Virtual exhibitions and communication factors

ABSTRACTAs the Internet and information and communications technology have deeply penetrated our daily lives and entered mainstream culture in our societies, the domain and roles of virtual exhibitions have expanded, making them the centre of museum activities. Such exhibitions are used as a communication medium in various areas, particularly for communication with diverse visitors. Therefore, this study was conducted to understand factors affecting visitor communication and their influences on virtual exhibitions, an interdisciplinary and integrated design field, from a macroscopic perspective through literature review. Factors affecting communication were broadly divided into personal, social, content, and environmental factors, which are individually reviewed in detail. This article develops design guidelines for systematic and theoretically grounded research on virtual exhibitions. The guidelines can also help ensure effective communication between visitors and virtual exhibitions.