THE INFLUENCE OF MUSEUM EXHIBIT DESIGN ON IMMERSION AND PSYCHOLOGICALFLOW

Two studies were designed to investigate the role of immersing design techniques in determining museum visitors' experience. Study 1 observe d visitor behavior in a museum hall at the Denver Museum of Natural Hi story (DMNH) in Denver, Colorado, before and after renovation. The stu dy found that after the design changes, visitors attended more to the exhibits. Study 2, a post hoc survey analysis complementing Study 1, d iscriminated which particular design features were responsible for eli citing a high degree of sensory contact from visitors. The survey was administered to visitors at the DMNH after they had been exposed to a specific exhibit space. The survey measured visitors' sense of immersi on, psychological flow, and the perceived presence and strength of dif ferent design features. Analyses revealed that interactive components, multisensory stimulation, and dynamic displays influenced flow and im mersion. Results are discussed in terms of exhibit attributes that opt imize the visitor experience.