Towards user-centred and context-open museums: a review of mobile apps adopted by Italian National Museums with special autonomy status

Purpose: Over recent decades, information and communication technologies have reshaped the museum value chain and how museums interact with their users, paving the way for a reconceptualisation of the museum as a liquid and smart institution. Considering this scenario and the main innovations introduced in the Italian context over the last ten years, this article reviews mobile apps released by the 67 Italian National Museums with special autonomy status, exploring how they interact with their audiences and enhance the relationships between museum heritage and its context. Design/methodology/approach: The research proposes an analytical framework based on five dimensions to analyse museum apps and understand whether, and how, they succeed in meeting current innovation needs. The framework is defined by combining the scientific literature on evaluation models and Italian policy documents. Findings: The research identifies clusters of mobile apps by combining data on each app’s main subject and objective and examining their level of interaction with users. Practical implications: The research can support museum managers and policymakers in designing, deploying and improving museum apps. Originality/value: The originality of the review lies in the definition of a helpful framework to be adopted for designing or analysing museum apps and measuring visitor satisfaction.