The Curious Case of Design Thinking in Museums

In this paper we examine the controversies that arise when a museum engages in the project of developing a proprietary online community for its employees and the interested public. By developing this new online community and actively participating in it, the museum intends to transform itself from a hierarchical institution into an online and offline meeting place for those interested in the museum and its activities. Yet, not all museum employees are at ease with this ambition. We argue that these controversies arise from a mismatch between traditional, linear ways of designing in a museum and a need for more participative approaches in which the public is welcomed as a knowledgeable partner. We put forward the notion of ‘design by drawing things together’. By means of illustrations from the Amsterdam Museum, we explain what this approach entails and how it could be beneficial for the present day city museums and their socio-technological ambitions.