Designing in the Digitally Mature Museum: Refocusing Design From Technology To Human Practice
Lead Research Organisation:
Northumbria University
Department Name: Fac of Arts, Design and Social Sciences
Abstract
My research project aims to advance our understanding of human-centred design practices within museums that are moving toward a digitally mature condition, in which an increasing proportion of the sector is transforming, due to the tendency of museums to embed digital activity, media, and thinking within museums' practices and organisational structures, strategies and mission. Digital media, activity, and thinking are impacting rapidly on the nature of collections, learning, and services; on audience behaviour and expectations; and on the ways in which museums can fulfil their (new) missions. Museums are not just adopting new technology, but rather they are embedding digital in their vision and strategy, organisational working practices and skills sets, and ways of thinking and decision making.
Significantly, museums have started to embrace a significant trend that sees human-centered design practices booming in those innovative industries where digital transformation requires new competences and capabilities, and novel ways of thinking, experimenting, and making to design for effective user (human) experiences and services, and envisioning new organisational strategies.
Why is fostering design practices so crucial in the digitally mature museum? And why is studying those emerging practices important?
Design practices are both shaping and shaped by the integration of the digital within museum practices and, therefore, inevitably results in and emerges out of the organisational change that ensues (Mason and Vavoula 2020 "Digital Cultural Heritage Design Practice: A Conceptual Framework"). Design is a driving force within a wider landscape of the transformative museum. Design brings into the organisational practices new mindsets, capabilities, and practices that help museums to embrace and deliver change, and pursue (digital) transformation.
Human-Centered Design promotes a creative and explorative culture and collaborative working practices, where museum professionals are called upon to actively participate in design activities in collaboration with digital specialists, design consultancies, and stakeholders (including visitors and communities). This is changing internal working practices and design activity, where knowledge is created and shared in new ways, in which new tools are introduced, and workplaces re-configured.
Through the first systematic study of design practices in the digitally mature museums I aim to understand these changes, how and why they are affecting and changing museum design practices.
This project is driven by a social science approach based on qualitative research and ethnographic observations to conduct a study in/for UK museums. It is an interdisciplinary research project at the intersection of design, digital cultural heritage and organisational studies to (1) overview the landscape of emerging design practices in UK museums and (2) understand how these emerging design practices work, towards (3) establishing theoretical foundations of emerging design practice in the digitally mature museum. This project considers innovation for museums, not only resulting from the adoption of cutting-edge technology, but about creative and explorative culture, and collaborative working practices that are enacted by design.
Significantly, museums have started to embrace a significant trend that sees human-centered design practices booming in those innovative industries where digital transformation requires new competences and capabilities, and novel ways of thinking, experimenting, and making to design for effective user (human) experiences and services, and envisioning new organisational strategies.
Why is fostering design practices so crucial in the digitally mature museum? And why is studying those emerging practices important?
Design practices are both shaping and shaped by the integration of the digital within museum practices and, therefore, inevitably results in and emerges out of the organisational change that ensues (Mason and Vavoula 2020 "Digital Cultural Heritage Design Practice: A Conceptual Framework"). Design is a driving force within a wider landscape of the transformative museum. Design brings into the organisational practices new mindsets, capabilities, and practices that help museums to embrace and deliver change, and pursue (digital) transformation.
Human-Centered Design promotes a creative and explorative culture and collaborative working practices, where museum professionals are called upon to actively participate in design activities in collaboration with digital specialists, design consultancies, and stakeholders (including visitors and communities). This is changing internal working practices and design activity, where knowledge is created and shared in new ways, in which new tools are introduced, and workplaces re-configured.
Through the first systematic study of design practices in the digitally mature museums I aim to understand these changes, how and why they are affecting and changing museum design practices.
This project is driven by a social science approach based on qualitative research and ethnographic observations to conduct a study in/for UK museums. It is an interdisciplinary research project at the intersection of design, digital cultural heritage and organisational studies to (1) overview the landscape of emerging design practices in UK museums and (2) understand how these emerging design practices work, towards (3) establishing theoretical foundations of emerging design practice in the digitally mature museum. This project considers innovation for museums, not only resulting from the adoption of cutting-edge technology, but about creative and explorative culture, and collaborative working practices that are enacted by design.
