Mobile solutions and the museum experience

Abstract: This thesis presents four case studies from the Finnish museum sector that are using mobile technologies in diverse ways to enhance the museum experience. At the National Museum of Finland, the mobile solution functions as an aid for providing translations in different languages and thus improving the aesthetic appearance of the exhibition. At Tampere Art Museum, the outdoors mobile tour extends the museum visit outside the physical walls of the building. At Helsinki City Museum the mobile phone is perceived as a communication tool. At Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum the Augmented Reality game combines digital narrative with real-world events, creating a solution that is both entertaining and informative.   These solutions are analysed in terms of the Contextual Model, developed by Falk and Dierking. The model divides the museum visit into three overlapping and interacting spheres – personal, social and physical. This thesis looks at how mobile solutions may enhance or hinder the museum experience in regards to each of these three spheres. Additionally, the model is compared with the results of a visitor research conducted at the National Museum of Finland in October 2013. The aim of the thesis is to identify the most successful features of these solutions and to explore how the field could be developed in the future.