Museums as Progress (MaP) is a community research and development firm. We help cultural organizations define their strategic purpose, prioritize community goals, and identify opportunities to support those goals through progress-space research.
What if people don’t want to be engaged by your museum?
Fires are engaging.
A mysterious rash
is engaging.
How often do you wake up hoping to be “engaged” by an institution?
Never
Because engagement is an organizational goal.
Never
Because engagement is only a byproduct of a person’s progress toward achieving a goal, not an end in itself.
Engagement without progress is meaningless.
Focusing on engagement can distract from more fundamental objectives and undermine museums’ impact. Rather than (or before) focusing on engaging audiences, museums can prioritize people’s goals.
Everyone has goals they’re trying to address. Goals can be long-term or short-lived; We can be more or less conscious of our goals. Goals can be situational (“I need to entertain my in-laws this weekend” or “I’m bored. What can I do today?”) or enduring and identity-driven (“How can I cultivate my child’s curiosity and love of learning?”). Museums are positioned to support some goals better than others, and each museum can choose which goals it wants to prioritize based on its mission.
When someone addresses a goal, they are engaged. Engagement is the shadow people cast when they’re trying to make progress toward a goal. Engagement is agonistic. A person can be engaged without making progress toward their goal. Failure can be just as engaging as success. Engagement is an effect, not a cause, and we use progress-space research as a tool to help museums focus on causes.
Relevance is similar to engagement. Museums strive for relevance just as they try to engage audiences even though no one is looking for things that are Relevant or Engaging. An organization is relevant only to the extent that it supports a person’s goal. Relevance, like engagement, is a byproduct of progress. Museums as Progress helps museums understand what fuels engagement and relevance by integrating progress-space research principles into their strategic decision-making.
“What do you mean by progress?”
Progress: forward or onward movement toward a goal or desired state. “Museums as Progress” refers to museums as solutions that can support people’s goals.
“What is engagement?”
Engagement: involvement, commitment, and attention devoted to a person, object, or event. Engagement is neither good nor bad in itself. For example, a person can be engaged when planning a birthday party or a robbery. Both can be engaging activities.
Our Team
Kyle Bowen
Kyle is the founder of Museums as Progress. He helps cultural organizations redefine their strategic purpose and support community goals through innovative progress-space research. With expertise in user experience and research methodologies, Kyle cultivates a vibrant community of practice for museum professionals. His approach shifts museums from product-centric to people-centric strategies, increasing their relevance and impact. Through MaP, Kyle fosters a collaborative network that drives positive change in the cultural sector.
Rosie Siemer
Rosie is the founder of FIVESEED, a research and strategy partner for arts, culture, and conservation organizations. With a passion for enhancing the museum experience, she has guided dozens of museums in developing data-informed strategies to deepen audience engagement and build financial sustainability. Rosie authored Museum Membership Innovation and co-authored Membership Marketing in the Digital Age. She frequently facilitates workshops on audience development and speaks on choice architecture and the future of membership.
In addition to our core team, MaP participants work with and learn from volunteers and learning leaders. Founding members, Supporters, and Museum members bring our ideas to life.