Design Strategies for the Communication of Medicine and Health Promotion in Science Museums

Nichilò, Giovanna (2024) Design Strategies for the Communication of Medicine and Health Promotion in Science Museums. In: P/References of Design. Cumulus conference proceedings series, 1 . Cumulus Association, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Budapest, pp. 2467-2472. ISBN 978-952-7549-03-5

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Abstract

The doctoral research presented in this paper explores the relationship between design and scientific communication in medicine and health museums. In particular, the thesis aims to define methods, principles, and scenarios useful for the design of scientific exhibits that display visitor information by redefining the human body metaphors. The challenges of contemporary society include the need to facilitate access to the latest results of medical research for an ever-wider public to contrast the growing phenomenon of disinformation about these topics. Medical sciences are exhibited in science museums concerning medicine, health, and hygiene and science centres using different exhibition strategies. Generally, designers and curators work simultaneously to design exhibitions and exhibits, but in this context, there emerges a lack of involvement of designer profiles in the visitor experience design and also a loss of appropriation of these issues by the discipline. It was necessary to complement the design literature review – that is particularly limited – with the analysis of the wider literature in the sectors of museography, museology, scientific communication, and public health. The review was supported by visits to European museums that revealed a panorama where visitor involvement by exploring their data increases engagement. In this way, users feel more involved even but sometimes this is at the expense of awareness. A mapping of usable data was returned. It brings out problematic design aspects and new design scenarios for health datafication. To reconsider these themes considering scientific and technological development is both necessary and urgent because design has an increasingly important function to interpreting and transferring scientific knowledge to society by creating engaging, inclusive, and exciting experiences. In this regard, the doctoral thesis intends to provide the groundwork for reflecting on science exhibits and exhibitions that incorporate visitor data inside the design discipline to stimulate reconsideration of the relationship between designers and science and technology museums reciprocally and innovatively. This is considered necessary to get the design back on body and interaction issues in these contexts.

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