Developing a typological matrix of Museum Sound Sources to Enhance Design and Management

Abstract

Sound offers a promising direction for enhancing the visitor’s experience in the context of digital transformation and multisensory engagement. However, what visitors perceive on site is a composite soundscape woven from multiple sound sources. If curators and designers attend only to the sound inside the exhibit while overlooking these other sources, the intended effect of sound design may be diluted or disrupted. This study introduces two sound methods, Soundwalking and Sound Sketch, and engages 24 participants in guided listening activities at two museums in Hangzhou, China. These activities generated a rich body of empirical materials, they provide the basis for developing a typological framework of museum sound sources and for formulating the concept of Sound Field Thinking. This framework contributes to a more precise description of the museum’s soundscape and provides a more comprehensive perspective for museum professionals to understand sound in museums.