Reframing Museum Narratives: Visitor Experience in Digital Curation at Tate Modern

Thesis Abstract

The rapid digitization of museum curation challenges traditional narratives and raises questions about how visitors interpret, engage with, and co-create meaning within digitally curated collections at Tate Modern. This study addresses the problem of evolving visitor experience amidst digital mediation, seeking to understand how digital curation reshapes perception, accessibility, and narrative authority in a leading contemporary art institution. The aim is to elucidate how digital presentation strategies influence visitor meaning-making, engagement, and satisfaction, with specific attention to equity of access, interpretive agency, and temporal-spatial navigation within gallery networks. Guided by objectives to (1) examine visitors’ encounters with digital curation across permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, (2) identify design features that foster or hinder narrative comprehension, (3) assess the role of interactive technologies and curatorial storytelling in shaping perceived authenticity, and (4) propose an evidence-based framework for optimizing digital narratives to balance curator intent with visitor agency. The study employs a mixed-methods research design combining quantitative and qualitative strands. The population comprises museum visitors to Tate Modern over a twelve-month period, with a target sample of 600 respondents for the quantitative phase, selected through systematic random sampling at primary access points and digital touchpoints. A purposive subsample of 40 visitors will participate in semi-structured interviews to capture depth of interpretation, followed by 20 in-depth ethnographic observations of guided and self-guided experiences in selected galleries. Data collection instruments include standardized visitor experience surveys incorporating Likert-scale items on perceived interpretive clarity, engagement, and satisfaction; digital interaction logs capturing engagement with online catalogs, QR-driven content, and immersive displays; interview guides exploring meaning construction, perceived authority of digital content, and affective responses; and field notes from participant observations. Validity and reliability will be ensured through pilot testing of survey instruments (n=50), triangulation across data sources, and inter-coder reliability checks for qualitative coding, targeting a kappa value above 0.70. Analytical procedures integrate quantitative and qualitative methods. Descriptive statistics will profile the sample, while inferential analyses—multiple regression and hierarchical linear modeling—will assess how digital features (narrative annotations density, multimedia richness, interactivity level) predict perceived comprehension, engagement, and overall satisfaction, controlling for demographics. ANOVA will compare experiences across exhibition types (permanent collections vs. temporary shows) and accessibility modes (on-site vs. online). The qualitative strand will utilize thematic analysis informed by the theoretical framework to identify patterns in meaning-making, interpretive authority, and emotional engagement, with codes mapped to a conceptual model of digital curation influence. A contextualized synthesis will integrate findings to articulate how digital curation mediates visitor agency and narrative reception in a major modern museum setting. Theoretical framing draws on Medium Theory and Information Foraging Theory to explain how visitors navigate digital layers and seek informative payoff, complemented by Foucault’s concepts of discourse and power/knowledge to interrogate custodial authority in digital narratives. The study anticipates uncovering that well-curated digital elements enhance interpretive clarity and inclusivity, yet risk privileging certain narratives or creating cognitive overload if not coherently integrated with physical objects. The expected contribution to knowledge includes (i) an empirically grounded framework for evaluating digital curation’s impact on visitor meaning-making and agency, (ii) actionable design guidelines for Tate Modern and peer institutions on aligning digital narratives with curatorial intent while promoting diverse interpretive voices, and (iii) a methodological model for mixed-methods investigation of digital museum experiences that can be adapted across similar urban art museums. Policy and practice implications encompass recommendations for curators, digital content developers, and accessibility teams to balance authoritative storytelling with participatory engagement, ensuring inclusive access across diverse visitor profiles. The study concludes that strategically designed digital curation can reframing museum narratives by expanding interpretive possibilities, fostering critical engagement, and enhancing visitor satisfaction when aligned with transparent curatorial rationale and accessible design. Recommendations include developing modular narrative units linked to physical works, enhancing real-time feedback loops from visitors, and investing in cross-channel analytics to continually refine digital storytelling approaches in line with visitor construction of meaning.