I have worked as staff on two classes in the MechE Department for a few years now, and I see much of my role there as designing an experience for the students. The professor very much sees himself as an entertainer as well as an educator. We’ve incorporated a lot of these principles into our 2.009 and 2.00b experiences. One of the biggest ones we focus on, and the text focuses on, is theme. I was wondering how museums are themed, and I couldn’t quite decide if they follow a theme or more of an identity.

I could sense the theme in Lascaux IV with the strong angled lines everywhere a visitor turns. But what is the theme in the ICA or the MFA? They are nice buildings, especially from the outside. But inside, they seem more like blank canvases to hold the artwork, letting the pieces speak for themselves. However, that does not help build a theme that visitors will remember. Could museums do more to theme the experience, making for a more memorable and engaging experience?

I wonder how generalizable the results of the first-time and repeat visitor studies are. They noted that these results may differ for museums that aren’t small Canadian heritage museums, but I would go further. Even a similar museum in a neighboring town could have very different tactics to attract visitors, so their profiles of first-time and repeat visitors could be vastly different. What I find most useful about this study is their methods that could be repeated at other museums. I’ve seen many satisfaction surveys given at museums (and after almost any interaction with a company these days!). Are those always designed to answer the questions that this study answered? And are the results analyzed in a similar fashion to provide useful guidance for the museum staff?