Process or end destination? Museums in the 21st century An analysis on how museums can further their educational mission into the digital space

This research project examined how museums can further their educational mission into the digital sphere by using the different phases of the customer decision journey: creating awareness, consideration, interaction and building relationships. Due to recent shifts that were caused by social media and the advancement of digital in general, a manifestation in the digital sphere is much needed in the museum sector. If inaction prevails, museums put themselves at risk in losing their societal and cultural relevance as public institution in their communities. This research project examined the museums’ possibilities of upholding their societal and educational value by conducting interviews with 19 experts. In order to gain a highly diverse perspective and valuable insights in best practices of digital museum experiences, the experts included museum professionals, academics, as well as persona working at agencies and foundations that work in the cultural sector. The interviews with this broad spectrum of experts revealed several key findings that can be implemented to further the museum’s educational mission online. Due to a user-centric approach, the starting point should always be the user. When creating awareness about the digital educational product or the digital presence itself, it is paramount in the first phase to use partnerships, build communities and make the museum collections relatable for the user to create entrance points. This happens through channels that are already heavily used by the audience. The second phase serves as extension of the first phase and focuses on reinforcing the message through the appropriate channels. In the third phase, the platform itself is at the core, which has an emphasis on interactivity, personalization and active participation. The museum is brought to the audience, instead of the user coming to the museum. After the interaction, it is essential to focus on building museum communities through different channels to continue the creation of an added value for the users. An important emerging topic was the topic of inclusion. These findings show that by using the phases of the customer decision journey, museums can further their educational mission into the digital sphere by making use of a multi-channel environment in order to orchestrate the channels and satisfy the user needs. This field is still unexplored to a great extent and this research gives a multitude of inspirations for further research