1 INCLUSIVE DESIGN AND MUSEUMS

This paper argues that museum designers can help to improve museum experiences for visitors with special interests if they have an awareness of the general nature of ‘visitor experience ’ and of the particular learning requirements of various visitor groups. A theoretical framework addressing the learning experiences of specialist groups in museums has been developed, and a number of museum designers have been interviewed to gauge their awareness and application of visitor experience issues. Identifying the needs and requirements of specialist visitor groups in museums Caban, Dierking, Falk and Scott (2003) explored visitors ’ experiences at Sydney’s Powerhouse Museum, concluding that the Museum should include characteristics of specialist visitor groups in its target group for the design of galleries. Because the Powerhouse Museum has a focus on design and technology its visitors include, as well as general members of the public, specialist groups of design & technology students (at both secondary and tertiary levels) and design practitioners. Until recently, the museum had not attempted to identify the special learning needs and requirements of these specialist groups, nor to allow for these in the design of exhibitions and general museum environments. The interest in the study by the Powerhouse Museum was motivated by its plan to design and develop a special permanent gallery to display the museum’s 100,000 design and decorative arts objects. An audience research study undertaken by the Museum revealed that, since 1995, tertiary sector audiences have grown from 5 % to 10 % with the majority of these visitors coming from design courses in universities and technical colleges. One of the objectives behind the development of the permanent design gallery has been to increase participation by the tertiary educational audience, particularly amongst design students