Organisations
- Northumbria University (Lead Research Organisation)
- Derby Museums (Collaboration)
- Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Polytechnic University of Milan (Collaboration)
- Lucerne Univ of Applied Sciences & Arts (Project Partner)
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Project Partner)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Project Partner)
- Derby Museums Trust (Project Partner)
- Pratt Institute (Project Partner)
- Kids in Museums (Project Partner)
- Culture24 (Project Partner)
- GEM - Group for Education in Museums (Project Partner)
Publications
Borsotti, M.
(2023)
Immersive Narratives and Memories The Design of Digital-Enhanced Visitor Experience
in PAD Journal - Pages on Arts and Design
Maffeis R
(2023)
Changing heritage
Mason M
(2022)
The Contribution of Design Thinking to Museum Digital Transformation in Post-Pandemic Times
in Multimodal Technologies and Interaction
Mason, M.
(2025)
Museums and design practices
| Description | 1. Significant New Knowledge Generated This research has contributed substantially to the evolving discourse on design-as-practice within museums, particularly in the context of museum digital transformation. The project has expanded the understanding of human-centred design (HCD) as a methodology, mindset, capability, and working culture for fostering institutional change, beyond its traditional application to exhibitions and digital products. By exploring the "social dimensions of design practices", the study has redefined design not just as a mere set of "design tools", but as a strategic enabler that can be embedded into the core values and organisational working culture of a museum. The research also highlights how design thinking fosters visitor-centric strategies by prioritizing human experiences over technological interventions as findings indicate that museums effectively integrating HCD practices into their organizational culture exhibit greater adaptability in digital transformation, for exampl, allowing them to move beyond object-based curatorial approaches to experience-based engagements. 2. New or Improved Research Methods Developed A key methodological advancement of this research is the design-as-practice framework, which synthesizes methodology, process, framework, and mindset to enable museums to integrate HCD into ther organisational cutlure. This research has redefined design-as-practice as a transformational force in museums, shifting digital transformation from a technology-driven challenge to an organizational capability-building process. Instead of viewing design as a set of tools or methods, the study positions it as a social practice that fosters institution-wide collaboration, resilience, and adaptability. For example, museums that integrate HCD beyond digital teams - embedding it into leadership, curatorial strategies, and audience engagement - demonstrate greater responsiveness to change, more inclusive innovation, and a deeper alignment between digital strategies and institutional values. Key findings reveal that museum digital transformation is most effective when design leadership is embedded across departments, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration, participatory co-design, and digital literacy as a collective institutional asset, while also cultivating a culture of experimentation, iteration, and ethical decision-making. 3. Important New Research Questions Opened Up Through this research, pressing questions and possible research trajectories have emerged regarding the long-term sustainability of digital transformation in museums. For example, How can museums institutionalize design literacy across different levels of staff and leadership? What role does inclusive co-design play in ensuring digital tools serve diverse and often marginalized communities? This research ha avuto addirittura al possibilita' di spingersi a riflettere sulla nuova rivoluzione portata dalla artificial intelligence (anche se questo non e' stato oggetto di ricerca di questo progetto), generando questions such as: How can AI and machine learning be integrated into human-centred museum design without diminishing visitor and museum professional agency? New research trajectories highlight the role of design thinking in AI-driven museum strategies, advocating for iterative, human-centered experimentation in AI-based storytelling, visitor interaction, and collection management, in which AI must be balanced with human oversight, ensuring that AI augments rather than replaces expertise These questions pave the way for future studies that explore the intersection of design, ethics, and digital innovation in museums. 4. Significant Negative Results and Research Paths Closed Off One notable challenge uncovered in the research is the resistance to design-led innovation among traditional museum structures. Findings suggest that merely introducing design thinking workshops or tools does not necessarily lead to long-term adoption. Instead, institutions must embed (and cultuvate) design culture into their leadership models to avoid superficial (or temporary) applications of HCD methodology only in specific proejcts. Additionally, the study reveals that a mere technology-driven approaches often fail when visitor needs and institutional cultures are not adequately considered. For example, museums that prioritised rapid digital tech adoption without HCD approch and practifcces risk to face poorly integrated solutions and low visitor engagement. |
