Case study: Pladia Empower at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia

The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) in Sydney implemented Pladia Empower to enhance visitor engagement and streamline operations. In just two weeks, they configured an intuitive Progressive Web App (PWA) that elevated accessibility, enriched storytelling, and unlocked actionable insights to improve visitor experiences.

This case study explores how the MCA achieved rapid implementation, improved inclusivity, and transformed its operational capabilities with Pladia Empower.

Background

Located on Sydney Harbour at Tallawoladah, a home to stories, art and culture for over 65,000 years, the MCA contributes to the continuity of culture on this site. Committed to making art accessible and inclusive, the MCA aimed to enhance its visitor experience while streamlining internal operations.

The challenge

Ahead of a major exhibition launch, the MCA needed a digital solution that could be implemented quickly. The challenge was twofold:

1. Provide visitors with a richer, more accessible way to engage with art and navigate the museum.
2. Equip the organization with tools to manage dynamic content and gather actionable insights.

The solution

The MCA selected Pladia Empower for its ability to:

• Offer a configurable PWA that minimizes onboarding friction for visitors
• Enable interactive wayfinding for effortless navigation
• Provide accessible, multi-lingual text, audio, and video content to cater to diverse audiences
• Deliver robust analytics for data-driven improvements
• Offer dedicated Customer Success support in their local timezone

Implementation highlights

Pladia Empower’s adaptable architecture allowed the MCA to meet tight deadlines without compromising quality. The entire process, from onboarding to launch, was completed in just two weeks with support from Pladia’s Customer Success team.

Impact

For visitors

The launch of the Hiroshi Sugimoto: Time Machine exhibition showcased Empower’s capabilities, allowing visitors to:

• Engage with Sugimoto’s works through additional content, artist insights, and multimedia provided via the PWA
• Navigate the museum effortlessly using interactive maps
  

Key engagement insights included:

• Visitors who played audio content spent four times longer on the app
• Family-focused content, like the “Kids and Families” category, was the most accessed feature
• App traffic doubled on the exhibition’s closing day

"Pladia’s focus on offering a PWA option aligns well with the MCA’s strategy. The platform is robust, designed with accessibility in mind, and incredibly user-friendly."

— Julia Prior, Head of Digital Media, MCA

For the organization

• Operational efficiency: Simplified content workflows enabled the MCA to preview and update digital materials in line with its dynamic exhibition schedule
• Revenue spotlight: Publishing Points of Interest helped showcase revenue-generating areas like the café and shop alongside artwork content
• Data-driven insights: Analytics and visitor feedback offered actionable insights to refine exhibit layouts and content strategy
• Future readiness: The MCA leveraged Empower’s public roadmap to ensure their digital tools evolve alongside visitor needs

"Being able to work with something that's going to move along and not get old was important."

— Julia Prior, Head of Digital Media, MCA

The MCA’s implementation of Empower reflects its commitment to cultural inclusivity and respect. Key outcomes included:

• Configuring an Acknowledgement of Country to honor the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, displayed during app onboarding
• Refining in-app copy to support inclusive museum practices
• Ensuring accessibility through multi-lingual support and compatibility with assistive technologies

Key insights and takeaways

Pladia Empower’s analytics suite helps the MCA better understand visitor behavior, informing exhibit layouts, content strategies, and programming decisions. Key insights included:

• Audio features dramatically increased visitor engagement, highlighting the value of multi-format content
• Traffic spikes on exhibition closing days underlined the importance of timely content updates
• Anonymous survey responses collected via Empower’s Visitor Feedback capability reflected both the success of the exhibition and Empower’s impact:

"Very well curated on the webpage, helps to introduce the artist."

"Stunning exhibitions. Profoundly curated. Interesting work."

"Always something thought provoking. Easy access, alternative accessible ways to engage with the art (barcode, audio , bookmark favs etc)."