Designing museum experiences for eudaimonic or hedonic well-being: insights from interviews with museum visitors

Lately, museums are trying to transform into spaces prioritizing enrichment and well-being. This paper investigates how the design of museum experiences is associated with the visitors’ well-being, drawing on psychological theories of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Through structured interviews conducted at a hedonicly designed museum (Museum of Chocolate, N = 10) and an eudaimonicly designed museum (Museum of Broken Relationships, N = 10), we explored the impact of different design approaches on visitors’ experiences and their hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Thematic coding showed distinct experiences. The hedonic museum, characterized by sensory engagement and personal enjoyment, stimulated mindfulness, restoration, and positive affect associated with visitors’ hedonic well-being. In comparison, the eudaimonic museum, emphasizing personal enrichment and reflection, promoted escapism, contemplation, and mixed affect, which was associated with visitors’ eudaimonic well-being. These insights carry significant implications for museum experience design, offering guidance on creating enriching experiences that prioritize visitors’ well-being in different ways.