Museum Augusta Raurica: More attractive offer for Next Gen

Augusta Raurica

#DigitalTransformation #AudienceDevelopment #Innovation #NextGen

Problem

A cultural institution senses that public interest in historical topics is declining. To counteract this, history needs to be communicated in a more modern way.

Over the past 20 years, many cultural institutions have failed to evolve and adapt to the zeitgeist. Those who want to hold their own and remain relevant and interesting must therefore present their products in a more attractive way and also make it possible to experience them digitally.

Our customer is Augusta Raurica. As a historic city, it conveys Roman cultural history and thus tells of times long past. For the balancing act between the past and the future to succeed, familiar patterns have to be broken down and new paths taken. This applies to internal cooperation, team culture, and addressing target groups.

Solution

We accompanied the team in a design thinking process and worked with them to develop an attractive offer for the younger generation.

During the process, we discovered that young people had hardly been considered as a target group so far. There was neither a direct approach nor concrete offers for them. We therefore considered which topics might be relevant for the young target group.

With the help of interviews and conversations, we realized that young adults today face major mental challenges. The demands on them are high. Many have difficulties finding their way in everyday life and mastering the transition from school to the professional world.

We have developed a digital product that combines the topic “Mental Health” (need of the target group) with the topic “Roman times and archaeology” (offer of the customer). In this way, the transfer of historical topics to the present day is successful. History becomes tangible and relevant.

Result

We were able to help our client to break new ground as a museum and to engage more with today’s world. The result is a digital product that combines traditional and modern themes.

At the center is a 14-day online challenge with daily exercises of 5-10 minutes each. An app with a courageous Roman woman as an online coach serves as the basis. The program is supplemented with a workshop at our client’s excavation site. There, the topics of the online challenge can be deepened and discussed.

The support program was developed in co-creative collaboration with our customer, a psychologist and apprentices. The prototype is now being tested in a defined target group, evaluated and further developed if necessary.