Systemic Design Path to Innovate Italian Archaeological Museums into Hybrid Museums

The paper traces a methodological path to innovate the communication and visitor’s experience of Italian cultural heritage museums, converting them into hybrid museums by adopting a systemic design approach. Starting with an overall social and technological context observation, this design path defines both the scenario in which analyze users' interaction with the museum system and the principles for innovation strategies that could allow museums to remain relevant in a contemporary context. Insight and intervention hints have been acquired by a qualitative analysis comparing Museo Archeologico Nazionale d’Abruzzo (MANA) to other similar national and international archaeological museum organizations in order to address this case study’s challenges through innovation projects. The project proposes itself as a practical case study or possible reference for designers involved in museum innovation, covering the whole museum system and exploring a possible solution to create a more active dialogue between visitors and exhibit. Each system’s component has been designed with a holistic perspective that enhances the relationship between these projects' elements, considering them indivisible and not effective as independent interventions. Therefore, the study delves into the development of a narrative mixed reality experience concerning the Warrior of Capestrano statue, relating it to the museum's digital touchpoints that have been improved through a redesign process of visual communication. The key result is a practical design path dedicated to designers for museum innovation, along with an adaptable workflow for creation of narrative mixed reality contents about archeological finds.