The authors’ model, called the multinomial logit pathway or “MNL pathway,” does not reveal causal effects, they note, but the associations they uncover are informative for museum professionals.
Multimedia guide users largely visited the recommended artworks in the suggested order. Lisa van den Bos, product manager for digital education at the museum while the study was being conducted, expressed surprise that even subtle ordering changes in the guide affected traffic patterns. “We actually have a lot of power in how we help people,” he said.
The team found that visitors were looking for variety in period and size, but consistency in theme and theme. Time pressure also affected the elections; As time passed within a given visit, people were more likely to prioritize seeing masterpieces.
Perhaps surprisingly, the data revealed that congestion can increase turnout. “When there are more people, at least up to a certain number… people are more likely to go and see artwork that they probably wouldn’t have seen,” Deshmane said. Crowding around a painting can also be seen as a sign of quality.
Reorganizing permanent collections can be complicated due to space or thematic limitations, but museums can often experiment with exhibition or gallery spaces, where shorter timelines and lower infrastructure requirements allow for easier changes, Deshmane said.
Instead of moving pieces, the researchers used a simulation to generate new designs and predict visitors’ possible reactions. Based on their simulations, they found that moving highly attractive artworks from leaky locations (e.g., stairs or elevators) and strategically swapping pieces could cause visitors to see more artworks (and stay longer) without undermining curatorial goals. Additionally, data-driven digital design planning, even without associated physical movements, can help visitors understand art through new perspectives, said Gundy van Dijk, the museum’s director of education and interpretation.
