In an attempt to improve their offerings, museums have begun a program of patron espionage…
- Nowadays, museums are supposed to be interactive and engaging. So museums are following their visitors around, trying to figure out which exhibits they like, which placards are confusing, and how useful the museum maps really are.
- Exhibit evaluation can also be tied to a museum’s public funding, a fact that may be contributing to the visitor observation trend sweeping the nation.
- In the 1920s, during some of the first observation studies, researchers noted things like length of time spent at each exhibit and the direction they were most likely to turn in upon entering a gallery (right).
Facts & Figures
- The Detroit Institute of Arts used covert observation (among other feedback collection techniques) to redesign its galleries in 2007.
- Museums can dedicate as much as 10% of a program’s budget to the evaluation of its success
- The Science Museum of Minnesota spends $900,000 each year evaluating programs with its staff of 12.
Best Quote
“Whichever way you do it, a significant portion of your visitors find the map upside down.” – Judy Koke, Deputy Director of Education and Public Programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario, which is entered from the north side