Museum Experience Research Articles

Upgrading museum experience: Insights into offline visitor perceptions through social media trends

With the rise of the experience economy, visitor experiences and feedback have become central to improving museum services. To enhance their appeal, understanding visitors' real experiences is key. This study, based on online reviews of museums in Jiangxi Province from April 2020 to May 2023 on platforms like Dianping and Ctrip, employs high-frequency keyword analysis, topic analysis, semantic networks, and sentiment analysis to deeply explore visitors' offline experiences. While most visitors provided positive feedback, criticisms were also raised concerning exhibit content, service attitude, and interactive programs. These online feedbacks offer valuable insights, aiding us in understanding and enhancing the offline service experience in museums. This research provides a unique perspective for other museums and cultural institutions, aiming to optimize offline visitor experiences through online social media trends.

An empirical study on user experience evaluation of VR interface in digital museums

Virtual reality (VR) has been increasingly introduced to digital museums to enable more immersive experiences. However, there is a lack of comprehensive evaluation for user experience in VR-based digital museums. A comprehensive framework for evaluating user experience of VR interfaces in digital museums was created. Based on this framework, the study conducted an experiment to investigate learning effectiveness in VR-based digital museums and compared user experience on desktop and mobile devices. A total of 45 participants were recruited. They were asked to visit a digital museum on either a desktop or a mobile device. After they completed their visit, they took a recognition test and a recall test to measure their effectiveness of learning. Their user experience was evaluated using a new scale, followed by an open-ended interview to collect their opinions and feedback. It was found that introducing VR to the digital museum helped increase users’ effectiveness of learning. Significant differences existed between the desktop and mobile VR interfaces in user experience. It means that previous research findings cannot be directly applied to the user experience of digital museums on mobile. These empirical evidences also suggest that the established framework is effective for evaluating the user experience in VR-based digital museums.

An exploration of participants’ views and experiences of cultural museums and their challenges

Cultural museums have always been considered guardians of culture, promoting the core concepts of cultural preservation and conservation. This paper delves into the challenges faced by two cultural museums from various perspectives and examines the transformation of museums in supporting Papuan culture through values centered on conservation and preservation, as gleaned from the experiences and views of the participants. This study is qualitative research that employs an interpretive strategy, with participants including museum personnel, cultural agencies in Papua Province, academics, and teachers from Cenderawasih University. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, field observations, and literature studies. The study identified three themes: (1) Collection and space management, (2) Museum image, and (3) Capacity building and moral responsibility of human resources. To enhance cultural services, the study suggests that museums in Papua need to focus on strengthening collection management, enhancing visitor convenience, and providing increased staff support in the cultural field.

Science museum educators' views on object-based learning: The perceived importance of authenticity and touch.

Museum educators play an important role in mediating visitors' museum experiences. We investigated the perspectives of science museum educators on the role of touching authentic objects and replicas in visitors' learning experiences during educational activities. We used a mixed-methods approach including surveys with 49 museum educators and interviews with 12 museum educators from several countries in Europe. Our findings indicate the importance of context when presenting museum visitors with objects. Participating museum educators based their choices for including authentic objects or replicas in educational activities more often on narrative and context than on the authenticity status of an object. In addition, educators used various definitions of authenticity, which may hinder the discussion about the topic within the field.

Enriching Cultural Heritage through the Integration of Art and Digital Technologies

Digital technologies are reshaping traditional static urban typologies, as the museum, urging a rethinking of how Cultural Heritage (CH) is experienced. The work presents the PALIMPSEST Project, an Interreg V-A Greece–Italy funded project, which proposes a dynamic, interactive, participatory, and personalized museum experience in the urban context of Ioannina, Greece, establishing an open-air, immaterial, immersive museum route in the city. The project’s innovative approach involved three methodological stages. In the first stage, a collection of past stories of the city was achieved through transgenerational collaboration of students and older generations. In the second stage, the collected material was organized to create an interactive mobile app, allowing users to access existing and add new stories, fostering bottom-up development. In the last stage, a museum experience was built around interactive installations from selected stories through co-creation processes and dispersed throughout the city’s public space, activated by the visitors via the app. PALIMPSEST established a hybrid, open-air museum route, connecting the ICH with the urban landscape, and creating personalized and unexpected experiences of the city. The project offers a novel way to reconceptualize the museum by integrating digital technologies, arts, storytelling, and active participation, bringing the museum into the open urban space.

