Researching the experiential value of interactive media exhibits

Together with ten Dutch museums and four design agencies, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences led the practice-based research called The Exhi- bition Designer of the 21st Century (2017-2019), which was funded by Regieor- gaan SIA. Researching the effect of intentionally designed museum experiences, the project focused on how four design strategies (participatory practices, sto- rytelling techniques, atmosphere and interactive media) affected visitors’ level of inspiration, the degree they were emotionally touched and to what extent they felt they had learned valuable information. In this article, the case study of one Dutch museum will be discussed to 1) address the methodology used in our pro- ject to research the effect of designers’ intentions and 2) present results from our research concerning six interactive media installations used in two exhibitions at this museum. The goal of the project is to develop an instrument that will allow museums to research their own expectations when developing new exhibitions.