Towards an Integrative Approach to Interactive Museum Installations

Museum visits are quickly becoming more personalized and interactive with the help of technology. However, the introduction of technology could also result in drawing attention away from museum collections towards (technological) interpretation devices. How does the introduction of technology into the museum affect the relationship between visitor and object? More importantly, perhaps, how can museums ensure that incorporating technology into their exhibition spaces will improve their visitors' experience? In this short paper, we discuss how User Interface design, visualization quality and integration of the used technology can affect the visitor's experience. As a case study, we have selected the Etruscanning installation, which employs physical interaction to allow the user to explore a virtually reconstructed Etruscan tomb and its contents. Applying feedback from experts and museum visitors alike, we discuss how attention for the three key features mentioned above make for an installation that complements the content of the museum, supports usability in a museum context, and meets visitor expectations of quality visualizations.