Exploration of Design Thinking in Self-guided Museum Tours

Museum tour guide is a crucial component of museum education. In recent years, self-guided tours have become widely used in museums; however, they still face challenges such as low usage rates, inadequate learning outcomes, and limited adoption. This study applied the EDIPT design thinking model to integrate concepts from “McDonald’s ordering” — including self-selection, convenience, and lifestyle — into the innovative design of museum self-guided tours. A prototype of “Easy Tour Guide” has been tested at Hong Kong Palace Museum to explore ways to enhance self-guided museum tours. Based on the testing process and feedback, the research recommends that museum self-guided tours should focus on the audience, adopting a three-pronged strategy that emphasizes audience participation and choice, media reorganization and integration, and the use of narrative scenes and gamification.