Creating Digital Exhibitions

A Practical Guide

Zida Wang, Morgan Joseph Hamilton

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2026
• eBook ISBN: 9798216389408
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Museum Administration
• Index: Business

Creating Digital Exhibitions: A Practical Guide provides both in-depth theoretical discussions and practical, step-by-step approaches to creating virtual exhibitions in museums. It emphasizes participatory and edu-curation strategies that address the evolving needs of small to medium museums in the digital age. This book brings a unique, global perspective, including case studies and insights from diverse cultural contexts. It features approachable discussions about technology, practical how-to guidance, and a focus on diversity and inclusion in exhibit design from practitioners in the field. It's not just about the how but also covers the why behind digital transformation in museums.

What makes this book unique is its multi-vocal approach to developing digital exhibitions. This book pairs theoretical frameworks of digital and virtual environments with the practical implications of producing exhibits with national and international applications. These examples include contemporary case studies focusing on inclusivity and accessibility in digital/virtual exhibitions that go beyond static pages of high-resolution object reproductions and into interactive and responsive digital engagement. This book is the first of its kind to focus on small- to mid-sized museums whose limited budgets and staff often control their ability to expand into the digital landscape. It offers projects that are scalable, which will benefit museums of all sizes.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Dedication Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part 1 Theory
• 1 Co-Curation Using Digital Tools: From Theory to Practice
• 2 Opportunities and Challenges for the Digital Object in Museums
• 3 Object-Based Engagement Strategy for Online Exhibition Design
• 4 Developing a Digital Exhibition, a Story: Finding Inspiration, Intention, and Ideas
• Part 2 Practice
• 5 Learning from Performance Halls
• 6 Approaching Approachables: Creating School/Museum Collaborations for Virtual Exhibitions
• 7 Utilizing Virtual Exhibitions to Engage Students in Museum Studies
• 8 Designing a Digital Exhibition, a Story: Making Decisions and Planning
• Part 3 Infrastructure and Resources
• 9 It’s a New Landscape Out There: An Academic Museum’s First Virtual Exhibition
• 10 Accessible to Anyone, Everywhere: Skelf as a Case Study for the Virtual Project Space
• 11 The Art Show Must Go On
• 12 Digital Innovations at the Chinese National Art Museum
• 13 A Digital Architecture for Museum Exhibitions: The Stories of Migration and Belonging Project
• 14 Designing a Digital Exhibition, a Story: Building the Foundation
• Part 4 Hosting Digital Experiences
• 15 From 2D to 3D: Enhancing Virtual Exhibitions with Interactive Media and Spatial Computing for Immersive Visitor Engagement
• 16 Online-Only Museums
• 17 Beyond the Gallery: Hybrid Art Exhibitions in the Academic Library
• 18 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Digital Exhibition Web Platforms: A Comparative Study
• 19 Designing a Digital Exhibition, a Story: Building the Structure
• Part 5 Implications
• 20 The Use of Digital Museum Exhibitions in Rural Art Education
• 21 Digital Exhibits and Exhibition Design for Participation and Inclusiveness
• 22 Excellence in Digital Exhibitions: A Proposed Adaptation of the Excellent Judges Framework
• 23 Hybrid Co-Curation as a Model for Inclusive Museum Practice
• 24 Designing a Digital Exhibition, a Story: Welcoming the Public and Reflecting
• Part 6 Addenda
• Appendix
• Index
• About the Editors
• About the Contributors
• Imprint