The use of modern technical means to study the behavior of visitors in the museum

Abstract

Since the first half of the 20th century, museums have been conducting the first systematic studies on the peculiarities of visitors’ behavior when familiarizing themselves with the exposition. In the history of the issue of studying the museum audience in Russia over the past hundred years, three key periods can be distinguished. Such milestones in Russia were the 1920–1930s, the 1960–1970s and the 1990–2000s. Museum research at these points in history is distinguished by the most significant scientific results. Today museum sociology is gaining momentum, as in the last decade the visitor is viewed as a consumer who puts forward requests, thereby forming the vector of the museum’s development. In order to get to know your target audience better, it is no longer enough to use only traditional methods of studying your visitor. When studying, it is also necessary to apply new technological means that allow obtaining more reliable data. The purpose of the author of the article: to describe new technical means (eyetracking, video analytics, heat maps) and their possibilities in the process of studying the museum audience. In the article, the author also describes a number of advantages of using modern technical means in studying the behavior of visitors. The author also examines the domestic and foreign experience of popular museums that have already used modern technological means to study their audience. As a result of his research, the author comes to the conclusion that only an integrated approach, which is expressed in a combination of traditional methods of study and the use of modern technical means, allows you to get more accurate data and find out the true needs of visitors.

Keywords:

museum sociology, eyetracking, video analytics, heat maps, visitor studies, museum audience research, museum audience, museum exposition