Using digital technology to enhance and enrich visitor experience in exhibition spaces

Museums, art galleries and exhibitions play an important role in the discovery of knowledge, information and learning as well as places where we can indulge in art and culture. In a modern world where ubiquitous and pervasive computing is commonplace, and digital technology is interweaved in all aspects of our lives, these institutions can be left behind relying on old methods of delivering information such as printed brochures and prerecorded audio guides. In a research and development project carried out at Middlesex University in 2011/12 a new mobile system for museums and art galleries was developed and tested in a live exhibition with real visitors. The system, namely Mimir consists of two elements; a client side smartphone application employs context-aware technology, allowing users to capture a quick-response (QR) code situated near an exhibit to access dynamic, media rich information about it. A remotely accessed content management system allows exhibitors to upload their own exhibit information, videos, images and audio to the system dynamically, which can then be accessed by exhibition visitors. The system project aimed to provide an alternative to traditional methods of information delivery, providing a more engaging experience for museum and gallery visitors. User testing was carried out in two separate studies at Middlesex University, the first in an exhibition of student’s work where they were asked to upload content to the content management system and make use of the smartphone application in the live show. A second study took a group of volunteers who used the system in an exhibition. Data was collected from both studies resulting in a successful adoption of the concept, and an improved user experience. Using these evaluation results alongside a review of literature from previous related projects, the project concluded that the use of digital technology, and systems such as Mimir could be used in significantly improving the experience of visitors to exhibition spaces, and provided a number of implications for future work. Further development of the project proposes a system that can be used in exhibition spaces to assist in the learning and discovery of information, building a more immersive and engaging exhibition environment with focus on the social experience of an exhibition visit, encouraging conversation and interaction between visitors, put simply: getting people talking about what’s on display