Immersive experiences in museums for elderly with cognitive disorders: a user-centered design approach

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Museum Studies

Background:

• Global aging populations necessitate adaptive environments for cognitive health.
• Dementia affects cognitive function, impacting engagement with cultural spaces.
• Current museum design often overlooks the specific needs of cognitively impaired visitors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify design needs for elderly individuals with dementia in museum settings.
• To develop a user cognitive psychological model grounded in immersion theory.
• To enhance the museum service experience and satisfaction for those with cognitive impairments.

Main Methods:

• Literature review, surveys, questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups were employed.
• Kano model combined with Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method for user needs mining.
• Development of a model to evaluate museum environment experience excellence.

Main Results:

• Displaying virtual museum scenes or historical objects significantly boosts subjective well-being.
• The proposed method effectively identifies specific needs of elderly individuals with dementia.
• Overcomes limitations of subjective designer-led approaches in museum experience design.

Conclusions:

• Virtual and object-based museum exhibits offer effective cognitive interventions.
• Enhances immersive experiences for visitors with cognitive disorders.
• Provides a novel framework for inclusive museum design and cognitive health support.