| Exploitation Route | Academic Impact The design-as-practice framework offers a new methodological and theoretical foundation for museum studies, design research, and digital humanities. Future studies can expand on institutional design literacy, strateegic design research, design management research and even encourage AI design ethics in cultural heritage, as well as research in participatory co-design within museums . The findings also inform curriculum development, equipping BA and MA students with human-centred design capabilities for leadership roles in cultural institution in general. Cultural Sector and Policy Impact For museum practitioners, policymakers, and cultural institutions, this research provides a strategic model for embedding design into institutional culture, as well as promoting policy to encourage the adoption of HCD practices in NPOs. For example, it can inform training programs, cross-sector collaborations, and ethical AI adoption in visitor engagement and digital heritage. Museum networks and funding bodies can use these insights to shape sector-wide policies on digital literacy, accessibility, and innovation governance. By shifting digital transformation from a technology-driven challenge to an organisational capability-building process and organisational culture, this research ensures that museums evolve into resilient, adaptive, and human-centred institutions in the digital age. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| Description | - Used by museum partners (e.g Tyne Wear Archives & Museum; Derby Museums; The Story Museums; etc.) to reflect and improveon their design strategies in their organisations - The Story Museum in Oxford used the find of my research to organise and run a co-participatory workshop with one of their youth community. The outcomes of the workshops resulted in tangible outcomes as teh idea generated and design insights were crucial to the re-design of their entire web present. In addition, the findings are used to improve their human-centred design strategies. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal |
| Description | Co-organise and chair the track [Changing] Heritage for The International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) |
| Organisation | Polytechnic University of Milan |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I have been invited to co-organise and chair the track [Changing] Heritage for a major international conference: The International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) Life-changing Design 2023 at the Polytechnic of Milan. I co-led a team of researchers to design the [Changing] Heritage track, review and select proposals and articles, and chair the 2-day sessions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | This event gave me the opportunity to disseminate research findings, as well as bring usefukl reflection on cutting-edge trajectory in digital heritage design research. |
| Impact | An academic article to introduce the [Changing] Heritage track, published in the conference proceeding. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Derby Museums Trust |
| Organisation | Derby Museums |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Our analysis of their activities is helping them to reflect on their design practices (and improving the development of service for visitor engagement) |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collect qualitative data on design practices |
| Impact | Qualitative data gained from interviews and some observations of design activities |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Tyne Wear Archives Museums |
| Organisation | Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | TWAM is a Sector Support Organisation in which I will run the training activity for the sector (leadership impact activity) |
| Collaborator Contribution | ACTIVITY 1. Also, TWAM guest one of the workshop in Phase 1 of the project. ACTIVITY 2. TWAM is one of the case studies in which I and the research fellow conduct participatory action research. TWAM will offer us their time to make the in-the-field research and qualitative interviews |
| Impact | Collected qualitative data. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Visiting PhD studentship from Polytechnic Milan Design Department |
| Organisation | Polytechnic University of Milan |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I supervised a PhD student for 6 months, who has recently (March 2025) successfully defend her thesis on Design strategy for Museums. |
| Collaborator Contribution | - An intense exchange of knowledge with a PhD student and her supervisory team in Milan yielded interesting reflections that has informed the writing of my coming Routledge book, which communicates and disseminates part of my research findings - We are co-authoring an article on Strategic Design for museums, to be published in a well-regarded international design journal |
| Impact | N/A |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Chair the track [Changing] Heritage for The International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Q&A questions from the audience. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.iasdr2023.polimi.it/ |
| Description | Online workshop with 10+ museum practitioners |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I co-organized an online workshop in collaboration with Culture24 (project partner), bringing together 10+ museum practitioners from the UK, including managers and directors from medium and large museums. This event served a dual purpose: it facilitated data collection for my research while also providing a platform for sharing insights on Human-Centred Design (HCD). Participants engaged in critical discussions on design methodologies and strategies, using the research findings as a stimulus for reflection on how HCD principles and methods could be applied to enhance their institutions' digital transformation and visitor engagement practices. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Workshops and discussions with museum organisations |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I co-organized with Culture24, GEM, and TWAM (partners) a series of four one-day workshops involving circa 10-12 museum professionals, including design consultancies, that are using Human-Centered Design in some form or another. The were also an important opportunity to disseminate emerging findings to the museum sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
| Description | participatory Human-centred Workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | - A wHuman-centred design workshop and ideas for the future TMS web portal and web engagement strategy. Representative from yough community group (high-school students) were actively involved in design activities to generate ideas . They learnt design approached and methods by "learning-by-doing" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023,2024 |