Enhancing visitors’ experience in historical museums through applying parametric roof designs

ABSTRACT Previous research indicated that museums have historically prioritized their formal and physical features at the expense of accommodating visitors’ needs which has negatively affected visitors’ museum experience. A shortage in interactive spatial experiences in some historical museums in Egypt led to a decrease in the rate of visits and visitor’s satisfaction. Museums’ interior design has a significant impact on people’s emotions as well as their museum experience. Furthermore, prior research has indicated that parametric design can convey emotional interactive spatial experiences when applied to different interior design elements. Such elements can include the building’s roof, floor, or walls. This research aims to create a set of guidelines for enhancing visitors’ emotional and interactive spatial experiences in historical museums using parametric interior roof design solutions. The research adopted a mixed method approach. A qualitative approach was implemented by reviewing the precedent literature. This was followed by a case study in the Egyptian context and a computer-generated model of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was developed. Two parametric roof alternatives were tested along with the existing roof of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo by using Virtual Reality on a sample of 67 participants. The quantitative approach was achieved by distributing questionnaires among participants and analyzing the acquired data. The results showed that the application of parametric designs could develop interactive relaxing or engaging museum spatial experiences. This study could benefit architects, interior designers, and relevant specialists in the design process to enhance the museums’ spatial emotional interactive experience by using parametric design.

Exploring the Digital Atmosphere of Museums: Perspectives and Potential

This paper contributes to the field of museum and visitor experience in terms of atmosphere by discussing the “museum digital atmosphere” or MDA, a notion that has been introduced and found across museums in Greece. Research on museum atmospherics has tended to focus on physical museum spaces and exhibits. By “atmosphere”, we mean the emotional state that is a result of public response adding to the overall museum experience. The MDA is therefore studied as the specific emotional state caused by the use of digital applications and technologies. The stimulus–organism–response or SOR model is used to define the MDA, so as to confirm and reinforce the concept. To that end, a qualitative methodological approach is used; we conduct semi-structured interviews and evaluate findings via content analysis. The sample consists of 17 specialists and professionals from the field, namely museologists, museographers, museum managers, and digital application developers working in Greek museums. Ultimately, this research uses the SOR model to reveal the effect of digital tools on the digital atmosphere in Greek museums. It also enriches the SOR model with additional concepts and emotions taken from real-life situations, adding new categories of variables. This research provides the initial data and knowledge regarding the concept of the MDA, along with its importance.

Метод картирования как инструмент создания музейных кластеров (на примере Крыма)

The article reveals the specifics of applying the method of mapping the museum sphere, in particular, in the process of creating museum clusters as one of the productive tools in the perception and functioning of the museum as a significant part of the regional economy. This need is due to the trends of the modern world, where museums manifest themselves as an important economic industry, significantly influencing the cultural and economic picture of the region. At the same time they continue to play an important role in the preservation of cultural heritage, providing access to history and art, in the issues of ethnic self-identity, etc. Developing methods and technologies for the creation of museum clusters determine the relevance of this article, in partic-ular, the application of the mapping method. The research methodology is presented both by general scientific (analysis and synthesis) and special (design, mapping) methods. Research interest is focused on the theoreti-cal and applied features of the application of museum network mapping. As a result of the study, the authors identified regional features of the Crimean museum network in the context of clustering. In particular, O.I. Mikitinets, as a result of a deep and comprehensive analysis of works in the field of mapping, and, in particular, cultural mapping, agrees with the statement of A.I. Zyryanov is that this method only visualizes reality, and does not change it, which eliminates its shortcomings, provided that the data shown on the map fully corresponds to reality. The conducted theoretical analysis made it possible for V.A. Shilina to out-line the directions of applied research in the field of mapping the museum environment of the Crimean region. In this context, both popular (South Coast) and developing (Northern Crimea) museum areas of the peninsula were reflected visually. This in turn characterizes the mapping method as one of the innovations, the introduc-tion of which will help to expand the museum experience.

