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Core Concepts Linking Exhibit Design and the Visitor Experience in Science Centers: An Early Framework

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Book cover Culture and Computing. Design Thinking and Cultural Computing (HCII 2021)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 12795))

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Abstract

Understanding the visitor experience is critical for exhibit designers. Interactive exhibits should engage visitors into meaningful and compelling science learning conversations. However, exhibit design is a complex endeavor, particularly because many factors are interrelated and because of its subjective and dynamic nature. A body of research has addressed this subject from different perspectives over the last two decades. Nonetheless, most of the conceptual and practical contributions have used an under-articulated conceptualization of the visitor experience. This paper attempts to clarify experience in interactive exhibits based on a systematic empirical and theoretical research on the topic. Building on a literature review-based framework, we conducted a card sorting technique to sixteen expert exhibit designers. The seven core concepts that emerged represent a general expert mental model and serve to provide a holistic and articulated perspective of experiential exhibit design. This work can serve as a future reference to develop methods and tools for the design of experience-centered exhibits.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Innovation and Development, Parque Explora, Medellin, Colombia

    Jose Ocampo-Agudelo

  2. Product Design Engineering, Eafit University, Medellin, Colombia

    Jorge Maya

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  1. Jose Ocampo-Agudelo
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  2. Jorge Maya
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Correspondence to Jose Ocampo-Agudelo .

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  1. Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    Matthias Rauterberg

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Ocampo-Agudelo, J., Maya, J. (2021). Core Concepts Linking Exhibit Design and the Visitor Experience in Science Centers: An Early Framework. In: Rauterberg, M. (eds) Culture and Computing. Design Thinking and Cultural Computing. HCII 2021. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12795. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77431-8_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77431-8_7

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-77431-8

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