As visual beings, humans are always captivated by digital screens. So, implementing digital signage in your museum can help the establishment deliver more captivating experiences!

Museum digital signage merges history with cutting-edge technology. The digital signage screens enrich visitors’ experiences with dynamic and immersive displays that captivate, engage, and educate. 

But in what ways can you use digital signage in museums?

This article will explore how to use museum digital signage to enrich art exhibitions and give visitors a wow experience.

Specific ways to use digital signage technology in museums are:

Enticing visitors with a warm welcome

Everything you hear about first impressions is true! The initial encounter visitors have upon entering a museum can significantly influence their overall perception and enjoyment of the visit.

This is why it’s important to make a good first impression. Digital signage displays are excellent for this. They spark excitement in visitors about their upcoming experience.

To greet visitors entering the museum space, you can use digital welcoming signage with clear and inviting language. You can also integrate sensory elements such as music to evoke positive emotions.

Stunning displays near the entrance of museums can also draw visitors’ attention and pique their interest in what lies ahead. This can motivate them to eagerly explore the museum’s offerings and discover its treasures.

Providing detailed information about exhibits

Museums have an educational focus. To enhance visitors' learning experience, you should provide sufficient information about each exhibit, including historical context, significance, and other relevant details.

However, traditional signs and plaques offer limited information, which can leave museum visitors yearning for more detail and context. This is where digital signage comes in!

Digital signage for museums allows you to provide detailed information about exhibits and artefacts. Instead of traditional static signage, use digital screens to showcase high-resolution images of exhibits. This can show close-up details of exhibits, allowing visitors to appreciate textures and other fine details they may have missed.

You can also use digital signage to display 3D models of exhibits, which can offer a deeper understanding of the subject matter. 

Digital signage facilitates immersive storytelling through multimedia elements like videos and animations, which allows you to bring historical narratives to life and offer a deeper understanding.

Engaging visitors with interactive educational content

Imagine two museums. In one, visitors passively observe exhibits and then return home. In another, visitors can actively engage with the exhibits. It’s not hard to see which of the two museums offers a more enriching experience.

This is where digital signage comes in!

You can use digital signage technology to create an interactive environment that allows visitors to actively engage with exhibits, turning the museum experience into an immersive adventure.

Interactive signage add touch and engagement to your museum exhibits. For example, you can use augmented reality (AR) software to overlay digital content on exhibits, immersing visitors and providing a deeper understanding.

You can install touchscreen displays near exhibits that allow visitors to access additional information, videos, or 3D models related to exhibits. You can also use touchscreen PC monitors and screens to provide quizzes, puzzles, and interactive games related to exhibits.

As visitors touch and swipe elements on the digital displays (whether to access more information, test their knowledge, or play a fun game), they’ll feel a deeper connection with the exhibits, leading to a more fun, engaging, and educational experience.

Also read: Top 15 Tips for Engaging Customers Through Interactive Signage. 

Integrating wayfinding and navigation assistance

Museums and art galleries usually have large spaces with multiple floors and sections displaying different exhibits. This makes it difficult for visitors to find their way around and locate specific exhibits they are most interested in.

You can use the digital screens as a wayfinding tool by displaying navigational aids that help visitors find their way around.

Digital wayfinding can be directional signs that point visitors in the right direction or interactive maps of the museum showing the locations of exhibits and the most efficient routes to them.

With digital signage navigational assistance, instead of museum visitors getting lost and spending a chunk of their time finding their way, they’ll easily locate exhibits of interest and optimise their viewing experience.

Displaying advertising and sponsorship opportunities

Museum visitors are the target audience of many businesses. And many of these businesses are ready to pay to get their products and services in front of these museum visitors.

Digital signage is one of the most effective advertising and marketing tools, so it is perfect for showing advertisements or promotional content to museum visitors.

This is one way for museums to earn extra revenue. Museums can partner with local businesses that need to reach their visitors. Then, strategically place digital screens in the museum to promote the products or services of the local business. 

However, when using museum digital signage to show advertising content, ensure the products or services you promote align with the interests of museum visitors. 

For example, as an art museum, you may partner with a local art store to promote art supplies, art books, reproductions of famous artworks, or art workshops/ classes.

Providing accessibility and inclusivity

Museums have a responsibility to cater to everyone, including people with disabilities or special requirements. Unfortunately, traditional exhibitions and displays fail in this regard. 

The digital screens can be used to improve accessibility and inclusivity within museums so that all visitors (regardless of their abilities or disabilities) can fully participate and enjoy the museum experience).

For example:

• You can display information in large fonts and high contrasts to enhance readability for visually impaired visitors.

• You can implement text-to-speech functionality that reads out text content, providing audio descriptions of exhibits and other relevant details. This makes it easier for people with visual or reading difficulties to access and understand displayed content.

• You can use sign language videos to make information easily digestible to the hearing impaired.

Integrating social media

These days, everyone is posting on social media to share their experiences. Many museum visitors even take pictures and post them on social media within the museum premises.

