Using Bluetooth beacons in a museum: An exploratory study with proximity-based technology

Abstract

The goal of this master thesis is to discover how Bluetooth beacons affect user experience in a museum setting, specifically for museum visitors and staff. Two applications were developed; one of which was highly automatic and required an active screen to work, and one that was less automatic and worked when the phone was inactive. A high degree of automation was found not to be desirable, as users express a greater loss of control. This can be somewhat remedied by good feedback, but the highest degree of automation should not always be the goal, even though users express that they like the application doing a lot of the work for them. An application that requires users to use it at all times intensifies the feeling users already have of being in a `bubble', which leads to a sense of isolation. An application using beacons should thus work as a supplement and not as the main source of information.