textile museums

Art museum visitors: how do they perform class distinction?

ABSTRACT Previous studies predominantly used sociodemographic factors to categorize art museum visitors, overlooking an in-depth exploration of the motivations guiding their museum experiences and relying heavily on aggregated data. Building upon Bourdieu’s (1984, Distinction: A Social Critique to the Judgment of Taste. Cambridge: Harvard University Press) theory of cultural consumption and Peterson’s (2005a. “Problems in comparative research: The example of omnivorousness.” Poetics 33:257–282. doi:10.1016/j.poetic.2005.10.002; 2005b. “Changing Arts Audiences: Capitalizing on Omnivorousness.” https://culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/sites/culturalpolicy.uchicago.edu/files/peterson1005.pdf) omnivore/univore theory, this study aims to investigate the distinct segments of art museum visitors, considering their experience expectations and cultural preferences. Specifically, utilizing two-step cluster analysis, we explore the experiences sought by art museum visitors, considering their cultural preferences. Analyzing 411 questionnaires from visitors to Lyon’s premier fine arts museum, two distinct visitor groups emerge. Thus, the findings suggest that conventionally labeled ‘museum-goers’ represent diverse visitor types, emphasizing the holistic importance of considering a combination of factors. The results affirm Peterson's theory adding to the literature that these groups exhibit distinct cultural and culinary preferences, aligning with Bourdieu's social distinction theory. The study offers both theoretical and practical implications.

EmojiChat: Toward Designing Emoji-Driven Social Interaction in VR Museums

Museums have traditionally been places of learning, evolving into spaces that also facilitate socializing. This shift is particularly evident in virtual reality (VR) museums, which have become popular venues for activities like friend gatherings. However, education has long established the social norm that museums need to “maintaining silence.” Even in virtual environments, this can influence visitor behavior. This perception often prevents people from using verbal communication, leading them to prefer quieter forms of interaction. In museums, including the VR museums that now largely replicate the layout of physical museums, this preference may be reinforced by specific features, such as spaciousness, quietness, and block-based layouts, which may create visual obstructions, restricting interaction modes dependent on shared view, such as gesture interaction. These limitations necessitate the introduction of an additional interaction mode. Emojis, with their capacity for rapid message exchange and adjustable positioning, emerge as a suitable interaction mode in this context. Thus, we introduce EmojiChat, an innovative VR museum experience designed to respect the social norms of traditionally keeping quiet while promoting natural interaction. We first design and iterate a customized emoji set for the museum context through semi-structured interviews, participatory design, and an online survey. Then, this emoji set is integrated into a VR museum to facilitate interaction between visitors. Finally, we conduct a comparative study to evaluate the performance of EmojiChat. Our results show that the integration of emojis can improve communication enjoyment and efficiency. Additionally, we identify usage patterns for interaction modes and the advantages offered by emojis. We also identify several challenges that point toward future directions for enhancing emoji integration and facilitating social interaction.

Visitor Experience in Digital Museums: Dimensions, Scale Development, and Validation

Visitor Experience in Digital Museums: Dimensions, Scale Development, and Validation

Exuberant and fantastical: How flythroughs are changing the way museums construct their identities and build relationships with their publics

Digital ‘flythroughs’ are increasingly being used by museums to promote themselves to their publics and to extend their spatial and experiential boundaries. These complex, multimodal artefacts use 3D animation, AI imagery, drone footage, sound, music and other modes to construct a parallel museum experience. Such an experience is markedly dissimilar from an ‘ordinary’ embodied relationship to architectural space, and instead constructs an experience of elevated velocity, height and glissade. These movement style choices construct a ‘non-naturalistic’ experience of moving through space that differs considerably from the embodied experience constructed by digital walkthroughs, augmented and virtual reality and ordinary corporeal movement through a museum. Instead, they offer a potential imaginary, a supernatural or ’extracorporeal’ embodiment of a kind typically associated with fantasy films, video games, amusement rides and dreams. This paper analyses 10 flythroughs from a variety of museums and locations through the lens of multimodal social semiotics. The systems of movement styles and visual validity are used to explore how meanings are made in the flythroughs and how they may be understood in terms of the ‘fantasy’ coding orientation. The implications for how museums construct their respective identities and relate to their publics are also unpacked.

The Multiple Speeds of Infrastructural Violence, or Putting Flesh on the Boneyard

In recent years, museums have been acknowledged as powerful geopolitical sites. In this article, we explore the military museums of southern Arizona, primarily the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, as a unique kind of infrastructure where the museum and the military meet. Drawing on participant observation, we explore how the museum experience provides crucial affective and emotional dimensions to the ideological production the military is involved in. This article also uses geographic information systems to begin charting connections between these museums and their immediate surroundings in the city and region, as well as the wider territories that the military museums help to maintain. As military infrastructure morphs into museum experiences, we consider the epistemic violence that results and consider how it might also be a form of slow infrastructural violence, insofar as it helps maintain unequal relations of power and ongoing violence around the world and in the city itself.

Assessment and Application of Digital Museum Visitors' Emotional Experience Based on Virtual Reality Technology and Emotion Recognition Algorithm

Abstract Each person will have a different emotional experience for the same scene or exhibit, which reduces the accuracy of emotional recognition and leads to the complexity of the evaluation of visitors' emotional experience in digital museums. In order to improve the user experience of digital museums, the evaluation and optimization methods of visitors' emotional experience of digital museums based on virtual reality (VR) technology and emotion recognition algorithm are studied. A spectrogram is generated according to the voice sent by tourists when they visit the digital museum, which is based on the CSWNet_CRNN emotion recognition depth learning model input, which evaluates tourists' emotional experience results and draws their emotional responses to digital museums. The visual and auditory features of the digital museum scene with positive emotional experience are extracted, respectively. Using VR technology, the extracted features are applied to each link of the digital museum scene content design, optimizing the digital museum VR scene and improving the digital museum experience. The experiment shows that the tourist emotion recognition accuracy of this method is high, and the emotion recognition accuracy of 300 random tourists can reach 100%. In terms of generating new scenes, the feature extraction results of this scene are consistent with the feature estimation of positive emotions by ordinary people. The use of extracted features to optimize the digital museum scene has better realism and detail accuracy, which can be favored by most people and promotes the sustainable development of digital museums.

Defining brand heritage experience in luxury brand museums

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the specific characteristics of consumers’ lived experience in a brand museum within a luxury context. While previous research has investigated this experience through the lens of brand heritage, the unique attributes and prestigiousness of the luxury field have not yet been examined. The authors argue that these distinctive features may alter the brand heritage experience in significant ways.Design/methodology/approachTo understand the dimensions of a brand heritage experience in a luxury context, the authors applied a qualitative method using reflexive introspection. Specifically, the authors used 89 reflective introspections of 29 visitors of nine different luxury brand museums.FindingsThe findings indicate that a brand heritage experience in luxury is based on four dimensions: aesthetic, authentic, scientific and mythic. The data also reveal the heterogeneous aspect of the experience, which varies according to the level of consumers’ brand familiarity as well as whether the museum visit is led by a guide or not.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to the literature by emphasizing a new dimension of a brand heritage experience in luxury: a mythic dimension. This study also unveils the impact of contextual factors on the brand heritage experience.