Understanding virtual museum visits: generation Z experiences

ABSTRACT This paper aims to provide new insight into creating authentic Web-based virtual museum experiences by exploring positive and negative elements of the experiences of Web-based virtual museum visits performed by young (Generation Z) visitors. The Qualitative Diary Research (QDR) method was applied, encompassing 107 visits of web-based virtual museums from different countries. Results reveal that the visitors’ orientation and moving, the technology used in virtual museums, and virtual exhibition and artefacts represent crucial factors for satisfaction. Time flexibility and lack of cost contribute to a better virtual museum experience. The absence of people in virtual museums and the lack of services such as museum e-shops and entertainment were found to be harmful elements in contributing to the better virtual museum experience. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that offers insights into Generation Z experiences of different Web-based virtual museums.

The Energy Field of Museum Spatial Narrative: A Case Study of Hunan Provincial Museum in China

Museum space narrative continues to develop today. The exhibition is not only a means of display but also a means of narrative. Paying attention to the narrative means we must pay attention to the energy "field" of the spatial narrative. In the spatial field, an object with some internal force exerts a force on the object it is not touching, and the latter responds to that force, and the two interact and form an energy field. This also means the spatial narrative design must establish a more diverse relationship between exhibits. Exhibits must be appropriately combined according to the narrative logic, and the relationship between exhibits and space, exhibits, and audience must also become more dynamic, flexible, and dramatic. Currently, there is little research on the energy "field" in the narrative design of museum spaces. In the past, the monotonous experience of a museum has been that each space is neat and uniform, which can easily lead to aesthetic fatigue. The relatively simple narrative form of the museum leads to the problem of low audience experience and participation. It cannot meet modern people's museum experience and spiritual pursuit needs. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the representation of its energy field by using the theory of spatial narrative, and especially to explore how the concept of "field" can be used to explore the relationship between space and the narrative of Hunan Provincial Museum. This study adopts the method of field investigation, and the exhibition of the Mawangdui Han Tomb in the Hunan Provincial Museum is the focus of the study. Documenting the components of the energy field: exhibits, exhibition Spaces, and narratives. The analysis results show that the museum is the place of spatial narrative, and the space is both the coordinator and the result of the generation of the exhibition structure, which gathers scattered energy together to build a complete energy field. Paying attention to the display of the energy field can improve the audience's experience and participation, which proves to be beneficial to the long-term development of the museum.

The value of a modern science museum

The modern science museum is not merely a collection of historical artefacts and exhibits from the natural world depicting physical, chemical and biological phenomena. It is also a science center, which creates a space for learning about and understanding science mainly through interactive exhibits. Working with interactive exhibits can play an important role in the educational process of young people interested in science. It can provide an opportunity to actively engage in making observations, analyze information and draw conclusions, in an enjoyable setting. The incorporation of these ideas in science education is reflected in the commonly used phrases, “learning science by doing science” and “science is fun”. 
 
 At a time when developing an educational system relevant for Sri Lanka in the 21st century is being discussed at various levels of policy making, undue importance is given sometimes to changing syllabi and course contents. In keeping with world-wide trends, a more important aspect of reforms should be to shift the focus from curriculum-based teacher directed education, to one that is curiosity driven, student centred active learning, particularly in the early years. In catalyzing this shift, the access to modern science museums can play a major role. It will be difficult for a school to provide children with the experience they can have in a science centre functioning within a science museum. In addition to exhibits, the museum will provide for an information system including a library and also other resources such as an auditorium for public lectures, films and demonstrations. The learning experience in a science museum is often a social experience, shared by family, friends and other visitors to the museum.
 
