Ergonomie et domaine muséal

This paper suggests looking at the museum sector through concepts and methods which stem from ergonomics. We first set out the questions that the sector raises. We then propose a model for the activity of an encounter between a work of art and a capable subject visiting a museum (MARO). More precisely, we examine the various aspects of the different categories of situation which may occur when encountering a work of art. The paper presents the empirical results of two studies: a group museum tour and an individual museum visit with a device. We describe and compare the invariants of the visitors’ activity with the MARO model. Finally, we discuss how the model helps us to better study and improve the design of museum tools for both visitors and museum professionals