Bringing Culture to People: A Co-design Method to Redefing the Role of the Museum

This paper proposes a co-design methodology to facilitate the participatory ideation of new museum services to make the cultural heritage accessible for older people with disability. The methodology enacts the vision of the EU project Beaucoup, which aims to make the cultural heritage accessible beyond the museum’s walls. This vision implies the definition of a new role of the museum as a promoter of inter-institutional partnerships between the cultural and the social sector to deliver innovative and accessible services. In order to pursue this objective, the methodology relies on the collaboration among diverse stakeholders and is supported by a toolkit consisting of inspirational material tokens, cards, templates, and instructions to conduct co-design workshops. The research is a contribution to the definition of an inclusive and participatory design practice that genuinely combines the creativity of stakeholders with a rigorous systemic approach to service design.