 Thus, science museums will also serve to spread scientific knowledge and the culture of science among the general population which will help in creating an informed population, better able to take rational decisions on issues facing society.

Investigating Critical Effect of China Palace Museum’s Social Media Service Quality on Visitor’s Satisfaction

Purpose: The integration of social media platforms within cultural institutions has revolutionized the way visitors engage with museums, enabling greater accessibility to exhibit and fostering interactive experiences. This study delves into the impact of social media service quality on visitor satisfaction within the iconic Palace Museum in China.
 
 Theoretical framework: The examination of the correlation between tourists' perceived ease of use and satisfaction can be approached from the perspective of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). In accordance with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the degree to which tourists perceive a particular technology as facile to employ exerts a noteworthy influence on their inclinations towards embracing and employing said technology.
 
 Design/methodology/approach: The main research methods adopted in this research is questionnaire survey. The questionnaire items designed in this study. The questionnaire is mainly designed from the perspective of tourist experience. This paper uses PLS-SEM statistical software to test the reliability analysis of each measurement variable of the questionnaire and carries out cumulative analysis of variance for these measurement variables. PLS-SEM is used to analyse the factors, and the relevant factors and fitting indexes are obtained.
 
 Findings: The analysis shed light on the complex interactions between these elements in the context of the museum visit. The results of this research highlight the value of social media sites as crucial instruments for raising visitor satisfaction at cultural organisations like the China Palace Museum. The first level of interaction that visitors had with the museum's digital interfaces was significantly shaped by their perception of simplicity of use, which is a core component of technological adoption. Visitors are more likely to investigate, interact, and fully engage with the museum's contents when these interfaces are seen as user-friendly and intuitive. Their overall happiness levels are significantly impacted by this increased participation.
 
 Research, Practical & Social implications: Through a comprehensive analysis of visitor perceptions and interactions with the Palace Museum's social media offerings, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how social media service quality influences visitor satisfaction, thus providing valuable insights for enhancing the digital museum experience. As museums worldwide seek to adapt to the digital age, this study offers practical implications for optimizing social media strategies to create more fulfilling and engaging visitor encounters in the Palace Museum and beyond.
 
 Originality/value: This study aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by examining the dimensions of service quality specific to social media, including perceive ease of use and perceive usefulness with the present of public identity as mediator, this research aims to uncover the intricate relationship between these factors and visitor satisfaction as dependent variable.

The Mediating Role of Public Identity in the Relationship Between Social Media Service Quality and Visitor’s Satisfaction in Palace Museum, China

Purpose: This study presented the incorporation of social media platforms within cultural institutions has brought about a paradigm shift in the manner in which museum visitors interact with their surroundings, thereby facilitating enhanced accessibility to exhibits and cultivating immersive and participatory encounters. The present study aims to explore the implications of social media usage habits and social media usage behaviour on visitor satisfaction within the renowned Palace Museum in China with the present of mediating factor of public identity.
 
 Theoretical framework: This study aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge by conducting a comprehensive analysis of visitor perceptions and interactions with the social media offerings of the Palace Museum. By examining the influence of social media usage habits and social media usage behaviour on visitor satisfaction, this research seeks to provide valuable insights that can be utilised to enhance the digital museum experience.
 
 Design/methodology/approach: The main research methods adopted in this paper is questionnaire survey. The questionnaire items designed in this study. The questionnaire is mainly designed from the perspective of tourist experience. This paper uses PLS-SEM statistical software to test the reliability analysis of each measurement variable of the questionnaire and carries out cumulative analysis of variance for these measurement variables. PLS-SEM is used to analyse the factors, and the relevant factors and fitting indexes are obtained.
 
 Findings: The attribution of the substantial influence of tourist satisfaction to both the habits of tourist social media usage and their behaviour in utilising social media can be ascribed to a confluence of psychological, social, and informational factors. This discourse explores the rationales behind the pivotal role played by these dual facets of social media involvement in shaping the overall contentment of tourists.
 
