I visited Tokushima Prefectural Museum and collaborated with museum historians to create an illustrated manual for guides of inbound groups visiting the museum for the first time, usable before travelling to Tokushima as well as while guiding at the museum. I wrote all the content in English but we added Japanese translations to the 28-page manual for the benefit of guides born in Japan.
We aimed to:
- Foster a deeper understanding of Japan and of the region (Shikoku island and more specifically Tokushima city).
- Enhance the overall visitor satisfaction.
- Optimize the flow of visitors within the museum.
- Not an initial goal but a point I added after visiting the museum – Reduce risks due to conflicting perceptions of international war (a tiny section of the museum but potentially very sensitive especially in regards to Asian visitors).
The manual notably highlighted:
- Rarities: worldwide, regional, recently discovered.
- Interactive learning: multisensory experiences, augmented reality (AR) app, virtual reality (VR) room.
- Good angles for children and wheelchair visitors to enjoy dinosaurs.
Finally, an FAQ based on best practices (and inspired by information of the websites of the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris and British Museum in London) covered on-site photography, wheelchair rentals, activities for kids…