A screen visitors already carry
Most visitors arrive with a capable screen in their pocket. A phone can show images, play audio and video, display text in a chosen size and translate languages. Using it as a companion to an exhibit means a museum does not have to buy, mount, power and maintain a display for every piece of content.
The usual mechanism is a printed code or short web address on a label. The visitor points their camera at the code, a web page opens, and the page offers whatever the museum prepared: a longer text, an audio track, extra images, a short film or a quiz. Other methods exist, such as near-field tags that respond when a phone is held close, or a link shared through a signal that the phone detects, but the printed code is the cheapest and most widely understood.
Why it appeals
- Low hardware cost. A printed sticker or label is far cheaper than a screen, and it has no moving parts.
- Easy updates. The content behind a code can be revised without changing the label.
- Personal settings. The visitor’s phone already has their preferred text size, language and accessibility settings, such as a screen reader or captions.
- Take-away value. Visitors can save or share what they find, and continue exploring at home.
- Scale. A small museum can add layers of content to dozens of objects, which would be impractical with installed screens. This is one reason the approach appeals to small museums.
The limits
Using phones is not free of cost. It shifts work and risk onto the visitor and the venue’s network.
Not everyone has a suitable phone. Some visitors have no smartphone, an older model, a low battery, no data plan or a device they would rather keep in a bag. A gallery that places essential information behind a code leaves them out. The code should lead to extra content, not the only route to understanding the object.
Signal and connectivity. Galleries with thick walls, basements and remote buildings often have poor mobile reception. Public wireless networks can be slow or unreliable when crowded. Pages should load quickly and use little data, as described under slow connections, and some projects offer content that can be downloaded in advance, which links to offline mode.
Attention. A phone pulls eyes away from the objects. Visitors can fall into a pattern of scanning, reading a small screen and moving on without really looking. Content should send visitors back to the object, with prompts such as “look at the left edge of the vase”.
Shared experience. A phone is private. It does not support the group use of a table or a large display, and it is difficult to supervise a group of children each on their own device.
Disruption. Sound from many phones makes a gallery noisy. Encourage headphones, or keep content text and image based, and consider rules about phone use in quiet areas.
Making codes work
Practical details decide whether visitors actually use the codes.
- Say what is behind it. A bare square is uninviting. A short phrase such as “Scan to hear the maker’s story” or “More images and a short film” tells visitors what they will get and sets expectations.
- Provide a typed address. A short, readable web address beside the code helps those whose camera does not read codes or who prefer to type.
- Size and contrast. Codes need adequate size, a clean white border and good contrast, and they should not sit behind glass with a reflection or in poor light. Position them at a height that visitors, including wheelchair users and children, can comfortably aim a phone at. Reach ranges and screen glare guidance carry over, adapted for a camera.
- Placement near the object. The code should be on or beside the label it extends, not on a separate panel across the room.
- Consistent style. Use the same pattern throughout the gallery, so visitors learn it once.
- Test on real devices. Try different phones, in the real lighting, with weak signal.
Designing the page behind the code
The destination matters as much as the code. A page built for a phone should load fast, read well on a small screen, and avoid asking for logins or app installs. The question of whether to build a web page or an app is covered under web or app, and for most label extensions a simple web page is the lighter choice. Considerations from designing for mobile devices apply: large tap areas, short text, one idea per screen.
Content ideas that suit this format include:
- a short recorded story or a spoken description
- zoomable photographs of details
- a transcript and captions for any audio or video, which matters for accessibility
- a translated version for multilingual visitors
- a short activity for families or school groups
Privacy, trust and access
A code can lead anywhere, which is why visitors sometimes hesitate to scan unfamiliar ones. Posting a short explanation, using a recognizable address and keeping the destination under the museum’s control builds trust. Pages should collect as little personal information as possible; if analytics are used, they should be described honestly. The principles are covered under visitor privacy, and reading statistics sensibly is discussed under exhibit analytics.
Codes also need upkeep. A link that leads to an error page or to a closed site, as can happen when an exhibit ends, damages confidence in every other code. A record of every code and its destination, and a plan for retiring or redirecting them, avoids this. Related planning for ending a project is described under exhibit archiving.
Where it fits
Phones are well suited to extending labels, offering translations and giving curious visitors more depth. They are less suited to experiences that must be shared, that require precise controls, or that must work for every visitor without exception. Many successful galleries combine both: a few installed interactives for everyone, with codes quietly offering a second layer for those who want it.