Data-driven design for the design heritage

The integration of digital technologies in museums has instigated a transformative shift in various facets of museum practices, reshaping acquisition, preservation, communication, and exhibition processes. This evolution has given rise to a hybrid physical-digital nature within heritage institutions, where analog, surrogate, and digital dimensions coexist while retaining their distinct identities. Within this dynamic context, digital data has emerged as a pivotal design material, fundamentally altering the operational landscape of museums. The field of "digital cultural heritage design" provides tools and processes to develop solutions that bridge preserved heritage with practices enhancing visitor experiences both on-site and online. This exploration of digital technologies and diverse media has led to three main types of intervention: datafication, representation, and narration. Identifying design heritages as a field that due to its peculiarities can benefit manifold from these practices that open up new perspectives on the enhancement and understanding of collections, the paper investigates data-driven design approaches for design museums geared toward promoting innovative forms of heritage fruition and knowledge sharing. The research identifies the designer's role, outlining objectives, target beneficiaries, competencies required, and associated deliverables for data-driven design approaches in museums. Envisioning a "process interface museum," the research suggests that data serves as a resource for study, research, exhibitions, and a foundation for a shared production of design history. It anticipates a future where museums seamlessly integrate physical and digital elements, leveraging data to enrich visitor experiences and contribute to the collaborative construction of cultural and design history.