Museum Wayfinding Is Harder Than a Map
Why indoor navigation breaks in buildings, and what it actually takes to make a museum map a visitor can trust.
We interviewed Pam Whitaker, Director of Visitor Experience at the Dali Museum, about working with Guru and how it has shaped the museum's digital strategy, its digital implementation, and its operations during COVID-19. Her answers, in her own words, are below.
"I love the idea that you understand digital strategies in a museum setting. Some of the suggestions you've made to us have helped us expand that strategy in areas we hadn't thought of. We look at things now, that in the past, we wouldn't have put on the table right away, but needed to. [Our augmented reality exhibit] brought in people who needed an interactive experience to really engage. It brought in people and developed positive attitudes toward art in general and our artist. It has been a win-win all around."
"Your turn around time is out of this world. We look at things now, that in the past, we wouldn't have put on the table right away, but needed to."
We believe a visitor app shouldn't go stale after launch, so this part of the conversation meant a lot to us.
"[Guru is] so open to new ideas and you understand that we are always trying to enhance the visitor experience. If you can't do something, you put it on a list to figure it out and your timelines are amazing. Especially with COVID and not being able to hand out physical devices. Having [visitors] use their own devices has really accelerated the understanding of information that makes us who we are and supports our mission."
"It has expanded our offering to 24/7 around the globe."
"[The app] is like a memento of their visit. Visitors can return to the content at home and it helps motivate them to return faster than they would have without it. It has expanded our offering to 24/7 around the globe and inspires visits."
See The Dali's AR in action:
Watch Video on The Dali Museum Website
Curious what a partnership like this could look like at your institution? Take a look at how we work with museums.
Behind the scenes of how we turn museum stories into interactive, accessible experiences - plus what we’re learning along the way
