Current Challenges in the Museum: A Workshop on Interpretation

The museum's work is constantly changing. In order to stay up to date and expand one's own core competencies, further training and forums for exchange are essential. How does museum work today?

As part of the theme day at the CAS Museum Work , we were allowed to conduct a workshop on the topic of education. The offer is aimed at specialists and managers from various fields of museum work who want to expand their theoretical and practical knowledge or bring it up to date.

Dr. Sandra Winiger organized a varied program with many exciting inputs. A group of 25 motivated colleagues worked together to develop current issues relating to language, audio mediation and inclusive formats.

🧠 How do we make mediation more inclusive?
💭 Where do we see the challenges for museums and their visitors?
💡 And how does today's technology help us?

Dr. Sandra Winiger shared exciting studies, statistics and practical experience. First, she discussed the question of what is the main motivation for visiting a museum. Why do people go to museums? Dr. Winiger points to studies that give the following answer: People want to experience something and satisfy their curiosity.

Language plays a central role in this. In terms of language, Winiger reminded us of different challenges as well as explicit and implicit ways of behaving and speaking. Winiger differentiates, for example, the following types of speech:

Referencing: What is it about?
Describe: What is there to see?
Explain: What do we know about it?
Deuten: What's behind it?
Evaluate: What to make of it?

No matter how easy and accessible wall and hall texts are written, visitors experience increased reading fatigue after 30 minutes at the latest. Some museum directors wonder how to inspire today's audience and whether "visitors still read texts at all?"

Audio education offers exciting opportunities for museums, as it can break down barriers and create access . We were able to share our learnings from working with 60+ museums and experts and test them in practice. How to increase the attractiveness of the visitor experience with audio guides? How can I create an audio guide?

Participants were able to create their own audio guide in 20 minutes using their smartphone. Fundamental questions about storytelling and simple language were tested. With inclusive design as well as user-centered and sustainably effective digital solutions, we manage to make the museum more accessible together.

One thing is clear. It is not possible to provide up-to-date and accessible communication with content or technology alone. The mixture of good storytelling and comprehensible language must be conveyed through inclusive design as well as user-centered and sustainably effective digital solutions. Together, we manage to make the museum more accessible.

Many thanks to Sandra Winiger, Manuela Hitz from the Musée Visionnaire, Sibyl Kraft from the Kunsthaus Zürich, Margarethe Greiner from the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons and to the dedicated museum staff / workshop participants.