Key facts
- Museums are using data to understand visitor behavior and optimize art display.
- A study analyzed visitor interactions with digital guides at the Van Gogh Museum.
- Data suggests visitors respond to both physical placement and digital recommendations.
- Congestion around artworks can surprisingly increase engagement.
- A new model, 'pathway MNL,' predicts visitor transitions with high accuracy.
Art museums are increasingly adopting data-driven strategies to enhance the visitor experience, moving away from traditional roles as 'ivory towers' to become more participatory centers for discussion and encounter. Institutions are amassing and analyzing data on visitor behavior, such as which artworks are viewed and for how long, to inform decisions about collection layout and digital guide content.
A study by researchers from MIT, Georgia Tech, and the University of Navarra, published in Management Science, analyzed 25,000 visits to Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum. They found that visitors respond to both the physical placement of art and its presentation on digital guides. The 'pathway multinomial logit' or 'pathway MNL' model developed by the researchers can predict visitor transitions between artworks with 63% accuracy and departure rates with 96% accuracy.
Key findings indicate that subtle ordering changes on digital guides can significantly impact traffic patterns. Visitors seek variety in time period and size but consistency in theme. Surprisingly, data revealed that congestion around artworks can increase engagement, potentially signaling quality. The researchers suggest that museums can experiment with exhibition spaces to test new layouts, and even digital guide adjustments can offer new perspectives on art.
While rearranging permanent collections can be challenging, the study's simulations indicate that strategic placement of highly attractive art and swapping pieces could lead to visitors seeing more art and staying longer, without compromising curatorial aims. The approach has potential applications beyond museums in sectors like entertainment, education, and retail that involve sequential physical and digital experiences.