 Research, Practical & Social implications: The present framework offers valuable insights into the intricate dynamics that exist between one's virtual presence and their tangible experiences, particularly in the realm of contemporary travel. Through the strategic utilisation of these mechanisms, social media exerts a profound impact on the formation of tourists' expectations, the unfolding of their experiences, and the subsequent reflections thereof, thereby exerting a discernible influence on their overall satisfaction with their travel endeavours.
 
 Originality/value: The study provides valuable insight on the global trend of museums embracing digitalization, the present study provides valuable insights into the optimisation of social media strategies. By focusing on the Palace Museum and its broader implications, this research aims to enhance visitor encounters by fostering greater fulfilment and engagement.

Determining Views on the Efectivity of Augmented Reality Applications in Museums

In recent years, visitor-centred approaches have been adopted in museums, which are seen as some of the most important cultural establishments in forming modern culture. Therefore, it is aimed to increase visitor interest towards the collections and to portray the information about the collections more clearly. Digital technology is used to make collections exhibited in museums more interactive and augmented reality applications are used for this. The aim of this study is to determine the views of students on using augmented reality in museums. The research was conducted with the mixed method. The data in the quantitative dimension were collected with a student view questionnaire and the qualitative data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. The findings indicate that students believe they can learn information more permanently if augmented reality is used in museums and that the simpler the technology is, the easier it will be to learn how to use it. According to the results of this research, students stated that they can have more realistic experiences in museums that use augmented reality technology and that they can feel as if they are viewing the exhibitions in a more realistic setting. Students also believed that the historical animation of the exhibitions will result in more motivating and rich content. Additionally, they believe that the augmented reality applications and set up used in museums would positively affect learning.

The NFT memento: digital thingness and NFTs in exhibition design

ABSTRACT ‘Live minting’ is an emerging trend in exhibition design which offers visitors the opportunity to mint an NFT memento in the exhibition. This paper examines three examples of this current trend in museums which include Play Record Mint (PRM), at Kunsthalle, Zurich, Life After Bob at Light Art Space (LAS) Foundation, Berlin, and Unsupervised at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. Using theories on the ‘museum experience’ drawn from scholars such as John Falk and Lynn Dierking (2011; 1992; 2008), this paper examines to what extent the NFTs in these examples contribute or challenge this idea. In doing so, this paper investigates the intersecting values associated with NFTs and argues that NFTs are a form of digital hybrid, a token that exists in a constant state of becoming a commodity, which has both potential benefits and implications for museum exhibition design.

Effects of sounds on the visitors' experience in museums

Museums increasingly recognize the significance of acoustics for a high-quality visitor experience. Objective/physical parameters have been extensively studied, but there is a need for research focusing on user perception. This study addressed this gap by investigating visitors' soundscape preferences and the effects of different soundscapes on the museum experience. We hypothesized that exhibition-congruent sounds are more effective than conventional masking sounds in reducing distractions, enhancing engagement with artwork, and creating immersive experiences. The research utilized the Cognitive Immersive Room (CIR) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, featuring a 360° visual display with a multi-channel loudspeaker system for spatial audio rendering to project panoramic photographs and ambisonic audio recordings recorded in 16 exhibitions in five relevant museums—for example, MASSMoca and the New York State Museum. Four scenarios were presented to the participants: originally recorded soundscape, recorded soundscape combined with a conventional sound masker, recorded soundscape combined with a congruent sound masker, and silence. After experiencing the immersive environment, 23 subjects responded to a questionnaire. The results showed congruent sounds increased focus and engagement and contributed to a more comprehensive and immersive experience. In 58% of cases, the participants preferred the congruent-sound scenario over the others.

