A Critical Reflection on Three Paradigms in Museum Experience Design

Abstract

This chapter identifies and describes three technological paradigms in museum experience design, all positioned within an overarching visitor-centredness frame: (1) User-centred experience design, which emphasises modelling experience design in response to visitor views and interests, through methods adapted from or inspired by user-centred approaches in Human–Computer Interaction; (2) Participatory experience design, which shifts the emphasis from the product to the process of design and invites the visitor to become partner in the design of experiences; and (3) Agile experience design, in which the main preoccupation is with being constantly responsive to evolving visitor aims and needs, and innovating the experiential offer on an ongoing basis. In the context of museum experience design, each of these paradigms represents a systematic way of delivering value to the public through meaningfully designed experiences. The chapter contributes a critical reflection on the importance of acknowledging the existence and endorsement of these paradigms, which can impact museum practice beyond single design projects. In particular, I will discuss to what extent working within a certain paradigm can be transformative for the way museums function, how they are organised and how they engage with their public.