You can make visiting your museum a social experience by incorporating social media feeds into your museum’s communication strategies.

Use your digital signage screens or interactive displays to showcase curated social media feeds within the museum. This allows visitors to see the discussions related to the museum and get a glimpse of the experiences of others. That can help visitors see the exhibits from a different perspective, enriching their experience.

Social media integration also bolsters a museum’s online presence, extending its reach beyond its physical boundaries.

It also improves visitors’ engagement. You can encourage visitors to use specific hashtags for a chance to be featured on your social media wall. 

Seeing their posts featured on digital screens can create unforgettable experiences (or at least encourage visitors to engage with the institution on social media). 

However, when using this strategy to enrich visitor’s experiences, ensure you moderate posts before they go live. This helps you sieve out embarrassing posts with obscene or trolling content.

Promoting museum events

Museums often host events. These could be special exhibitions that showcase specific collections, lecture series that feature experts discussing topics related to collections, or events celebrating specific cultural or historical milestones. 

Digital signage enables museums to promote these events in a visually appealing way. Digital and interactive content displayed on screens is usually captivating, capable of capturing viewers’ attention and conveying the excitement of the upcoming event.

Digital signage is great for announcing and promoting upcoming events, not just because it displays visually appealing and engaging interactive content. But also because it allows real-time updates.

If there is a last-minute change or cancellation, changing the event promotional content to ensure visitors receive the latest information is easy. You only need to click a few buttons on your computer to do this. Unlike traditional signage, you’ll have to print new material that reflects the new information.

Also read: Unlocking the Power of Digital Signage: A Guide To Getting Started! 

Tips on how to use digital signage in museums

Follow these tips to learn how to effectively use digital signage in museums to enhance visitor engagement: 

Choose reliable digital signage software

Digital signage software is the brain of the digital signage system, as it is the program used to create and display content on digital screens. For this reason, the digital signage software you use can make or mar your signage efforts.

For example, a less-than-ideal solution can make creating, organising, and scheduling digital signage content difficult. Also, an unreliable solution can frustrate you with system glitches that cause your screens to go blank when they should be beaming exciting content to museum visitors.

So, to effectively use digital signage in museums, choose reliable digital signage software like Luna Screens, which minimises downtime and has an advanced but user-friendly Content Management System (CMS).

Place the digital signs strategically 

Museum digital signs cannot have any impact if visitors do not see them. Therefore, strategically positioning the screens to maximise visibility is an important strategy in effectively using digital signage in museums to engage visitors.

Thoughtfully place the digital screens where visitors cannot miss them. Place them near entrances, lobbies, high-traffic areas, or key exhibits.

Use captivating visuals

Even if your digital signs are visible, they will not have the desired impact if they cannot capture and hold the attention of museum visitors.

So, when implementing museum digital signage, use high-quality visuals that can capture people’s attention. Vibrant colours, sharp images, and crisp graphics can make content visually appealing.

As visitors’ eyes move around the museum space, they’ll be virtually arrested by the stunning displays and drawn to engage with the information presented. 

Use clear and concise messaging

Even if your custom digital signage content is visually appealing, it will not have the desired impact if viewers cannot easily grasp the message.

Know that it is one thing for signage to capture viewers' attention, but it is another thing for it to convey the intended message. Thus, an important strategy in using digital signage to engage museum visitors is to keep the content short and sweet.

The watchword is simplicity. Keep digital signage layouts clean and uncluttered to minimise distraction. Use simple and easy-to-understand language. Keep text to a minimum to prevent information overload. Use short sentences and bullet points to convey information quickly.

Include interactive elements

Interactive digital signage takes the museum experience from merely passive viewing of exhibits and screens to directly engaging with the screens.

So, one way to effectively use digital signage in museums is to incorporate interactive features to encourage visitors’ engagement. Include:

• QR codes that visitors can scan with their mobile devices to access more information.

• Touchscreens or buttons that users can click to explore additional content or play games.

• Gesture-based controls that allow visitors to interact with screens by waving their hands or making specific gestures.

You may also like: Transform your Business with Cutting-Edge Digital Signage: Latest Trends and Essential Tips Revealed!

Takeaway: Enhance visitor engagement in museums with LunaScreens-powered digital technology

Museums can use digital signage to bring exhibits to life with detailed close-up photos and immersive storytelling. 

Digital signs also allow museums to offer interactive content that turns the museum experience from passive viewing to active learning and interaction. It also provides wayfinding assistance, allows for real-time updates, and improves accessibility and inclusivity.

The tips for effectively using digital signage in museums include strategically placing the displays, utilising captivating visuals, using clear messaging, including interactive features, and choosing reliable digital signage software.

When it comes to choosing reliable digital signage software, you can’t go wrong with Luna Screens. Luna Screens is a cloud-based digital signage system with an intuitive interface that makes it easy to create stunning digital content. It minimises downtime, ensuring your digital signs will be up and running whenever needed.

Ready to elevate the museum experience for your visitors? Get Started with Luna Screens today!