In 1996, Judy Rand's wrote a very thoughtful essay—The 227-Mile Museum, or, Why We Need a Visitors' Bill of Rights (link, opens in a new tab) where she tells a story about a Grand Canyon rafting trip that changed how she thought about museums forever.
Judy struggled for a few days because the trip leader, Fred only cared about geology. The group had a few experienced rafters and so nobody explained the basics.
Then on day 5, everything changed.
She met John the Swamper.
John was just a crew member whose job was to cook and push rafts off rocks. He was not an expert geologist.
But John had one thing Fred didn't—he cared about the first-timers.
When Judy felt scared of heights on a difficult hike, John gave her tips before the climb—the position of hand and how to approach the ledge.
John told stories she actually cared about, about the Anasazi—and not just rocks.
Rand writes:
"John the Swamper knew about the Anasazi... He knew all about the wildlife, too, and was ready to tell us any story we wanted to hear. I knew someone in the Grand Canyon Museum cared who accepted me as a human being first and not as an expert hiker."
This is what museums' websites need: A "John the Swamper." You have well-catalogued collections, but your digital experience should be so designed that it:
Welcomes first-time visitors for their curiosity and questions
Explains without jargon
Meets them where they are, and build their confidence
Cares about their experience in the context of their journey, not just pushing the content
Makes it a memorable experience for them, in their own natural language
Should not sound as if technology interferes their moments of excitement
This is where the user experience plays such an important role—something that is visitors'- centric and the museum website or apps can support well. Usable. Accessible. In the right language and on the right device.
A digital equivalent of John the Swamper saying—"Here, let me help you. You belong here."
At MuCoDi, we think about this every day.
When we design search, we ask, "Will a first-time user find it useful?"
When we design the interactions, we ask, "Does it help them?"
When we look at the website, we ask, "Does it help the visitors and the museum, holistically?"
Because Rand was right:
"Fred was right, John the Swamper was good with first-timers. It changed my whole outlook."
Your collections are Fred—brilliant, expert.
Your digital infrastructure should be John—welcoming, helpful, human.