Case Studies - Liberty Science Center
Business Situation:
The Liberty Science Center museum launched a long-term, grant-based research initiative to inform and assess the Science Now, Science Everywhere mobile phone program. The SNSE program allows visitors to use their own cell phones to get additional information about Museum topics through calling a 1-800 number or sending a TXT message. SNSE will eventually include camera phone elements, where visitors can join an online contest by submitting science-related photos in weekly challenges. The long-term goal of science education beyond the walls of the Museum is critical. However, short-term, tactical design problems exist. Usage of the SNSE service was low, primarily due to awareness issues. I have been working with the SNSE team since November 2007 to help improve overall use.
A Few Key Customer Insights and Design Impact:
- Insight: Visitors did not notice the SNSE signs in the exhibit spaces (only ~ 19 of 275 visitors); if they did, they may have thought that the sign meant that they should NOT be using their phones (opposite of the intended message) or that it was a headphone device provided by the museum they needed to get in the lobby.
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- Impact: Making visitors aware of SNSE early in the museum experience (eg, the lobby) can set the expectation better when seeing the individual signs within the museum. Placing the signs closer to the exhibit details that visitors seem to read often (vs. off to the side) flows more naturally with visitor behavior and may look less like an administrative or “don't use your phone” sign.
- Insight: Visitors lingered in one part of the lobby - near the welcome desk and at the start of the ticket line - most often. Significant number of visitors (~40%) went to the welcome desk for information and maps, usually families while an adult purchased tickets.
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- Impact: Place a SNSE sign in this area. Train welcome desk staff to discuss SNSE and hand out materials with the museum map.
Project Approach:
- Signage & Usage Study: Observed ~275 visitors in one exhibit space over 6 hours; noted numbers who used SNSE, numbers who noticed the signs and any comments they made; noted instinctual behavior upon entering the space and when interacting with different exhibit displays
- Signage & Wayfinding Study: Observed visitor behavior in two main LSC locations - lobby and cafeteria hall; sketched common navigational behaviors; noted areas where lingering occurred