This document discusses a study conducted at the Fitzwilliam Museum to embed design thinking practices among museum staff. Researchers worked with a team at the museum to design a new family guide. The team was introduced to design thinking tools and took part in workshops and meetings applying these tools. This included creating visitor journey maps, prototyping ideas, and testing solutions. The study found that design thinking was gradually becoming more accepted and practiced among staff through championing by researchers, scaffolding of skills, and its cumulative and evolving use over time.

1. DESIGN THINKING FOR DIGITAL HERITAGE
DESIGNING A NEW FAMILY GUIDE FOR THE FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM
Marco Mason, Marie-Curie Research fellow, School of Museum Studies
www.marcomason.me
Giasemi Vavoula, Associate Professor, School of Museum Studies
gv18@leicester.ac.uk
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2. www.marcomason.me
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3. WHAT IS THIS STUDY ABOUT
How museums are embedding design thinking practice
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4. WHAT IS THIS STUDY ABOUT
How museums are embedding design thinking practice
MOTIVATION
To re-orient museum staff to be prepared to engage in the design activity
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5. WHAT IS THIS STUDY ABOUT
How museums are embedding design thinking practice
MOTIVATION
To re-orient museum staff to be prepared to engage in the design activity
WHY
To develop innovation
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6. The complete participant (Gold’s Typology of the Participant Observer Roles)
Taking an insider role as fully part of the setting and, at the same time observing.
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7. Presentations
Online blogs
Design workshops
“photocopier chats”
DT
DT
DTemail exchange
DT
DT
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8. Digital Strategist
Educator
Digital Engagement expert
Educator
Curator
Marketing
IT officer
Design facilitator
The Fitzwilliam Family Guide (pilot) project
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9. www.marcomason.me
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10. design
challenge
N
E
E
D
S
I
D
E
A
S
Design
ProblemDivergent
Convergent
SOLUTION
1
Meeting
Implementation
Define
audience
UNDERSTANDING
Divergent
DEFINING IDEATIONING
PROTOTYPE &
TEST
Meeting
2 3 4 5
Meeting Meeting Meeting
Convergent
0
*Drawing from: Design Council Double-Diamond
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11. THE TEAM WAS “EXPOSED” TO
Tools for observing and empathising with visitors
Tools for thinking
Tools for communicating
Tools for making
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12. www.marcomason.me
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13. DERBY MUSEUMS Empathy Map Tool
What am I...
thinking?
hearing? saying?
seeing?
doing?feeling?
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14. www.marcomason.me
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15. Studio
PRE-VISIT
Fitz website
(Family events)
Fitz Founder’s and
Court Yard
Galleries
END/POST-VISITGALLERIESENTRANCESOverview
Suggestions
Personali-
sation
List of
Activities
Pick up
Marketing
…………………….
Visitor service
Visual supports
Physical/digital station
Educator (sometimes)
…………………….
Visitor service
Physical/digital devices
Educator (sometime)
Guide (Phil, sometime)
…………………….
STUDIO THE INTERNET
Interaction
Family
areas
collecti
on
Parents
Childre
n
Doing
Question
s
Wayfinding
sharing
Take
away
Court Yard
Home (?)
Visitor service
Educator (sometime)
…………………….
Sharing
Revisiting
Drawing
Interpretati
on
Storytell
ing
VISITOR EXPERIENCE JOURNEY MAP - that shows all the different aspects that need to be thought about during the family journey
This diagram visually represents the main visitors needs (white bubbles), the main “touchpoints” of the service (orange), including the places (top) and stakeholders (bottom) currently involved in the service.
IMP! This diagram is NOT meant to be the final map of the final Family Guide service, rather it will help our team to think about, ideate, and design the final solution.
STAKEHOLDERS
(currently involved)
educators (e.g. Sarah)
…………………….
Preparing
introduction
of the
activities
VISITOR NEEDS
(groping by types)
+
main touch points
Facilities
disability
provision
Family needs to be
guided during the visit.
What to do, what to see
Families need activities that
foster interactions within the
family and with the objects
VISITOR JOURNEY MAP
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16. www.marcomason.me
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17. www.marcomason.me
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18. www.marcomason.me
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19. WHAT IS EMERGING
Design thinking “willingness”
“Championing” design thinking
“Scaffolding” & “Evolution”
“Cumulative embeddedness”
“Naturalisation”
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Researching Digital Cultural Heritage – International Conference 2017 - (c) Copyright

20. WHAT IS EMERGING
Design thinking “willingness”
“Championing” design thinking
“Scaffolding” & “Evolution”
“Cumulative embeddedness”
“Naturalisation”
www.marcomason.me
Researching Digital Cultural Heritage – International Conference 2017 - (c) Copyright

21. Top-down
Bottom-up
WHAT IS EMERGING
Design thinking “willingness”
“Championing” design thinking
“Scaffolding” & “Evolution”
“Cumulative embeddedness”
“Naturalisation”
www.marcomason.me
Researching Digital Cultural Heritage – International Conference 2017 - (c) Copyright

22. WHAT IS EMERGING
Design thinking “willingness”
“Championing” design thinking
“Scaffolding” & “Evolution”
“Cumulative embeddedness”
“Naturalisation”
www.marcomason.me
Researching Digital Cultural Heritage – International Conference 2017 - (c) Copyright

23. DESIGNCAPACITY
TIME
EXISTING
MUSEUM
PRACTICE
DESIGN
THINKING
PRACTICE
*Drawing from: Stuart G. Bailey (2012)
WHAT IS EMERGING
Design thinking “willingness”
“Championing” design thinking
“Scaffolding” & “Evolution”
“Cumulative embeddedness”
“Naturalisation”
www.marcomason.me
Researching Digital Cultural Heritage – International Conference 2017 - (c) Copyright

24. 1.
Pilot project(s)
to introduce new
thinking
2.
Discovering value
and building
practice
3.
Establishing
practice and
Modifying structure
4.
Sustain practice
(toward a
naturalisation)
PROTOTYPINGPRACTICE
BUILDING PRACTICE
SUSTAINNATURALISEPRACTICE
*Drawing from: Stuart G. Bailey (2012)
WHAT IS EMERGING
Design thinking “willingness”
“Championing” design thinking
“Scaffolding” & “Evolution”
“Cumulative embeddedness”
“Naturalisation”
www.marcomason.me
Researching Digital Cultural Heritage – International Conference 2017 - (c) Copyright

25. DESIGN THINKING
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26. REFERENCES
G. Vavoula and M. Mason. (2017). Digital Exhibition Design: Boundary Crossing, Intermediary
Design Deliverables, and Processes of Consent. The International Journal of Museum Management
and Curatorship.
M. Mason (2017) Design-driven Innovation to Envisioning the Future of Museum Thresholds, in
Museum Thresholds: The Design and Media of Arrival, R. Parry, R. Page, A. Moseley (eds.). Routledge.
M. Mason. 2015. Prototyping practices supporting interdisciplinary collaboration in digital media
design for museums. The International Journal of Museum Management and Curatorship,
30(5), 394-426
The Design Process: What is the Double Diamond?
https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/design-process-what-double-diamond
D. Mitroff Silvers, M. Wilson and M. Rogers, Design Thinking for Visitor Engagement: Tackling One
Museum’s Big Challenge through Human-centered Design. In Museums and the Web 2013, N.
Proctor & R. Cherry (eds). Silver Spring, MD: Museums and the Web. Published February 1, 2013.
Consulted December 1, 2017. http://mw2013.museumsandtheweb.com/paper/design-thinking/
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27. www.marcomason.me
www.marcomason.me
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28. Grazie | Efharistò | Thank you
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