Remember the Visitor

May 5, 2011 by Taylor Studios in Other

Taylor Studios is currently researching an additional design service for our clients. This service is visitor evaluation, specifically front-end visitor evaluation.

I am struck by the pressing need for visitor evaluation data several times a year. These times normally occur during design kickoff meetings with the client.

I become conscious of the need, when I hear something along the following line:

Stakeholder: We need to incorporate several interactive touch screens in this exhibit for the kids.

Or this:

Stakeholder: Our attendance is composed of a pretty even split between older adults, younger adults, and children.

Or this:

Stakeholder: I would say 80% of our visitors already know the benefits of a clean watershed.

The above examples are fabricated, but they reveal an occasional tendency: at times (because of budget, schedule, under-appreciation for the value of planning), generalities and assumptions about the visitor stand in for visitor evaluation findings.

Real World Examples

The following examples are not fabricated, but adapted from specific Taylor Studios’ experiences.

Conclusion

A site’s messaging is a blending of the stories inherent in the site’s resources, the interests of the site’s stakeholders/managers, and the interests of the visitors. The first two components of the messaging (site’s resources and interests of the stakeholders) are often readily accessible. The last component (visitor interests) often takes a little more effort to uncover. Soon, Taylor Studios will create the process and procedures for offering visitor evaluation….stay tuned.