Museums & Visitor Engagement

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is going digital, a common trend common among major (and minor) museums both nationally and internationally. Creating phone and web apps for its exhibits and wiring its massive building for Wi-fi are just the beginning of the museum’s venture into the field of visitor engagement.

Although a sizable number of patrons flock to large museums like the MET each year, these institutions have long been characterized as elite cultural gathering places. Increasing visitor engagement through the use of everyday technology such as cell phones and tablet computers will make art and culture accessible to a wider audience base while appealing to a younger, digital generation.

One of a museum’s core responsibilities is to accommodate the public, attracting and serving the broadest audience possible. In the past it was not feasible for a museum to target all audience segments with the same institutional programming. However, with the use of technological-based visitor engagement, museums have the ability to easily target and direct programs to serve all audience segments from the first-time visitor to the scholar. After all, the role of a museum is really to serve the public and protect the artworks in the public trust, right?

The most significant difficulty museums will face [besides resistance from luddites] will be working to find a balance between the new technology it implements and maintaining the high standards of its establishment. The technology a museum implements should be used to enhance the museum experience for all audiences and increase visitor engagement; technology should not completely alter the museum experience in the same way that the internet transformed the world overnight.

Increasing visitor engagement through technology is an excellent tool that every museum, cultural institution, and arts organization should take advantage of in some way—but don’t go techno crazy. Technology should not be allowed to change the foundation of an institution. Embracing technology is embracing the future, but just like everything else, it should be used in moderation.

Also check out: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/12/arts/design/12campbell.html?_r=1&ref=design