Interview and state-of-the-art analysis - Linn Lahtinen

Interview

I have interviewed a person at National Museum of Natural History who wished to be anonymous.

Is this your first at this museum?

-Yes

Why did you choose to visit this museum?

-Because I am very interested in dinosaurs and paleontology. Also entomology

How often do you visit museums?

-As often as I can

And how often is that?

-Almost every time I travel, so maybe three times a year or so

What kinds of museums?

-All kinds of museums, but mostly natural history

How do you do to make the most of your time at a museum?

-If there is one I usually use the audioguide or get a guided tour

Anything else?

-Not really. Walk around and read the signs

What could make your experience even better?

-Segways

Do you think this museum is adapted for tourists?

-If you can speak English, yes. Otherwise it’s not so easy to understand what the signs say

Can you imagine using a tool or application to enhance your experience?

-Maybe an application for my iPhone.

How did you find this museum?

-A friend recommended it to me

Did you have a hard time finding the museum?

-No, I used my phone

What would you do to find more information about an exhibition?

-I would probably look online on the website or something

State-of-the-art analysis

I have chosen to analyze the website of the National Museum of Natural History ( http://www.nrm.se/english.16_en.html ). At first glance, it looks a lot like other websites nowadays (kth.se for example) with a banner and navigation menu at the top, “random” information and news in the middle, and more concrete information and links at the bottom. The look of the design is somewhat modern, but it is quite obviously designed to fit both adults and a younger user.

I find it pretty easy to navigate the site and the most important information that a user would look for, such as address or open hours, are written on the first page. If you would want more information about it there is several links to get where you want, which can be seen as a good thing since it increases the chance of finding it, but it can also be perceived excess information.

There is also a search box, which is kind of hard to miss. To try its functionality I typed in a couple of words that I would expect a tourist to enter. The search engine gave a big variation of answers, but the first one always contained the answer I was looking for, which is enough to get my seal of approval.

There is some differences between the Swedish and the English page, especially when it comes to information. The English version has significantly less buttons to push and some things aren’t even translated from Swedish, which is a sign of it aiming more at Swedish-speaking people than foreign tourists.

Another important aspect from a tourist point of view might be the accessibility using a smartphone. Based on research, the site does not have a version for the phone or any other handheld device, which can make navigation a bit difficult.