Heritage user experience design: a journey driven simulation approach

Abstract

Museum visitor expectations continually evolve as new forms of technology mediate ever more personalised interactions, not only within the museum, but also virtually around the physical environment. Designing visitor journey experiences that support visitor heterogeneity are complex. Consequently, it is difficult for museum management and collection managers to respond effectively in their design of heritage experiences. Understanding human behaviour at scale is challenging, often explored in other disciplines by simulating generic process models and scenarios. Creating experiences for cultural heritage persona remains a challenge because no systematic methodology currently exists. Design science research methodology is employed with design, build and evaluate cycles undertaken over three interlinked iterations. The first iteration constructs the necessary scaffolding for heritage experience design. Interviews with heritage stakeholders are analysed using grounded theory techniques - resulting in a heritage user experience taxonomy. The second iteration constructs a Heritage User Experience (HUX) framework synthesising service design practice with practical application within two focus groups in a UK museum. Heritage stakeholders and visitors designed and built journey based experiences with a focus on both the museum and surrounding physical landscape. The framework was then evaluated in the museum through design instantiations of Visitor Journey Map (VJM) models for several scenarios. The third iteration extends the HUX framework, adding dynamic elements to the already-designed journeys. Simulation models are used to explore visitor experience and behaviour using system thinking tools to better understand the effectiveness and quality of the experience journey. A Heritage User Experience and Simulation (HUXSIM) methodological framework results from the three iterations. The research contributes new design methods that are able to effectively help experience designers and museum workers investigate the dynamic use of digital services and technology in a heritage setting. The framework includes design thinking tools (Persona and Customer Journey Mapping) as modelling foundations for collaborative design. Heritage experience designers can then transform a Visitor Journey Map (VJM) model into a system dynamic simulation. The HUXSIM approach allows designers to understand persona behaviour when interacting with new digital services using these novel simulations.