With a mobile telephone application it is possible to get the information that is needed, whenever you want. It makes it possible to support the experience before, during and after a visit to a museum.
This thesis takes its point of departure in the growing use mobile technology in the Danish museums. The museums are in a transition phase where modern technologies are in focus. Three questions are forming the content: How can the users be taken into account during the transition phase the museums goes through? – Can smartphones and mobile applications strengthen the connection between the visitor and the museum? And finally which functions are needed in a mobile application to be able to attract especially the younger segment of the population before as well as during and after a visit to the museum?.
To be able to come up with answers to these questions, background information of the recent development of museums is given, as well as examples of “the new museum”. A more technology-focused chapter gives an overview of the technology potential in relation to mobile telephones. Special attention is given to locationbased services like Foursquare and Gowalla where visitors virtually are checking-in at the location of the museum via these services on the mobile telephone (smartphones).
In the thesis, the potentials of locationbased services in relation to museums are discussed and developed. Specific attention is given to art museums. Foursquares’s “Specials” are described as possible means, and a concept design aimed at the National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst) are developed. Among the developed specials is “Friend Special” which is aiming at groups visiting the museum. This special can give some special offers if you bring a group to the museum (for example free entrance or free exhibition posters). The “Loyality Special” is another special which are aiming at strengthen the connection between the museum and the user/guest (this type of special offer for example free gifts if you visit the museum a specific number of times during a set time period). These specials are developed as they are seen well suited in a museum context.
Further, an iPhone application is developed. This application is a more “in-house” device compared to Foursquare and Gowalla, and is using QR-codes which are scanned by the visitors’ mobile telephone. By the scanning additional information about the specific piece of art will be available on the phone. The QR-codes are well suited for art museums as they are small and easily fit along the traditional small description-label attached to the piece of art. This additional information enables the user to further explore the specific piece of art whenever he or she wants, and share it with friends.
The use of the described technologies are seen as especially suitable to attract the younger segment of the population, as they already are used to this kind of devices and applications – a user group which is essential for the future world of the museums.
In the discussion part additional ways of utilizing locationbased technologies are presented – for example by helping queuing-problems.
The thesis concludes that the use of smartphones and applications can be a useful mean to strengthen the connection between the museum and the user, as well as the applications’ participatory assets are valuable in the communication between the museum and the users. Finally it is concluded it is possible to come up with a number of functions that mobile applications should hold to be able to attract, especially the younger segment, before as well as during and after a visit to an (art) museum.