The Co-creation of Museum Experience Value From the Perspective of Visitor Motivation

Marketing and tourism research emphasizes the importance of the co-creation of experience value in creating and maintaining sites of cultural consumption. However, the role of visitor motivation has been relatively overlooked, as have the dynamics of this process in museum space. Addressing these gaps, this study examines the co-creation of museum experience value from the perspective of visitor motivation in seven museums in Chengdu, China. The survey was used to collect 549 valid samples. Using survey questionnaire data and regression and structural equation analysis, this study reveals the significant relationship between visitor motivation, participation, interaction, and experience value in the co-creation of museum experience value. More specifically, participation and interaction play a mediating role in the relationship between visitor motivation and experience value, while visitor knowledge plays a moderating role in the relationship between visitor motivation and experience value. Expanding the literature on experience value co-creation by museum visitors, the results of this study have important implications for museum management.

UnlockArt: Cultural Mediation at the Museum Through an Augmented Reality Escape Room

In the context of a museum, cultural mediation facilitates access to the works of art for the visitors which not always share the culture the pieces of art come from. Tools and resources such as catalogs, guided tours, or the work of the curators are all part of the museum's cultural mediation, which highlights and informs the visitors of the works on display. In this case study we present the game design process and results of UnlockArt, a project developed as a cultural mediation tool at the Museo delle Culture (MUSEC) in Lugano, Switzerland. The project studied and applied the educational escape room format to enhance the museum experience for visitors, and to encourage the younger ones to approach the collection through a ludic activity. By the means of the Star Model (Botturi and Babazadeh, 2020), the project designed an educational escape room for the "JAPAN. Arts and Life. The Montgomery Collection" exhibition, a collection of Japanese objects from the period between the 12th and the 20th century. Educational escape rooms are a format that works well in class, but may be burdensome to apply in a museum, which intrinsically imposes many constraints. Players should be silent, the escape room should always be ready to be played and easy to be rebooted, and it should not impact the exhibition for visitors that wish not to engage in the experience. For this reason, we opted for an augmented reality educational escape room (AR EER) which can be played on tablets. Such approach only requires QR codes placed around the exhibition, which hide puzzles and hints tied to the works exhibited in the museum, and does not need any rebooting phase as the puzzles are to be solved in augmented reality.

Pour une archéologie cinématographique de la condition immersive: La Jetée (Chris Marker, 1962)

Today we tend to emphasise the technological dimension of immersive devices, insisting on the notions of interactivity, virtual reality or augmented perception— all of which promise to intensify museum experience or the film experience. But it must be recognised that the principle of immersion is older than the more or less recent definitions of immersive devices or museography. Certain primordial forms of scenarisation, of staging and of dramatisation were able to play an immersive role very early on, foreshadowing the installation of the subject of perception in an attitude of adhesion, which can go as far as subjugation. Scripting, staging, psychic projection: if an archaeology of immersion is required, it must include an account of the role of cinema in the formation of the immersive condition. Our hypothesis is that an archaeology of immersion must pass through cinema: not only through its device, but primarily through its fictions, narratives, and figurations. In this perspective, we propose to examine the historical contribution of cinema to the formation of the immersive condition, through an analysis of Chris Marker’s La Jetée (1962). If this unique film has often been studied, its capacity to stage different fundamental aspects of an immersive experience, involving at the same time the interplay of memory, aesthetic relation, and the psyche, has not been considered yet.

The role of boundary objects in collaborative design

AbstractMuseums and science centers are embracing collaborative design practices to invite diverse expertises into the design process. Co‐construction of museum exhibits and experiences can help museums better engage and affirm local communities as well as facilitate disciplinary and educational research connected to museum experiences. To support more collaborative design processes, many museums are creating new frameworks capable of supporting authentic co‐construction across wells of expertise, both within a museum infrastructure and with external partners. In this perspective, we share insights that have emerged through the development of such a framework at the Lawrence Hall of Science. We position this design framework as a collection of boundary objects (Star & Griesemer, 1989, 387) that can facilitate collaboration, and discuss the affordances of boundary objects for nurturing inclusive participation, knowledge‐sharing, and shared ownership.